Raffles Hotels & Resorts is no longer managing Raffles Tianjin with immediate effect.
Location
Tianjin is a metropolis in Northeastern China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is thus under direct administration of the central government, and very close to Beijing Municipality, In terms of urban population, it is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China, and its urban land area ranks 5th in the nation, only after Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
Currency & Exchange
"Chinese money is called Renminbi (RMB) means "The People's Currency". The popular unit of RMB is yuan. The Bank of China issues RMB bills in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan. Counterfeit notes are a problem in China. Most of the time Chinease check for authenticity before accepting notes. Better avoid accepting large notes from street vendors. Coins come in denominations of 1 yuan, 5 mao, 1 mao and 5 fen. Paper versions of the coins remain in circulation. Foreign currency and travellers cheques can be changed at the main branches of the Bank of China, hotels and some department stores. You will need to keep your exchange receipts if you want to change any of your remaining RMB at the end of your trip."
Dress Code
Modest clothing is recommended especially visiting religious places. On a large part of the country, dress code is very much relaxed.
Language
Chinese (official), English (other)
Climate
Greatly influenced by the Bohai Sea, Tianjin possesses a semi-moist continental monsoon climate. It has four clearly divided seasons and each season has its own beautiful scenery. Like most cities in northern China, July tends to be its hottest month, during which the temperature can reach 35C (95F) or even above, while January is the coldest with an average temperature of -4C (24.8F).
Credit Cards
"All major credit cards are gaining ground in China, and ATM installations can be found in most public areas. If cards aren's;t an option then cash will never fail and exchanging currency is relatively easy."
Photography
Photography is quite relaxed, but always ask before photographing local people. Pay attention to the regulatory notices and levies which can be applicable on ancient places and buildings. Restrictions may apply on palaces like government institutions and military installations.
Voltage
The voltage used in the Tianjin is 220V 50Hz. Most sockets are three-pin although adapters for two-pin plugs are available at most hotels.
Safety
"Tianjin is relatively a safe city. It is always a good idea to carry your important documents. Caution is advised when touring around in busy areas."
Time Zone
"China Standard Time + GMT/UTC + 8"
Public Transport
The subway (Underground Dragon) is the best way of travelling quickly within the city. Oversized and overstuffed buses are the norm, and on the whole best avoided.