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Dalian

Dalian

State

China

Country

China

Continent

Asia

Size

13,237 KM2

Population

5,618,000

Spending Budget

$91 - $150

Famous For

  • The Dalian Forest Zoo
  • Xinghai Square
  • Wanbao Sea Food Boat Restaurant
  • Xinghai Park

Best Time to Visit

  • January
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October

History

Captured by the Japanese in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, it was leased to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which ended the war. However, after the intervention of the Western powers that followed, it was returned to China. Russia, which was eager to acquire an ice-free port on the Pacific, occupied the Liaodong Peninsula in 1897 after the Germans had taken Jiaozhou (Kiaochow) on the southern side of the Shandong Peninsula. In 1898 Russia acquired a lease of the Liaodong Peninsula and the right to build a railway connecting it with the Chinese Eastern Railway at Harbin in Heilongjiang province—and thus with the Trans-Siberian Railroad. The Russians constructed a heavily fortified naval base for their Pacific fleet at Port Arthur, began the development of a commercial port in nearby Dalny (Dalian), and in 1903 completed the rail link to Harbin. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, Port Arthur was one of the principal Japanese objectives. In May 1904 the Japanese army cut off the Liaodong Peninsula from the mainland and seized the port of Dalian (called Dairen by the Japanese). The Russian forces withdrew to their supposedly impregnable base at Port Arthur, but it too was eventually taken by the Japanese. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The Treaty of Portsmouth (1905), which concluded the war, transferred Port Arthur to Japan. The Japanese renamed it Ryojun and made it the administrative and military headquarters of their Kwantung Provincial Government (later transferred to Dairen) and of the Kwantung army command (later transferred to Mukden [now Shenyang]). The naval base was strengthened and became a base for Japanese military operations not only in Manchuria but also in northern China. The Yalta Conference (February 1945) had envisioned the return of the Liaodong territory to the Soviet Union after World War II, and, under a treaty of friendship and alliance concluded in Moscow later that year between China and the Soviet Union, it was agreed that the Port Arthur naval base was to be used jointly by the two countries for 30 years but that the Soviet Union would be responsible for its defense and the Russians would have control of the peninsula, apart from the port of Dairen. The last Soviet forces finally withdrew from Lüshun (Port Arthur) in 1955, after which it became an important Chinese naval base. Present-day Lüshun district is a fine city laid out on Western lines. It consists of two separate parts: the old (eastern) town, which contains the port installations, and the new (western) town, which is largely residential.

Present Day

During the postwar Soviet occupation of the Liaodong Peninsula, the city was less seriously damaged and looted than most of the other Manchurian cities. The merger with neighbouring Lüshun to form Lüda (the name derived by combining the first characters of Lüshun and Dalian) greatly expanded the area and population of the city. Further expansion occurred in 1981, when the name Dalian was restored to the city; the former city of Dalian became Zhongshan district, and Lüshun (under the name Lüshunkou) and Jinzhou were among the other districts created. The amalgamated city experienced rapid economic growth from 1950. In 1984 Dalian was designated one of China’s “open” cities in the country’s liberalizing economic policy of inviting foreign investment, which further spurred its development. It is now a prosperous industrial centre, noted for the variety and quality of its products. In addition to its importance as a base for shipbuilding and the construction of locomotives, Dalian is a thriving manufacturer of machines, electronics, chemicals, petroleum products, and textiles; high-technology enterprises have become increasingly important. An annual clothing fair hosted by the city attracts large crowds of customers from China and abroad. Dalian port is among the largest in China, and the city is also a fishing and marine center. A new harbor, built some 19 miles (31 km) east of the original harbor, is large enough to accommodate vessels of up to 100,000 tons displacement. The city has continued as an important rail terminus and is connected by expressway to Shenyang and from there to other regional centers. Its international airport has regular flights to cities in Japan and Korea, as well as to other major Chinese cities. Dalian has a number of institutions of higher education, including Dalian Maritime University (1909) and Dalian University of Technology (1949). The city’s thriving fisheries have contributed to the development of a distinctive seafood-based cuisine, and restaurants and catering services are plentiful. Dalian’s beautiful beaches and its unique scenery, which harmoniously combine both Eastern and Western styles of architecture, have contributed to making the city one of China’s major tourist destinations.

Future

The world’s population is gravitating towards urban locations at an unprecedented rate, which is expected to result in the world’s urban population surpassing 5 billion by 2030. The Future of Urban Development Initiative serves as a partner in transformation for cities around the world as they address urban challenges. It aims to make innovation accessible and mutually beneficial to city leaders and businesses alike. The Initiative is based on two premises: First, that pre-eminent, multistakeholder thinking should be available to cities of all types, sizes and geographies. Second, that new models for urban problem-solving are crucial to securing healthy and sustainable urban systems and land-use patterns at a time of changing city dynamics. Leveraging the convening power of the World Economic Forum, global experts, industry leaders, leaders of the selected Champion Cities and local stakeholders have worked together on ways to resolve specific urban challenges identified by the cities themselves.
Must Visit Places ------------

Xinghai Square

Xinghai Square is placed to the north of Xinghai Bay. It covers a complete vicinity of 270 acres, making it the biggest town square in the world. Its name means "The Sea of Stars". It became constructed on the centennial of the City of Dalian in 1998. The sculptures of 1000 footprints and an opened book facing the sea, commemorates the vicissitudes of the town’s history. Across the Xinghai Bay, the Xinghai Bay Bridge might be seen. Around the square are high-cease apartments, restaurants, banks, luxurious sports activities, automobile sellers and an amusement park. The Xinghai Bay beach, the Castle Hotel, Dalian Modern History Museum and Dalian Shell Museum also are nearby.

The Dalian Forest Zoo

The Dalian Forest Zoo covers a place of 7.2 square kilometres; the planning area is 80 hectares. More than 150 species and extra than 200 animals in numbers are shown here. The zoo officially opened to the general public on May 24, 1997. The animal displaying may be divided into numerous zones, along with functional zone, grazer zone, lion

Dalian Natural History Museum

Dalian Natural History Museum, firstly built in the year of 1907. It is a complete museum that shows uncommon stones, fossils, animals, plants, etc. As the most effective natural history museum in the north-eastern areas of China, it’s also one of the top 4 natural history museums of China and widely recognized across the world. Dalian Natural History Museum is located on scenic Heishijiao Seashore, occupying a place of 15,000 square meters. Dalian Natural History Museum ranks the primary in China for its a big number of uncommon specimens, particularly marine life. Over the beyond few years, it has gathered extra than 600 well-known fossil organisms of Jehol Biota and given visitors times of systematic introductions to the foundation of bird, beast and angiosperm. Also, Dalian Natural History Museum offers great attention to communication with appropriate overseas institutions. For example, it has successively established excellent relationships with Kitakyusyu Natural History Museum of Japan, State Natural History Museum of France etc.

Xinghai Park

Situated in the western part of the Beach Road, in the near vicinity of Malan River, Xinghai Park is one of the popular parks of Dalian Xinghai Park also features a 150,000 square meter verdant garden that comprises of lawns trees, flowers and fountains. The park is boasts of a 0.15 million-square-meter garden and a man-made beach. During the weekends and other festivals, the park is absolutely jam packed; people come here to bath, swim, stroll, dive, camp, boat and fish.

Binhai Road

Dalian Binhai Road, which was first built in 1970s as a combat road, became a premier tourist attraction of Dalian in 1980s. The uniqueness of Binhai Road lies in the fact that it boasts of the rare blend of mountain and the sea. Binhai Road covers an area of 35 km bordering Xing Hai Square in the west and Dong Hai Park in the east. There are totally 12 major attractions along Beihai Road. While passing through the road, you can also enjoy the clear and fresh air coming from the sea. Binhai road has already become a paradise for nature lovers and also a must watch attraction for all the tourists visiting the Dalian.

Laohutan Scenic Park

Laohutan Scenic park, also known as the Tiger Beach Ocean Park,is located in central part of the southern seashore of Dalian City. Covering an area of 1,180,000 square meters and a coastline of more than 4,000 meters, it is currently the biggest modern lido in China. You can witness many attractive natural sceneries and man-made sights inside the park, including the Tigers Sculpture Square and Tiger beach polar region marine animals world. The famous Chinese painter and sculptor Mr Han Meilin has designed the Tigers sculpture square in an untraditional way. It took Mr Han, more than two years to complete the sculpted tigers at the Tigers sculpture square. All the six tigers are of different shapes and sizes and stand proud expressing their strength to the world before them.

Labor Park

Labor park, located in the heart of the city, covers an area of 5,60,000 square meters and is the biggest park in Dalian. The architecture at the site is a beautiful blend of the western style with the traditional Chinese style. The locals restored the park after the liberation took place around 100 years ago. A large lawn area with over 3,00,000 flowers is the located at the centre of the park. There is a large well-equipped amusement zone and a game farm full of peacocks, deer and cranes. A TV tower is situated on the top of the green mountain adjacent to the Labor park, with a vessel shaped tower base of 2 stories.

Grand Black Mountain

Grand Black Mountain Dalian is located in the Gold Chow, 15 kilometres east of JinZhuo city and 11 kilometres from the Dalian Economic and Technological Development Zone. The ancient temples in these mountains are soothing and fascinating and are there for over a hundred years. It is a historic reservation with lots of scenic spots and historical sites.

Dalian Natural History Museum

Built in the year 1907, The Dalian Natural History Museum displays rare fossils, stones, plants and animals. The museum is located in Heisijiao beach, and is 5.100 square meters of which 2,470 are for exhibition halls. It ranks number one in china for its rare specimens, especially the marine life and is also awarded first prize for the advance science and technology. The museum focuses on nature and human but also displays the relations between animal, man and environment, revealing the diversification.

Wanbao Sea Food Boat Restaurant

It may be the outstanding sea meals restaurant in Dalian with pricey ornament. Every dish there may be a high-quality product and the servers there all have remarkable serving skills. Some pretty endorsed dishes are sea chestnut, baked prawns, swimming crab, abalone, raw ark shell and ribs with garlic fragrance, strained and then steamed rice with abalone, lobsters, steamed freshwater crab, dumplings wrapped with croaker meat and sea cucumber.