Tianjin is geographically located between Latitude 38o42' and 45o15'N and Longitude 116o42'- 118o04'E. Its total area is 11,305 square kilometers with a 133 kilometers coastline. Tianjin lies mainly on a low and flat alluvial plain; mountains and hills occupy only 4.6% of its total area. Its flat land is suitable for agriculture cultivation and for railway and highway construction. The city flower is the Chinese Rose and city bird is the Seagull. Tianjin has a warm temperature and semi-humid monsoon climate with four clearly distinct seasons. It has cold winters and hot summers while spring and autumn are short and pleasant. The annual average temperature stands at 14oC. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of -4oC. July is the hottest when temperature can reach over 30oC. The frost- free period last for about 230 days. The annual rainfall averages 558-679 mm, concentrating mainly in July and August. Tianjin receives between 2610-3100 hours of sunshine per annum. Tianjin is an industrial, commercial and port city with a history of more than 600 years and is one of the cradles of China's modern industry. It is the largest coastal city in Northern China open to the world. 50km to the east is the Bohai Sea and China's capital Beijing is 120km to the northwest. Its vast hinterland covers an area of more than 5 million sq. km in the north of China. As one of the municipalities under the direct administration of the Central Government of the People's Republic of China, Tianjin is the economic center of China's Bohai rim and is being built a modern port city and a major economic center in Northern China. Tianjin is also a State-level city of historical and cultural value.