This monthly/annual subscription service is for people living in Tianjin who want to save both time and money during their stay here… does that sound like you? Of course it does!
Here’s exactly what you get when you purchase our Tianjin Tong Wechat Help Group & Discount Card:
*Exclusive access to the longest-running Wechat group of foreign helpers in Tianjin (some people here over 15 years!)
*A deep unbiased community of fellow Tianjiners
*Occasional members-only special events
*Free online culture trainings
*And, of course: discounts all around town with savings worth more than ¥4000 every year at places you already love
What’s Culturalbility?
Great question! You know how foreigners go overseas and have no idea what they’re doing? Culturalbility is here to help them cross cultures with confidence and with as little stress as possible. Awkwardness still guaranteed, though!
Legally speaking, Culturalbility is a fully legit registered Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise in Tianjin’s Dongli district and we actually pay taxes. It’s true. Business license available on request.
And what’s a Tianjin Tong, anyways?
Story time.
Remember back with me to that first month you moved to China, heck even that first week… how were you feeling? Excited? Curious? Lonely? All of the above?
Uffda. It was really bad for us in 2006. All we could see was the trash and pollution. The “employer” we were working for put us up in this nasty half-star hotel with a very untidy roommate we had never met before. I’m sure you can relate.
Enter our friend, Rob. We had met him a few weeks after arrival and he started showing us the ropes. He suggested which restaurants to try (and avoid), where to buy deodorant, and how to start looking for a new job before our contract was already up.
Priceless information at a vital time in our cultural transition.
Years passed and Rob got married and moved away, but we always remembered the title he used to jokingly call himself: “Tianjin Tong 天津通.” In Chinese, this could mean someone that’s an “expert” on all things TJ related.
But we think it could mean something even deeper…
Our definition says it includes people who genuinely help and care for others.
Whether you’ve been here for 10 days or 10 years, a Tianjin Tong is someone who’s always offering a helpful hand. Whether it’s sharing a Wechat article to answer someone’s question, whether it’s thoughtfully spelling out a clear how-to to assist in someone’s quest, or even actually meeting someone in person to fix their computer.
Mr. Rogers said once that whenever he was seeing hard things on the news and didn’t know what to do about it that his mother always told him:
“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
That statement couldn’t be any more true for Tianjin.
There are many hard things about living in a new country and culture, but we happen to believe that this city is especially awesome, and YOU the helpers, are a huge part of what makes it so.
We’ve brought together some of the best most-frequented places in Tianjin, and are offering you fabulous deals as a thank you for helping over the years, and trusting that you’ll continue to help in the years to come…
FAQ
What does Tianjin Tong mean?
In Chinese, Tianjin Tong 天津通means an expert on all things Tianjin-related. For us, it also means a person who thanklessly helps those in need, whether they’ve been here for 10 days or 10 years.
What do I get with this digital “card”?
You get access to the best foreign help community in Tianjin; you get a free ticket to all future and past Culturalbility online culture trainings; you get invites to special Tianjin Tong-only events; you get tons of DISCOUNTS.
Where’s the list of discounts?
Tap the Home button; Or go to our official service account ‘TianjinTong’ and tap ”View Discounts” to see the up-to-date discount list.
How will I use it?
Everything will be entirely on Wechat… find it under Me – Cards & Offers; Can also locate here in our official account under ‘Membership’; Your membership will show up as a number and QR code to show before paying. If you’re new to Wechat, don’t worry~ We will help you every step of the way.
Can I transfer the coupons to other friends or use with other deals?
No. These cannot be shared. They’ll be tied to your specific Wechat card.
Where will my ¥31 go?
Your subscription fee goes to offset the cost of this Wechat account development and maintenance. Also, 10% of all revenue will be donated to a local orphanage outside of Tianjin. When the development is all paid for, we will use the money to hire additional staff as full-time hand-holding help whenever the community needs~
How do I find your account & member card quickly?
We recommend setting our official service account “TianjinTong” to be ‘Sticky on Top’ so it will always show up near the top of your main chat window when you open your Wechat. If not, you can also type in ‘tianjintong’ or ‘tianjindiscounts’ right in the main search bar.
Join us today!
And feel free to send us a Wechat message at any time…