Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area
From Free net encyclopedia
Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (天津经济技术开发区, TEDA，SC: 泰达 TC:泰達) is the main free market zone in Tanggu District in Tianjin, China. It was formed in late 1984 and currently has more foreign businesses in it than all of Shanghai.
TEDA, pronounced nearly the same in Mandarin Chinese, is a vast area by the seaside. It contains a port, business buildings, urban residential areas, and an extensive transportation network. TEDA also contains the football Stadium which is used for Tianjin's football team, Tianjin Teda FC. The stadium was finished in 2004.
The area's largest bridge is the Haihe toll bridge. It virtually links one end of the area to the other part.
While technicaly part of Tianjin, TEDA feels very much like its own city and is about 40 minutes from downtown Tianjin. The introduction of the light rail (see also Tianjin Metro#Line 9) in 2004 has made the travel time between Tianjin downtown and TEDA much quicker and more convenient.
TEDA is also home to Harbor View School, one of the most elite private schools in China. The school is unique in that it exists outside total government control, which is rare for a non-international school in China.