Jinwan Plaza—Jiefang Bridge—Century Clock—Tianjin Railway Station

A solo trip could start from Vienna International Hotel and end at Tianjin Railway Station, passing Xinhua Road, Yingkou Road, the Postal Museum, Zizhulin Church, the former site of the Old Customs House, Jinwan Plaza, Jiefang Bridge, the Century Clock, and Tianjin Railway Station South Square. Taking the train won't cause any delays.

Jiefang Bridge, originally called Wanguo Bridge (meaning "International Bridge"), connects the old Laolongtou Railway Station in the north to the former Zizhulin Concession in the south. It earned this name because Tianjin at the time had concessions from nine countries: Britain, France, Russia, the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Austria, and Belgium. Since the bridge was located at the entrance to the French Concession and built by the French Concession's Public Works Department, Tianjin residents often called it the French Bridge. After the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Nationalist government named it Zhongzheng Bridge after Chiang Kai-shek. In 1949, after Tianjin's liberation, it was officially renamed Jiefang Bridge ("Liberation Bridge"), a name it retains to this day.

The Tianjin Century Clock is located on the banks of the Haihe River in the Hebei District of Tianjin. Its specific address is Century Clock Square, Haihe East Road, Hebei District, west of Tianjin Railway Station. It's a large, iconic urban sculpture built in front of Tianjin Railway Station to welcome the new century. The quartz clock face has an area of 156 square meters. On the inner ring, about 8 meters in diameter, the core and hands are made with openwork floral patterns. Between the inner ring and the outer ring (about 14 meters in diameter) are 12 bronze relief sculptures, each 2.6 meters in diameter, depicting the 12 zodiac signs. The side of the clock face features a giant pendulum design, with the "sun" at the top and the "moon" hanging below. The S-shaped pendulum frame is inspired by the Taiji dividing line, symbolizing the alternation of yin and yang, their mutual beginning and end. The heavy wrought-copper base is covered with gears, chains, large screws, and rivets, complementing the ancient Jiefang Bridge with a simple elegance, telling the story of how modern Chinese industry began here.

Post by Rowan_Winterbourne/25 | Mar 11, 2025