Tianjin is one of the four municipalities in China.Its name means "the placewhere the emperor crossed the river".Its urban area is the third largest inChina,after Shanghai and Beijing.Tianjin's urban area is located along theHai He River.Its ports,some distance away,are located on Bohai Gulf inthe 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.