If you want to find some books to read there is a bookstore which sells books in many languages. Its called Foreign Languages Bookstore. Browsing the english section I found titles on Quantum Physics, Genetics, DNA, Thermal Dynamics, Medicine, and other cool though intensive subjects. Those books are very thick and run at around 200RMB a piece and are from well known authors.

The cafe 'Be For Time Tea House' is just down the street and is listed on the tianjinweb.com site. Across the street is also a McDonalds and just down from that is a well stocked Tobacco World. The blind massage clinic is walking distance from there also.

This area is found in the Nan Kai district of Tianjin.

If you have any high quality western clothing then ensure you buy Tide (sold here) or a home brand of detergent. Some local detergents will ruin more delicate western clothings. If your clothing is being washed by hand in the traditional style then ensure its not left to sit in the bucket for too long or the detergents may eat at your colours. Quality hotels have good laundry service so if you need special washing like dry cleaning you can check them out.

Finding cigars in Tianjin is worthy of a Stephen King novel. There are tobacco shops called Tobacco World and they are spread out around the city. One I commonly go to is located between Alibaba's and the Nankai University. Its situated on a corner opposite the university campus. They don't all have the same stock but amongst their 50 cigarette brands and 20 cigar brands they generally have Camel, Kent, Marlboro and Cafe Creme and Captain black cigarellos.

The Tianjin TV tower is the world's 6th or so biggest tower. It charges 50RMB per person to get thru the gate. The view from inside the tower isn't good (not clear - smog) and there isn't anything to do up there. There are some sofas and tables upstairs in the rotating floor. The only food for sale during the day is buns, you have to wait until 17:00 to buy dinner. Don't waste your time and money going, its as interesting as watching mold grow. The only way to appreciate it is by looking at it from outside.

In the open market prices aren't set. If you are a foreigner then you'll be asked 2-10 times more for an item.

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.