Today much of Tianjin's port activity has shifted to Tanggu , 50km east, which also has an international ferry service. A ferry to Kobe , in Japan (48hr), leaves Tanggu every Monday evening. The cheapest ticket, which gets you a tatami mat in a dormitory, costs ¥1300. Another ferry goes to Inch'on , in South Korea (28hr), leaving every four days; the cheapest tickets are just over ¥1000, rising to nearly ¥2000 for the most comfortable two-bed berths. Note that for international ferries you have to check in two hours before departure. A domestic ferry serves Dalian daily from March to October, alternate days the rest of the year. The journey takes 12hr and costs ¥98. Another ferry runs to Yantai about six times a month. Expect to pay around ¥100, though the price varies according to the ship. Tickets for all ferries can be bought from Tianjin or Beijing CITS for a small surcharge, or from the ferry booking office at 1 Pukou Dao (tel 23399573), a small street west off Taierzhuang Lu, near the Astor Hotel, in Tianjin.

Frequent minibuses to Tanggu run from outside Tianjin main station. Public buses leave from the South bus station at the northeastern edge of Shuishang Park, or you can catch the #151 which leaves from a small street opposite the main station; cross the bridge to the west, turn left, then take the second right and walk about 100m down the street. Two trains to Tanggu leave from the main station early every morning, taking just under an hour. Tanggu has two train stations, of which the South station, the second that the train calls at, is closest to the ferry terminal.

Tanggu itself is at least as expensive as Tianjin. One fairly cheap place to stay is the International Seamen's Club (¥200-300), just north of the passenger terminal. As domestic ferries leave in the afternoon, however, it is possible to travel here from Beijing and make a same-day connection.