China, 1912, 4¢ vermilion, tied by "Tientsin, 28 Oct, 12" cds on front of multicolored picture postcard to Reims, France showing a rare view of the the Provincial Bank of Tientsin with Electric Trolley in Foreground, sent via the French Post Office with bold "Tien-Tsin-Chine, Poste Francaise, 28 Oct 12" cds, Tianjin postman's chop at lower center and bold strike of "Concession Belge à Tientsin" sender's cachet seal in violet, receiving postmark at top center, Very Fine and choice, One of only a few recorded examples from the Belgian Concession in Teinstin and an extremely rare cachet in that the Belguim settlement was in place for a very short time, pictured in Leyden II, M. China-Tianjin Postal and Cultural History (pg. 107). Scott No. 150  Estimate $7,500 - 10,000. The former Belgian Concession was established in 1902. Located on the eastern bank of the Hai River, the Belgian government and business community did not invest in concession development, therefore there were not many buildings constructed in this area, and those that were built are no longer extant. In 1904, China and Belgium signed a contract with Compagnie de Tramways et d'Eclairage de Tientsin, which stated that "this company has the exclusive right to produce and maintain the electric light and trolley systems for a term of 50 years." In 1906, with the opening of the first route of the trolley system (trolley shown on post card), Tianjin became the first city in China with a modern public transportation system (Shanghai had to wait till 1908 to get electric tramways). The supply of electricity and lighting and the trolley business were profitable ventures. All the rolling stock was supplied by Belgian industries, with a small exception: the original electrical equipments came from Germany. By 1914, the network was covering the Chinese city and the Austrian, French, Italian, Japanese and Russian concessions. $0 (Image)