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Ben and Rianne of On Tour With Dridgers spend time in Tianjin as they consider where to base themselves while traveling in Asia. They look at the metro and mobile payment, walk Bing Jiang pedestrian street, sample local food and compare the city’s affordability and pace with larger Chinese cities. Tianjin’s flat terrain, bus network and location near Beijing appeal to them, while finding an apartment near a station and affordable local bars remain practical questions. The trip also includes colonial-era and modern architecture, an Irish pub, robot delivery and hotel logistics.
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Testing Tianjin as a travel base
Ben and Rianne of On Tour With Dridgers explore Tianjin as a possible base for their travels around Asia. After spending about a year and a half in China, they are looking for a practical and affordable place to stay while continuing to travel. Tianjin appeals to them because it costs less than major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, and it is about 30 minutes from Beijing’s international airport. They begin by testing the metro, an important factor for them when choosing a home base. They show how to use mobile payment apps such as Alipay and WeChat to scan a QR code for metro entry. The system feels efficient to them, and they describe the city as quieter than first-tier metropolises, particularly outside busy periods.
The terrain is flat, which makes walking and cycling convenient, and the city also has a bus system. These practical points are part of the couple’s comparison: access to public transport, affordability, airport connections and daily ease all affect whether a city works as a base. They also discuss the importance of food quality. For them, good food is a major consideration when deciding where to live.
Food, streets and architecture
The couple spend time on Bing Jiang walking street and explore the local food scene. They follow a queue of residents to try Tianjin steamed buns, including a chocolate-filled version that surprises them. They enjoy the filling and talk about how ordering works in busy eateries, where customers take a box and choose roast meats. Their meal also introduces them to the sales style they encounter, including upselling. The food stop shows why following a local queue can help visitors find popular dishes, though tastes are personal.
Tianjin’s architecture gives the walk a different character. Ben and Rianne notice colonial-era buildings beside modern structures, and they visit Riverside 66 mall and a roundabout landmark. Friendly interactions with residents add to their impressions, including a welcoming man with hearing difficulties. They also meet a viewer from Singapore, Sin, who recognizes them. These encounters make the city feel personal as well as practical.
Everyday costs and next steps
The couple visit an Irish pub and find its prices closer to Western-style venues than the local bars they hope to discover. They enjoy the familiar atmosphere and spot a red post box, a small reminder of home, while still wanting recommendations for more affordable places to drink. They also mention the convenience of deliveries, including food delivered by robot, and the ease of getting a replacement hotel key card. A delayed online delivery leads them to extend their Tianjin stay, illustrating the flexibility of their travel plans.
Housing remains another question. They look at apartments and consider different rental platforms for short or longer stays. Finding a place close to a metro station matters, just as access to food and transport does. The episode closes with plans to visit Beijing and explore more of China province by province. Tianjin’s flat layout, affordability, public transit, food and calm pace all make it worth considering for them, while housing location and affordable local bars still need more research. Their account is a personal assessment rather than a universal recommendation, and current rental, transport and business details should be checked when planning a move.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What food did Ben and Rianne try in Tianjin?
- A: They followed a queue to try steamed buns, including a chocolate-filled version, and sampled roast meats. The couple considered the food an important part of choosing a place to live.
- Q: How did they get around Tianjin?
- A: They explored the metro using Alipay or WeChat QR payment, and noted that the city’s flat terrain also suits walking and cycling. They mention buses as another option.
- Q: Why are Ben and Rianne considering Tianjin as a base?
- A: They liked its affordability compared with larger cities, its location about 30 minutes from Beijing’s international airport, and its relaxed pace. They were still looking into housing and local bars.
- Q: What did they notice about Tianjin’s architecture?
- A: They saw colonial-era buildings alongside modern structures, including the Riverside 66 mall and a roundabout landmark.
- Q: What practical housing question did they have?
- A: They were searching for apartments and considering rental platforms. Being near a metro station was an important factor for them.
- Q: What was the Irish pub like?
- A: They found the prices high compared with the local bars they hoped to find, but enjoyed the familiar setting and noticed a red post box.
- Q: What delivery service did they see?
- A: They mentioned convenient deliveries, including a robot bringing food, as one example of daily services they encountered.
- Q: What was their next travel plan?
- A: They planned a visit to Beijing and wanted to continue exploring China province by province.
