The once highest building and still the pride in Tianjin

Tianjin TV Tower.

In the Beginning

Before the silhouettes of uncountable tall buildings began to break Tianjin's horizon within the last decade or two, Tianta, the Tianjin TV Tower, was the first building of its kind to shoot into the blue skies above a sleepy Tianjin. The location was originally just a fishing pond, not really even landscaped. Just like today, locals would visit the area to play on the ice during winter, and in the warmer months simply pass time fishing. When the construction was completed in 1991, Tianta was the 4th tallest TV tower in the world and was finished a year in advance of Beijing's despite construction having started one year later in 1988. Tianta was Tianjin's one and only tall building.

"There was a long line every day. Sometimes people would wait hours before arriving to the observation room," recounted the marketing manager Mr. Shen who has been working in the tower for more than twenty five years. He said Tianta was quite the big deal and a source of pride for the people in its early days. This is what the government had in mind when they built it, with a price tag totaling somewhere between 45 and 50 million USD. Not only does the TV tower contain the equipment to broadcast nine channel FM stations and seven television stations at a range of 100 meters, it serves as Tianjin’s original icon.

The Visitor Experience

It reaches 415 meters tall at the tip, and the seven story flying saucer shaped portion of the building starts and ends at 248 and 278 meters respectively. There are two floors accessible to visitors, and the observation room sits at 253 meters above the ground. In this area are slot telescopes to get a more close-up view of the surrounding areas. Visitors can buy a little piece of wood and write down a wish, then hang it in front of the window or from the ceiling. Pictures of other world renown towers from the "World Federation of Great Towers" also line the wall for visitors to see how Tianta matches up. A gift shop is on this floor with assorted souvenirs, but I didn’t see anything that was distinctly Tianta specific. There is a gift shop at the exit of the building as well.

Above the observation floor is the restaurant, accessible by a small spiral staircase. The menus are in Chinese and unless you are with a Chinese speaker, don't expect to understand too well what is available. The seats and tables are arranged close to the windows on a revolving floor that completes one full spin in about 50 minutes. There is a simple Chinese food meal they are promoting for less than 100 RMB, and if a visitor purchases this, they don't need to buy the standard ticket to the top which goes for 50 RMB. The elevator is fast and takes less than a minute to arrive as it moves at over five meters per second.

Breathtaking Views

Food and souvenirs are just side details for the real attraction, and that is the amazing panorama. On a clear day the view from the observatory extends 144 kilometers to the horizon. I’d imagine the current view from Tianta is a lot more interesting than it was in 1991. Recognizable buildings and various landmarks can be seen in all directions. The feeling is really special looking out to the loud and busy city while in the peace and tranquility of the tower, far removed from all the bustle. To the west one can see the Water Park in its entirety and then out to the extremely tall Goldin Finance building in Xiqing. To the North, the view up Weijin Lu all the way to the tall buildings close by the river really demonstrate how big the city is. Looking down is not for the faint of heart. The windows are tilted out at a 70 degree angle and if you look over the guard rail, can see straight down. Don't fall forward though, I knocked on the window to check the sturdiness and it's not the plexiglass reinforced and secured stuff you would find at a zoo.

From the Bottom Up

A view from the top might not be everyone's thing, and for people that prefer having two feet on solid ground, the grandeur of Tianta can be admired from all directions. Every evening people congregate in the park located north of the tower, and many children use the area for inline skating. The bridge on the east side gets filled with dance troops of grandmas exercising and moving about in synchronization with one another. Some of the best photographs can be taken from the Water Park, or Zijin Shan Lu which runs along Tianta's East side. Sometimes in the evening the tower is dark, but other evenings it's brightly lit from top to bottom. According to the manager, Tianta's lights are all turned on for the weekend evenings from Friday to Sunday, and powered down on weekdays in an effort to save money on energy costs. From past observation though, this pattern isn't always followed and I still don't know why sometimes they choose to only light up half. If you do plan to snap some evening pictures, the weekends are your best bet to give you a much prettier version of a brightly glowing tower.

The sightseeing restaurant in Tianta.

Conclusion

Tianta today remains a major icon of Tianjin and passers-by still stop and snap pictures with their smart phones. Anyone with some free time should take the opportunity on a clear day and enjoy the amazing view. The water park and Aocheng are both close, so other activities can be planned before and after as well. At only fifty RMB, it's worth it and the lines aren't as long as they used to be.