A 600-year-old city doesn't qualify as ancient in China. But for Tianjin, its six centuries of history have marked it as the gateway through which the modern Western world first entered the country.

The port city was among the first Chinese locations where Western society became accepted, endowing it with a unique place in the country's history.

Traveling through its busy streets, back alley or downtown plazas helps visitors understand the strong affinity the city wields for both Chinese and Western cultures and the way it has blended them both with the ancient and the modern.