Definition

Noun: * T'ien-ching: A major industrial center and port city in northeastern China. It is located on the Grand Canal near the Yellow Sea and is historically one of the most significant cities in China.

Usage Notes

• "T'ien-ching" is an older romanization (spelling using the Latin alphabet) for the name of the Chinese city. In modern contexts, the standard romanization is Tianjin.
• It functions as a proper noun, the name of a specific place. It is always capitalized.
• It is used to refer to the city itself, its government, its culture, or things originating from there.

Examples

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• As an object:
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Advanced Usage

• The name "T'ien-ching" (天津) translates to "Heavenly Ford" or "Celestial Ford," referring to its historical role as a port and gateway.
• In historical texts or documents using older romanization systems (like Wade-Giles), you will encounter "T'ien-ching." Modern texts use "Tianjin" (Pinyin romanization).

Variants and Related Words

• Tianjin: The modern, standard Pinyin romanization of the city's name. This is the form most commonly used today.
• Tientsin: Another common historical romanization for the same city.

Synonyms

• Port city: Describes its primary function.
• Municipality: Refers to its administrative status as a direct-controlled municipality of China, equivalent to a province.

Related Phrases

• Tianjin Municipality: The official administrative region.
• Port of Tianjin: One of the world's busiest ports.
• Tianjin dialect: The local variety of Mandarin Chinese spoken in the region.

Noun

1. a major industrial center in northeastern China on the Grand Canal near the Yellow Sea; 3rd largest city in China