How did living conditions differ between Tianjin’s Chinese city and its European concessions?

By the end of the 19th century, living conditions in Tianjin were marked by a sharp disparity between the old Chinese city and the foreign-controlled areas. While the European concessions were characterized as spacious and well-tended, the Chinese city—which housed approximately half of the population—lacked these qualities.1

The physical layout of the city further underscored these differences. The old Chinese city featured a winding, irregular street pattern contained within the footprint of a former rectangular wall. In contrast, the foreign-developed zones, located to the southeast and along the riverbanks, were designed with more regular, gridded street patterns. Additionally, many of the large administrative and commercial buildings in the central city were constructed by foreign concessionaires, reflecting the diverse and often unplanned architectural styles of the colonial era.213