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| Tianjin Travel Tips |
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Prices in the open market
By INTIANJIN | 7/2/2004 1:16:34 AM
An example is a 10RMB knife I bought which I haggled down from 20RMB. At another location they wanted 210RMB for 4 of them. Another location wanted 98RMB for 1. All the same knife.
If you use American dollars then the formula of $1= 1RMB will help you find the worth easier.
If you see someone buying something you want in the open market, pay attention to how much they pay and pay the same ammount. If haggling starts don't give them your price. Instead ask _them_ for a lower price. The other day we asked the price for a Levis belt, the man said 120RMB. At that price I may as well buy the legit one back home. We walked away and he shouted "80.. 30!.. 20!!" but it was too late we're already on our way.
Ensure to bring some small money. Giving a 100RMB note when buying 12RMB worth of goods in the open market may make your vendor run off to find change leaving you waiting in the heaet.
In the open market you'll see lots of clothing booths but no place to try on the clothing. If you want to try on clothing you'll find that each booth has a sheet with string to block the corner so you can change there.
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Tips and maps
By INTIANJIN | 7/13/2004 4:31:49 PM
When in a restraunt try to choose the seat closest to the air conditioning.
Toilets don't come with their own toilet paper so carry a tissue packet with you.
You aren't allowed to take pictures inside stores. Pulling out your camera sets workers into a panic. So turn your flash off and sneak the pics incogneto.
If you aren't experienced crossing busy streets then just stick beside someone else who's crossing. Its ok to stand right beside them, they don't mind.
An umbrella will make your day alot cooler. An umbrella costs 20RMB.
If you read chinese here are good maps of Tianjin:
http://www.china114net.com/114/map/index1-3tianjin.asp
http://www.business-tianjin.com/tianjin_map.htm
For english here are some not so good ones:
http://www.wayabroad.com/tianjin/wheretj/wheretj3.htm
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Hotpots
By INTIANJIN | 6/30/2004 8:02:38 PM
Hotpots are fun to eat and the restraunts are located all over the city. In a hotpot restraunt all the tables have circular cutouts in the middle where the pot sits atop a burner.
A hotpot costs around 10RMB for the pot filled with 2 broths (hot and not hot); a divider seperates the two. Meat plates (chicken/pork/beef..) cost around 5RMB each and vegitable plates (potato/lettuce/greens/melon..) 2RMB. They put the plates down on your table and you throw your food into the boiling broth as you see fit. Its quite fun and tastes good.
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Renting
By INTIANJIN | 5/23/2006 12:27:36 AM
If you are looking for a home in Tianjin here is the site with good information:
http://www.esmart.com.cn/
The average cost per month of a local home is 500RMB. Newer ones and ones in good locations cost a fortune.
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Hostel
By INTIANJIN | 6/29/2004 8:44:44 AM
Nankai University has the only hostel I know of in Tianjin. Its mainly students but does have some backpackers in it. The price is listed at $7 for a double occupancy room or $14 for a single. The facilities included are shower, bath, hot water, TV, phone, air conditioning and the location is safe. You can do your laundry there, there is also a cafeteria, a store, and internet in Building No. 2.
Nankai-Aichi Guesthouse:
Tel: +86-22-23505339, 23502000
Fax: +86-22-23509311
Address: Yiyuna Nankai-Aichi Guesthouse, Nankai University, 94 weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300071
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Local restraunts/food
By INTIANJIN | 7/4/2004 7:09:30 PM
For 4 of us to eat at a local chinese food restraunt it cost 133RMB. For a party of 8 of us it cost around 320RMB in a private room. Your table will be covered in dishes and there will always be extra food going into the garbage. You'll eat things like duck blood, jelly fish heads, pig knuckles, big clams, sheep eyes, fish skin, giant shrimp (with heads, eyes, and legs attached), goat, and other neat items. Vinegar is common in the food. I believe its to hide the sour taste of food gone sour.
If you enter a restraunt and it smells dirty and unclean then don't eat there. Not all restraunts wash their dishes nor keep clean kitchens/food. Some just give a quick wipe to everything. We've had to re-wash our dishes in the provided hand sinks.
Icecubes from poor restraunts and side vendors are going to be made from local tap water. Those little shacks which sell the shaved ice with fruit toppings don't use clean water either.
Breakfast on the street consists of a couple of dough sticks rolled up in an egg-dough omelette. If you bring your own eggs it'll only cost 1RMB. If not then maybe 2RMB.
You can find roasted duck restraunts all around the city. Duck is very greasy so if you are watching your fat content don't bother eating it. They roast duck restraunts will throw the uncooked ducks into a fire oven then cut it up afterwards. You can watch them do it in most restraunts.
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Western Fast Food
By INTIANJIN | 7/2/2004 10:06:26 PM
There are KFCs, McDonalds, Starbucks, Subway, Baskin Robins, and Pizza Huts here. KFC and McDonalds are priced decent.
Starbucks costs 12RMB for a basic cup of coffee.
At KFC I order large fries, large popcorn chicken, 2 mexican wraps, 1 chicken breast, large Pepsi, and medium hot orange juice for 58RMB.
At McDonalds its 5RMB for a double cheese burger. 7RMB for large fries. The have big macs for 10RMB and chicken nugget packs of 6 for 10RMB.
PizzaHut's pizza isn't cheap. Its about the same price as the west. I believe it was 135RMB for a medium-large sized pizza. They have a salad bar too.
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Night life on the streets
By INTIANJIN | 7/13/2004 3:36:36 PM
When darkness falls the city's streets become lively. You'll find people out everywhere buying/selling goods and eating at the street side restraunts. People take advantage of the cooler night to go for walks and shop. Girls don't like the sun as it makes their skin darker and dark skin = poor/ugly so you'll see them out en masse. After 12:00 you'll only see the street side restraunts open selling their meat skewers but they will have lots of people around eating them.
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