Overview
Tianjin is one of the most important cities in northern China and a gate to the nation's capital. To some extent, Tianjin in the history of pre-modern China is a microcosm of Chinese society at that time. After the first Opium War in 1840, the Western powers accelerated their incursion and plunder of China. During the second Opium War, the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign the Treaty of Tianjin with Great Britain, France, and the United States of America. In 1860, it was again forced to sign the Treaty of Beijing with Great Britain, France, and Russia. According to these treaties, Tianjin was designated as a trade port, paving the way for the Western powers to economically exploit Tianjin and China as a whole.
