It’s had to wait its turn, but Tianjin is ready and eager to burst onto the national stage as the latest economic powerhouse in China, writes Margie T Logarta
Why is it that the first thing Chinese boomtowns do is rush to replicate Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong leisure precinct? Shenzhen has OCT-Loft; Guangzhou has Redtory; Chengdu has Jinli Ancient Street; Nanjing has 1929; and in Tianjin, there is Italian Style Town. Tianjin’s European reference, however, is more than an affectation. The municipality’s strategic location at the crossroads of important land and port navigation routes made it an irresistible magnet for colonial adventurers just like its showier sister Shanghai. After the British and French established their presence there in the mid-1800s, the Japanese, Austro-Hungarians, Germans, Belgians and Italians took the cue and followed suit. These cultural ghettos, known in history as “concessions”, featured their own prisons, schools, barracks, houses of worship and hospitals. Two centuries on, this foreign heritage is being revived by local authorities with all pennants flying as they harness the past for a new purpose. Epitomising that ambition is The Astor Hotel, Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ first Luxury Collection member in China, which debuted in August last year. “The Tianjin government restored this iconic property, which they consider the symbolic gateway to the city,” said general manager Martin Verpoorten. As the premier venue for high-level entertaining in Tianjin’s heyday, it drew luminaries such as the “last Emperor” Pu Yi and his consort, Wan Rong, as well as US president Herbert Hoover who, before reaching the White House, worked as a mining engineer in China and became fluent in Mandarin. Pu Yi, Hoover and other local notables were frequent guests, enjoying the fine wines and Continental cuisine whipped up by bygone chefs, and dancing in the ballroom. Even the architect of the Chinese Revolution, Dr Sun Yat Sen, appreciated the deluxe hospitality of The Astor, holing up in his favourite room (now the Dr Sun Yat Sen Suite) to plot the advent of a new political order.
Late boomer
Tianjin’s re-entry onto China’s economic stage has been a rather painstaking journey. It has had to give way to the national plan of fast-tracking the growth of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. It has had to live in the shadow of Beijing and Shanghai, which have always snared large chunks of international attention – more so in this millennium with their penchant for running outsized events such as the 2008 Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo 2010, cementing their reputations as miracle builders.
But it’s now Tianjin’s turn, and no one believes that more than Ma Lin, general manager of the Sheraton Tianjin Binhai and a seasoned China hand. “The 30-minute train between Beijing and Tianjin has made travel more convenient and our area more accessible,” he said. His 325-room property, which opened in October last year, is located in TEDA (Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area). This prized development zone in the Binhai New Area – reached in 40 minutes by car from downtown, or via a light railway service – is where some 76 Fortune Global 500 companies have set up offices and operations, revolving around nine pillar industries: telecommunications, food and beverage, electronics, biochemicals, light industries, manufacturing, logistics, and automotive and machinery manufacturing. Their accumulated investment: US$53 billion.
Meanwhile, there are also 8,830 domestic enterprises present with a registered investment of RMB130.9 billion (US$20 billion). TEDA’s tenants include Motorola, Samsung, FAW-Toyota, Nestlé, Otis, Novonordisk, China National Petroleum Corporation, China Petroleum Chemical Corporation, Donggi Wind and Electricity Power, CCB International, Tokyo Tatemono and Tsing Hing Group of Taiwan, among others.
Flying high
Aircraft manufacturing giants Airbus and Boeing also have a presence in the special economic zone, eager to be near their China customers whose buying potential is well known and highly coveted. The European conglomerate opened its third final assembly line (the other two are in Toulouse and Hamburg) in 2008, while Boeing kicked off a joint venture with Aviation Industries Corporation of China in April, opening an expanded composites factory. During a recent tour of the 20,000sqm hangar where various airplane parts, both minuscule and enormous, are brought together to produce a gleaming Airbus A320, an Airbus spokesperson told Business Traveller that it was TEDA’s proximity to an international airport and world-class seaport that sealed its bid for the project over other rival cities in the country.
Since launching in 1984, TEDA has performed consistently, earning high marks from the Ministry of Commerce for its strong management policies and ability to nurture a healthy investment environment. Its efforts have impressed the Central Government to such an extent that between now and 2015 it can expect a capital infusion of US$228 million, according to local media reports. It also helps to have friends in high places in the form of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. A Tianjiner born in Beichen district, Wen takes a keen interest in the fortunes of his hometown and is a frequent TEDA visitor.
To reflect its ascending profile, TEDA has launched the construction of the “Modern Service District (MSD). Dubbed “the most expensive one-square-mile area in Binhai”, the future CBD seeks to attract players in the financial services industry, providing Grade-A offices with supporting international-standard infrastructure such as upscale residences, exhibition venues as well as education and lifestyle options. All buildings will adhere to LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, developed by the US Green Building Council), manifesting in ecofriendly practices such as the greening of public spaces (over 40 percent) and use of solar energy, among others. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by August.
Getting down to business
In downtown Tianjin, the forward-bound energy is just as palpable. “Restoration” is the obvious buzzword, with the city in various states of cover-up or unveiling. The 3.36sq km European Concession, known as “Wudadao” (Five Big Avenues), has understandably received the most attention and preservation, which have been lavished on the slew of remaining heritage buildings.
If Shanghai can restore the Bund to its former glory and profit commercially from its architectural gems, then the message of the current public works frenzy seems to be that Tianjin can, too.
The Haihe River, meandering through the city and linked to the Yellow and Yangtze rivers via the Grand Canal, is another notable Tianjin feature being revived. The Astor Hotel’s Verpoorten likens their cruise experience to one on Paris’s River Seine, complete with the tableaux of European-style buildings and dramatic bridges spanning the waterway. In fact, the 148-year-old hotel boasts a private pier across the road where a small flotilla of pleasure boats (belonging to the hotel’s owner, Tianjin Tourism Holding Corporation) is docked. The vessels are the setting for intimate dinners for corporate and incentive groups, featuring executive chef David Woodford’s re-creation of popular selections from the Victorian era.
But remember, local bureaucrats are chafing to reinvent their city along the lines of what they perceive a modern-day hub should be. In short, they want what Beijing and Shanghai have, and they’ve cut vast swathes through Tianjin, whether sensitively or not, to shape their vision in order to expand a modest subway system and create the skyline of a new central business district, led by the 80-storey Tianjin International Trade Centre.
While still some way from approximating the urban dynamics of Beijing and Shanghai, Tianjin doesn’t hesitate in presenting itself as a venue for international conferences. Last year alone, two prestigious events were held there: the “Summer Davos” in September, organised by the World Economic Forum – every two years Tianjin alternates with Dalian as host – followed in October by the 14th UN Climate Change Conference. The city is on the lookout for more to occupy the new Meijiang Conference and Exhibition Centre and older Binhai International Conference and Exhibition Centre.
Letting their hair down
Who says that Tianjin has not gotten back its groove? The down-time options are now more varied and enjoyable. Italian Style Town in the former Italian Concession, near Beian Bridge, with its cobblestone piazza named – you guessed it – Marco Polo Square, is dotted with pubs (oddly including German ones), cafés and trattorias that dish out seriously authentic pizzas.
The slew of deluxe hotels that have only recently come on the scene – after years when you could count five-star names with one hand – boast sleek watering holes and an extensive drinks list that would not be out of place in bigger metropolises around the world.
The Astor has the clubby O’Hara’s English Pub; Raffles has the sleek Cityspace, best enjoyed at night to view the twinkling lights of Tianjin; and The Westin has its hip Cuban-inspired Qba lounge with matching “gotta dance” music. Expect the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Hilton and St Regis to shortly up the ante when it comes to the city’s corporate accommodation portfolio.
For now, Tianjin, combined with the lofty attractions of Bejing, continues to be a side trip. But give this feisty performer some allowance, and it will, in time, dazzle on its own. 
