Last year, against all odds and expectations, the Italian Culture Area managed to become a hit destination with tourists and locals alike. Continuing on that success, it was recently announced that Tianjin will be rebuilding several other locations around the city. Of those, the German Culture Street is probably the furthest along. The main area is nearly finished, and is also surrounded by a number of other European, colonial style buildings, (which, mostly, have not yet been restored). Today we took a little walk in the area to see how things were coming along. Photos from the main area are included here. To view the full gallery, click on the external link above.

More details of the planned development of a "British customs" area have been revealed. In total, over 5 billion yuan will be spent on new buildings and renovations of colonial era structures in the area centered around Tai'an Dao.

Yesterday's South China Morning Post featured a front page story criticizing China's high-speed rail ambitions as not cost-effective. In particular, they highlighted the Tianjin-Beijing railway for not meeting performance targets.

The railway goods line that winds through the southwest of Tianjin is finally being relocated outside the city. The line has been the focus of increasing complaints in recent years due to night time noise and traffic holdups.

Sunday, February 14th, 2010, marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger in Tianjin. The New Year promises to bring many changes to our city, and as such, we would like to try to document some of these changes through a year-long photo blog. Every day, we would like to post picture from somewhere in Tianjin, which captures something about life in this ever-changing city. For our first entry, click on the external link above. To view the full blog, click here.

A "creative street" currently under development in Hongqiao District is expected to be fully open by the May 1st holiday. Located next to the existing Hongqiao Creative Industries Park, Xiangtan Road is getting a "creative" look in an effort to boost a pretty sleepy part of town.

When you start to see these guys on your local street corner, you know your neighborhood is about to start getting a bit louder. Spring Festival begins on February 14th, and you can bet people will be setting these off pretty much constantly. If you value your sleep, now might be a good time to invest in a solid pair of earplugs and some soundproof windows. Unless, of course, you are one of those who delight in setting off small explosions at 6 in the morning.

People always talk about how they wish there was more they could do for the community here. Well, now's your chance. Tianjin Expats is working together with a coalition of different groups to bring a benefit the International Committee for Chinese Orphans, which is an international charity working with the Tianjin Orphanage. Tickets are 500 RMB, and include a luxury dinner, live entertainment, and a free flow of wine, beer and soft drinks. Reserve Your Tickets Here.

100% of all profits will be donated, and used to pay for ayi's and physical therapists to care for the children, as well as surgeries for children with special medical needs. Full details of the event are pasted below, and can also be found by clicking the external link above. For more details on the work the ICCO does, check their Tianjin website HERE.

This morning at 8:00 a.m., what began as a dispute in Tianjin’s Economic Development Area quickly turned into fighting and bloodshed, as one man stabbed another, then hijacked a bus and went on a rampage across TEDA, ramming the bus into pedestrians and police cars, before finally being apprehended.

A replacement for Tianjin's Amusement Park (aka Children's Park), which was demolished to make way for a new cultural quarter, is set to be built in Dongli District. The new park will cover up to 30 hectares and will feature different areas aimed to appeal to a variety of age groups.