Lying on the coast of Bohai Sea, the port city of Tianjin which recently celebrated its 615th birthday, sustains a legacy that's both Chinese and Western, old and new.

Here old western buildings coexist with the intelligent modern Binhai New Area, while local folk arts are performed in exotic bars.

The place where the South Canal, North Canal and the Ziya River converge was historically called San Hui Hai Kou – literally, estuary of the three rivers -- is the birthplace of Tianjin.

Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)-- considering the military importance of Tianjin -- issued an imperial edict on December 23, 1404, to build a fort there. He named the area Tianjin, meaning the place where the emperor crosses the river.Tianjin thus became the only city in China whose establishment can accurately be found in historical documents.

Tianjin is also called "Tianjin Wei", or Fort Tianjin. The word wei means a fort. Wei was the commanding administration of the Wei-suo System, a military system of garrison units set up in strategic locations along the frontiers during the Ming Dynasty, equivalent to the contemporary military garrison headquarters.

Tianjin prosperous with development of canal

Adjacent to the sea and rivers, Tianjin enjoys distinct geographical advantages. After the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty (581-618), Tianjin became an important transport node between the canal and the sea, becoming a natural hub for waterway transportation.

After the middle period of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Tianjin became a hub for the transportation of grain and silk from the south to the north.

Tianjin has played a significant role in the economic exchanges and development between the North and South of China. In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with foreign trade developing rapidly, Tianjin became the largest commodity distribution center in northern China. As a result Haihe, with its radiating tributaries connecting up to eight provinces, grew in importance.

Tianjin as a mirror of China's modern history

Tianjin has experienced dramatic ups and downs, involved in historical events such as the Yihetuan Movement (also known as Boxer Rebellion), Self-Strengthening Movement (1861-1895), the Eight-Nation Alliance, China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and foundation of the People's Republic of China -- all symbolic of China's turbulent history and relationship with foreign influences.

On June 10, 1890, the Eight-Nation Alliance -- a multi-national foreign military coalition of the German Empire, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, the US, Italy and Austria-Hungary--departed Tianjin by train during the the Yihetuan Movement to invade the capital, Beijing.

The Boxer fighters, with their self-avowed mission to defend the Qing Dynasty against the foreign invaders, tried to stop the invasion by wrecking the railway.

The foreign alliance had no choice but return to Tianjin where they defeated the Boxer fighters.

The Eight-Power Allied Forces subsequently conquered Beijing, forcing the Qing government to sign the humiliating Treaty of 1901.

The Self-Strengthening Movement entered China's history as a result of the government's decision to save the country through learning from the West.

Tianjin's bond with big names in history

Li Hongzhang, a political heavyweight in the late Qing Dynasty who tried to modernize China and was in charge of its foreign affairs, lived in the northern coastal municipality for three decades. His efforts in introducing Western civilization to China were of far-reaching significance in shaping the city's development.

China's last emperor, Aisin-gioro Pu Yi (1906-1967), wrote in his autobiography From Emperor to Citizen that the most joyful period in his life was spent in Tianjin, where as a young man he was forced to leave the imperial palace in Beijing and found a new life there. He often joined parties and danced at local hotels. His former residence, the Garden of Serenity, remains a major attraction in the city.

Patriotic educators Zhang Boling and Yan Fansun built the Nankai University during the May Fourth Movement in 1919.

Master Hongyi, known as Li Shutong, a master painter, musician, dramatist, calligrapher, seal cutter, poet and a pioneer of new culture in China, was also born in Tianjin.

The oldest active Chinese language newspaper in China, Ta Kung Pao, was also founded in Tianjin in 1902.

Liang Qichao, the foremost intellectual leader who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements, spent his last 14 years of his life in the city.

Situated in downtown Tianjin, the European buildings were designed by architects from different countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, with some building materials especially imported.

Many of the buildings were the private residences of celebrities in the political, academic, business and entertainment circles in the first half of the last century. Nowadays they serve as public venues.

Today's Tianjin

Today, Tianjin is the largest port city in North China and was one of the first open coastal cities in China. It serves as a strategic point in the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor -- and is located at the nearest eastern starting point of the Eurasian Land Bridge.

Many of its local foods are much sought-after on the internet. Famous Tianjin snacks are not just pleasing in appearance; they taste as good as they look. Great delicacies from Tianjin including Jianbing Guozi -- a Chinese crepe -- commend themselves to people due to their sumptuous flavors.

Tianjin is one of the three birthplaces of Chinese crosstalk, along with Tianqiao in Beijing and the Confucius Temple of Nanjing.

In a tea house, a classic scene has actors performing on the stage and their audience sitting and watching while drinking tea and munching sunflower seeds.

Elsewhere, Tianjin's painted clay figurines are famous folk artwork that originated from the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). The figurines from Zhang's families reflect life: people can see the sorrow, joys and frustration in the small clay figure's eyes.

Another great feature of the city is its great schools – as represented by Nankai University and Tianjin University. Education experts say these august halls of learning -- as well as many middle and primary schools with more than a century of history – helped set the precedent for modern Chinese education.