Dalian 大連
Dalian in Liaoning Province is China's most northerly ice free port and a major center for both commercial and passenger shipping.
With a population of 2.6 million, Dalian is the second largest city in the province after the provincial capital of Shenyang.
Modern-day Dalian is known for its fine food, pleasant beaches, cosmopolitan atmosphere and a successful soccer team - Shide.
Dalian History
Largely a backwater until the 19th century, Dalian and nearby Lushun (Port Arthur) shot to prominence as the colonial powers fought for control of this strategic harbor in the Yellow Sea.
The British were the first foreign power to take control in 1858, followed by the Japanese in 1895, but it was the Russians who leased the Liaodong Peninsula from the Qing and laid out a city called Dalny in Russian, which was linked to the Russian heartland by the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Dalian and Port Arthur (named after one of Queen Victoria's sons) changed hands once again, this time in 1905 after the Russo-Japanese War, from which the Japanese emerged victorious to continue the economic development of the Dalian (Dairen) and Lushun (Ryojun) ports and their infrastructure.
The Soviet Union leased the port from the Chinese until they returned it to Communist China in 1950. This checkered history of foreign influence helps to make Dalian once of China's most cosmopolitan cities with strong commercial links to Russia, Korea and Japan in particular.
Dalian City Center
Zhongshan Square (Zhongshan Guangchang), which is actually a large circle, contains many of the remaining Russian and Japanese colonial-era buildings, overlooked by a growing number of towering, new skyscrapers.
The historic Dalian Hotel and the Bank of China are of particular interest. The area comes alive at night as it is the main meeting place for the city's youth.
Dalian's major shopping area stretches along Tianjin Jie towards Shengli Square, which spreads out from in front of the main train station.
West of Zhongshan Square, Friendship Square (Youhao Guangchang) is another large traffic circle, this time surrounding a giant, illuminated sphere.
To the south, Labour Park (Laodong Gongyuan) was laid out by the Japanese and now contains a huge football in celebration of the city's soccer team and on a hilly peak the TV Tower with good views of the city on a clear day.
The former Russian Quarter is north west of Zhongshan Square and contains a number of fading former Russian mansion houses, now broken up into townhouses and apartments.
Museums & Beaches
There is more Russian-style architecture around Renmin Square - about 1 km west of the downtown area. Formerly known as Stalin Square, a statue of a Russian soldier once stood here until recently moved to Lushun. The square is laid with grass and lit with footlights at night. Buses #15, #702 and #801 head out here from the main station.
Dalian's pleasant, sandy and extremely popular beaches are south and east of the city along the scenic Binhai Lu
Moving clockwise from the east, the Donghai Park area has a pebble beach and giant statues of various sea creatures. Bangchuidao Beach to the south sits next to a decent golf course. Tiger Beach is the most developed of Dalian's beaches with the vast Laohutan Ocean Park amusement center containing an aviary with 2000 birds, an aquarium, a Chinese warship (Boat 104) and boat trips out to Bangchui Island.
Fujiazhuang Beach has more boat trips, speedboat charter and a plethora of seafood restaurants. Dalian Forest Zoo inland from Fujiazhuang Beach displays pandas as well as birds and big cats. Traveling west again on Binhai Lu brings you to Xianghai Beach and the popular Sun Asia Ocean World, an aquarium with a 116 meter-long underwater tunnel as well as polar bears in the Sun Asia Polar World next door.
On the northwest side of the huge Xinghai Square, Dalian's excellent Modern Museum was the brainchild of former mayor Bo Xilai, and is a high-tech tribute to Dalian's future. Take tram #202 from Xian Lu or bus #23 from Zhongshan Square.
The Oriental Venice Water City (Haichang Oriental Aquacity)
Oriental Venice Water City features over 200 European-style buildings, along with a 4-kilometer canal system where visitors can take gondola rides. It blends Italian, French, and Russian architectural styles in a modern take of old European. The park in the Zhongshan District near Dalian Port and Gangwan Square partially opened in 2014 and fully opened in 2018. It is known for its cafes and restaurants, excellent photo opportunities, weddings, and romantic evening strolls when the theme park is illuminated. Take Dalian Metro Line 2 (get off at Conference Center Station, then Exit D).
Lushun
40 km south of Dalian, Lushun (formerly Port Arthur) is full of references to the Russo-Japanese conflict of 1905 and the city's occupation by both the Russian and Japanese empires. Historical sights of interest include the Russian Railway Station built as the terminus of the South Manchurian Railway and still in operation today.
The Lushun Museum (旅顺博物馆) was established in 1915 by the Japanese. Among an eclectic collection are a number of mummies that Otani Kozui, a priest from Kyoto acquired during his visits to Central Asia in the early 20th century.
The gory Japanese-Russian Prison at 139 Xiangyong Jie displays a torture room and gallows with skeletons of its victims and is a vivid testament to the bloody history of the Liaodong Peninsula.
Baiyu Hill offers great views of the town and a collection of historic Japanese artillery.
Dalian Essentials
- Transport
- Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport is 10 km from downtown. Buses from the airport run to Shengli Square in front of the main railway station.
- Trains run from Dalian to Shenyang, Panjin, Beijing, Harbin, and Changchun.
- There are long distance buses from Shengli Square to Beijing, Shenyang and Dandong.
- Dalian has flights to Beijing, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Hong Kong, Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xian and other cities. International flights include connections to Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Osaka, Okayama, Sendai, Sapporo, Tokyo, Toyama (all Japan), Seoul and Taipei.
- Taxis ferry visitors between the airport and downtown.
- There are ferry services to Tianjin, Weihai, Shanghai, Yantai and to Incheon in South Korea from Dalian Port east of the city center along Changjiang Lu. Take bus #13 from the train station or the #708 from Zhongshan Square to the Passenger Ferry Terminal.
Dalian Metro (Dalian Rapid Transit)
The Dalian Metro (Dalian Rapid Transit) consists of four lines: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, and Line 12.
Line 1 connects southeast central Dalian with north Dalian. Dalian North Railway Station is on Line 1 and from here there are high-speed trains to Harbin.
Line 2 links east central Dalian with west central Dalian from Dalian Airport 22 km to Haizhiyun.
Line 3 runs 27 km southwest to northwest from Dalian Railway Station (大连站) to Jinshitan. A branch line runs from Kaifaqu to Jiuli.
Line 12 (aka Tram Route 202 Extension Line) runs 40 km from central Dalian to Lushunkou.
Accommodation in Dalian
Dalian offers a wide variety of hotels from five star accommodation through business hotels to cheap budget guest houses.
Starting at the top, luxury hotels in Dalian include the Castle Hotel, with an indoor pool, Wi-Fi and fully-equipped fitness centre. The 5-star Furama Hotel Dalian on Renmin Road has a spa, health centre, mini golf course and six dining options. Equally opulent, the InterContinental Dalian on You Hao Square has spacious rooms, a fully-equipped fitness centre an a large indoor pool.
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