Introduction
2018-02-28 / 2026-03-28 - ongoing
My first trip to Tianjin was in 2018 for an exam. Later, I started a joint training program at a lab in Beijing, while my girlfriend was pursuing her PhD in Tianjin. Since 2025, I’ve been making regular trips from Beijing to Tianjin. In terms of urban development, Tianjin feels better planned and built than Beijing—probably the best in northern China. The air quality, though, is clearly worse than Beijing’s. And somehow, every time I come here, I never seem to catch a bright sunny day....
1. Tianjin Foreign Studies University
2018-02-28
I came to Tianjin to take the Goethe exam, which was held at Tianjin Foreign Studies University. That evening, I casually took a few photos. The Western-style architecture in Heping District really is beautiful.
2. Meijiang
2026-03-28
I came to Tianjin over the weekend to see my girlfriend and spent some time walking around Meijiang. I found myself thinking that if I ever settled down in Tianjin, living here would probably be pretty comfortable.
3. Water Park
2026-04-12
My girlfriend’s PhD advisor runs a counseling practice in Water Park, so she knows the area pretty well. We came over to stroll around a bit, and since David Tao’s concert was nearby that night, we headed straight there afterward. It’s a gorgeous park—easily top three among all the parks I’ve been to. It also made me realize I haven’t spent spring in northern China in years. The weather was perfect: not too hot, not too cold.
4. David Tao Soul Power II Concert
2026-04-12
This was the concert I wanted to see more than any other, hands down. I couldn’t get tickets when he performed in Hefei in 2025, so I actually dragged a little stool over and sat outside the stadium hoping I could at least hear something. Turns out the soundproofing was way too good... I couldn’t hear a thing. This time I finally got tickets, and it was absolutely incredible.
Starting off with the classic crowd screaming
"Small Town Girl"
"10:30 at the Airport"
"Just Love You"
"Liquids"
My favorite song of all: "The Lonely Season"
5. Jizhou Cave Scenic Area
2026-06-19
My girlfriend and I came to Jizhou to escape the summer heat during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. We spent two nights in a tent by the Ju River, and the scenery was lovely.
The tent looked beautiful, but it had absolutely no soundproofing. We were woken up early every morning by people boating on the river. We stayed for two nights and got woken up at 7 a.m. both days...
6. Guojiagou
2026-06-20
Regular admission was RMB 49, while the student ticket was RMB 25. Luckily, I qualified for the student discount—paying the full RMB 49 for this place would have felt like a bit of a rip-off.
