Leading Modern Civilization: A Hundred Years of China through Tianjin

Author: Luo Shuwei (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Tianjin is a famous historical and cultural city in China, a pioneer in introducing modern civilization, and holds a very important position in modern Chinese history. Tianjin is strategically located at the confluence of nine rivers and serves as the seaport and eastern gateway for the capital, Beijing. Therefore, in modern China, no city has suffered as many foreign invasions as Tianjin, nor has any city been as closely tied to the fate of the nation as Tianjin. Every major event in modern Chinese history unfolds along the Haihe River and passes through Tianjin to be highlighted. The fluctuations atop Tianjin's city walls and the ebb and flow along the banks of the Haihe River are, in essence, a microcosm of modern Chinese history. Since modern times, Tianjin has been the earliest and largest coastal open city in northern China, a window through which China absorbed modern civilization, and a convenient springboard for modern civilization to enter China. As a result, Tianjin quickly gained a unique position in leading modern Chinese civilization, prompting the emergence of a large number of "Chinas" from the 1860s and 1870s to the early 20th century. The book contains 140,000 words and over 200 illustrations, all of which are people and events closely linked to Tianjin and modern Chinese history. It reshows the new customs and trends of modern Tianjin, providing great help for readers to understand Tianjin's civilization and culture.