... Tianjin, China ...

After a full week in Beijing, we took the fast train to Tianjin, a city 2 hours (90 miles) southeast of Beijing.  Tianjin is much smaller than Beijing with a population of 5 - 6 million residents.  Although it is certainly not in the "quaint little village" category, we found Tianjin to have a more laid back feel than the capital city.  It is quite modern and the architecture has several fingerprints remaining from the area's colonial history. 

Here is a great video that a Chinese traveler posted:

Youtube video: Fast train from Beijing to Tianjin

We had the unique opportunity to converse with some English students at a university one morning.  The students showed a great interest in learning how to improve their skills.



 




An antique collector has decorated the outside of his building with a mosaic crafted from ancient pottery pieces.  Tianjin, like the other cities we visited, has its own "flavor".

 

And...speaking of flavor, the cuisine was, again, outstanding!  Some local friends took us to dinner on our last night in the city.  The variety and presentation was amazing.
We also ate what I'll call  "breakfast burritos"-a Tianjin specialty available from street vendors.

...leaving Tianjin...destination: Shanghai!