Tianjin (Chinese: 天津; Pinyin: Tiānjīn; Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is one of the four municipalities of China. As a municipality, Tianjin has provincial-level status and comes directly under the central government. Tianjin's urban area is the third largest city in China behind Shanghai and Beijing.
Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai He River. Its ports, some distance away, are located on Bohai Gulf in the Pacific Ocean. Tianjin Municipality borders Hebei province to the north, south, and west; the municipality of Beijing is to the northwest, and Bohai Gulf to the east.