Normal morning life along the Haihe in Tianjin. 2019. [Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

Unlike much of South and Central China, Tianjin is one of the few northerly conurbations to have a navigable river run right through its core. The Haihe creates an attractive environmental corridor that is indeed both a major asset and attraction for the city. Its banks today are traffic-free; it is a linear strip where people gather for community exercise, dancing, impromptu musical performances, fishing and now in September 2019, to watch spectacular Dragon Boat races. This event attracted competitive teams not just from across China but also included several Asian and European nations.