Tianjin
2 min readA short distance away from the political center of Beijing，Tianjin’s proximity to the capital city is a crucial factor for its recent city development.
In Tianjin after 1860，several countries including Britain，France，the United States，Germany，Japan，Russia，Austria，Italy，and Belgium established foreign concessions respectively.In fact，in Asia，the only foreign concessions established by Italy，Belgium and Austria were to be found in Tianjin，hence marking the city’s unique position in the modern history of the world.
Building activities were carried out in the foreign concessions on a large scale，from 1900 to 1937，and especially from 1912 to 1937，with a multitude of architectural types and styles flooding the scene within a short period of time.Due to the impact of the First World War，some foreign concessions remained for only a short period of time and hence did not create much of an impact，while other foreign powers like Britain and France continued to expand their areas of influence，especially in the prosperous areas of Zhongjie Street and Quan Ye Department Store where building activities were congregated.
The first street to be established in the Anglo-French Concession，Zhongjie Street，was known as”the Street of the Banks，”given the large number of banks built there.Many of these buildings showcased neoclassic architectural styles in the use of classical pillars，with emphasis on symmetry，the axis and the relationship between principal and subordinate，creating architectural compositions with precise proportions，which were elegant and opulent in styles.Classic examples include the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank（1925）and the Yokohama Specie Bank（1926）.
The commercial center of Tianjin eventually shifted to the area of the Quan Ye Department Store，located in the French concession after 1900.During the 1920s，there was rapid commercial development in this area，with a large number of commercial and entertainment complexes built，such as shops，hotels，restaurants and theaters.Quickly overtaking the old city area in terms of prosperity and commercial activities from 1922，landmark buildings built successively in the Quan Ye Department Store area included the National Grand Hotel（1922），the National Commercial Bank（1925），the Hui Zhong Hotel（1928）and the Quan Ye Department Store（1928）.Although erected during the same period as the banks in Zhongjie Street，the architectural styles of these commercial buildings differed greatly from the”strict”styles of the banks.In the Quan Ye Department Store area，buildings were created in a multitude of shapes and sizes，and featured a mixture of architectural styles belonging to the eclectic type and influenced by modern architectural schools of thought.An example of this fluid style would be the building of tall towers to maximize commercial advertising effects.
