Tianjin is one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government, the largest coastal open city in northern China, a national historical and cultural city, and among the first batch of China's Excellent Tourism Cities. It boasts abundant natural resources including mountains, rivers, lakes, the sea, hot springs and wetlands, as well as a wealth of cultural and tourism resources that epitomize modern Chinese history and gather contemporary civilization.

The city covers a total land area of 11,966.45 square kilometers with a total territorial perimeter of 1,291.149 kilometers, including a 153.669-kilometer coastline and a 1,137.48-kilometer land boundary. Adjacent to the Bohai Sea in the east, backed by the Yanshan Mountains in the north, and bordering Beijing, the national capital, in the west (120 kilometers away from Beijing), Tianjin is a strategic fortress and gateway safeguarding the capital region.

As the confluence and estuary of the five major tributaries of the Haihe River – the South Canal, Ziya River, Daqing River, Yongding River and North Canal – Tianjin has long been known as "the lower reaches of nine rivers" and a "key hub connecting rivers and the sea". With an inclusive spirit that embraces all cultures, Tianjin attracts numerous tourists from home and abroad.