I was in Tianjin the other day, having to meet someone coming from Qingdao. I traveled there from Beijing, on the new CRH2C express trains, which arrives at Tianjin Station (天津站). I then ask someone –
me: Is this the only station in Tianjin?
other guy: Yes
me: So where do the trains from Qingdao arrive?
other guy: Oh, that would be Tianjin West Station (天津西站)
me: Ah. So where is this?
other guy: This station is in East Tianjin.
… and there you have it, a typical conversation in China. Asking for directions here is useless, asking for information equally futile. Sometimes you just learn not to bother, and figure things out for yourself.
So lucky in your Tianjin train station trip, try to ask somebody the directions next time, you will never get the answers such us: north, west or east, there are only: left, right, front and behind….if you followed, you will lost yourself for the oblique roads which direction are follow the river named “Hai” river. Even me, a real Tianjiner, I couldn’t figure out the directions in Tianjin until I came and worked in Beijing 6 months , I was 25 years old at that moment……….
Yes, you are right – asking for directions is certainly different in different cities. I am a 南方人 where we also do not use 东南西北: in Hong Kong everything is “xx 大厦”, or using the 地铁站 as a reference.
One problem in China is that even if they don’t know the answer, they will make one up. 名知道天津不只一个火车站你干妈要跟我说只有一个… 就是这种的讨厌….!