Dalian Overview

Dalian is the second of two strategic ice-free seaports on the Liaodong Peninsula.
Today's Dalian is the governing sub-provincial city in the eastern Liaoning Province of the Northeastern People's Republic of China near the southernmost part of historic Manchuria, and serves as the administrative capital for the whole Liadong peninsula (Literally: Eastern Liaoning). The port was situated on the Southern Manchurian Railway about 525 miles (845 km) from Harbin. Port Arthur was initially developed as a commercial, industrial, and shipping center by the Russians starting in 1897-1898, after the Triple Intervention when Russia replaced Japan to lease the Guandong area.

In 1905, the Japanese defeated the Russians in Russo-Japanese War, as a result, the area again came under Japanese control until 1945, when the Soviet Red Army attacked Manchuria and occupied Dalian and Lüshun. In 1955 the Soviet Union handed over the area to the People's Republic of China when they left after the Sino-Soviet_Split under Nikita_Kruschev.

Economy
A new harbor for oil tankers, at the terminus of an oil pipeline from the Daqing oilfields, was completed in 1976. Dalian is the largest petroleum port in China, and also the 3rd largest port overall. Accordingly, Dalian is a major center for oil refineries, diesel engineering, and chemical production.

Dalian has been given many benefits by the Chinese government, including the title of "open-city," (1984) which allows it considerable foreign investment (see Special Economic Zone).

In recent years, the city has become a major base for the outsourcing of Japanese-language businesses, such as call-centers. Japanese is widely spoken in the area, and many local people are familiar with Japanese customs and culture.


A view of Zhongshan Square in the heart of modern Dalian (2004)[edit]
Transportation
Dalian is served by Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. While you can fly to Dalian from most of the major cities in China, you can always get there by train, as well as buses. From other coastal cities, such as Tianjin and Yantai, you can also get to Dalian by oceanliners.


Cultural Life
Every September Dalian hosts the Dalian International Fashion Festival. This festival is a chance for many major foreign companies to showcase their new products and sign up buyers. Before the festival, the city holds an opening ceremony attended by government officials as well as famous stars of the entertainment world.

Dalian is the home of three zoological parks: Dalian Forest Zoo, Shengya Ocean World, and Polar World. The Forest Zoo has a free-range animal section as well as a more traditional zoo. Shengya Ocean World includes an underwater conveyor through a transparent tunnel. Polar World is the only park devoted to polar animals in China.

Sports play a big role in the local culture. The city's mayor, a young princeling (member of the ruling cadres) encouraged a top league soccer team with foreign aid and a lot of city cash to increase the city's image in the country and bring local fame. They have been caught out several times though and the heyday of the Super Team has passed. The city's soccer team has dominated the sport in China and Asia by winning 7 titles out of the past 9 years of Chinese professional soccer league. The city is also a powerhouse producing numerous track and field champions.

The local cuisine heavily depends on variety of fresh seafood and fruits, both abundant in the area.

Beaches
Beaches are an important part of cultural life in the coastal city. The beaches in Dalian are not only indispensable for sightseers, they are a mecca for swimmers, sunbathers and other types of aquatic sports. But few people go into the cold water until July, being content to walk along the many boulevards above the beaches. Men may bathe in the spring months, but women are discouraged until high summer (also the rainy season in China).

Here is only a partial list of beaches of Dalian:

Bangchui Island (Wooden Club Island)
Fujiazhuang Beach
Heishijiao Beach (Black Reef Beach)
Huangjin Beach (Golden Beach)
Laohutan Beach (Tiger Beach)
Xinghai Bay Beach
Xinghai Park