Dalian

INTRO
Squares, Gardens, Scenic Areas, Fashion, Football, Beaches, Seafood. This is Dalian. Apart from being one of the most attractive summer destinations for the Chinese tourists, Dalian is the second largest international commercial harbour in China and considered the country's most livable city.

City Profile
City: Dalian
Country: China
Area: 20,571 square km
Population: 7,120,000
Districts: 10
Mayor: Zhu Yejing
Language: Mandarin

LOCATION
Located in the middle of the Liaodong peninsular in northeastern China and bordered by the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, Dalian is the second largest city in the Liaoning province, one of the most developed industrial centres in the country. It is easily accessible by air, water and land.

TIME TO VISIT
Because of its location, Dalian has a semi-moist monsoon climate that is characterized with four distinct seasons. The mild ocean winds coming from the seas makes the city's weather milder than other parts of the region, thus contributing to warm summers and temperate winters. The ideal time to travel to Dalian is from May till September when most of the city's festivals take place, including the famous Dalian International Fashion Festival. Summer months are generally the ones that receive most of the rainfall throughout the year. August is the hottest month with average daytime temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. This is the period when most foreign and native tourists come to Dalian.

POPULATION
As the second largest city in the province and as one of the largest seaports in north-eastern China, Dalian is the home of a large number of people. The city's total population exceeds seven million, of which around 3 million reside in the urban areas. Mandarin is the main language of the local people but it is possible to hear some Dalianese to speak a Shandong dialect which might be difficult to understand. As in most other places in China, English is not widely spoken even though the new generations do study it. Practically, little knowledge of Mandarin is advisable.

DISTRICTS
Dalian is divided into 10 districts of which 3 are county-level cities and one is a county. The following districts comprise the city's urban centre.

Ganjingzi District is the largest of all the four central districts but the only time when tourists come here is when landing at or taking off from the airport.
Zhongshan District is the most visited tourist district as many of the finest hotels, restaurants and shopping centres are located here. This area also encompasses the commercial and business centres of Dalian as well as several points of interest, including Zhongshan Square, Labour Park, Tiger Beach and Donghai Beach.
Xigang Districtis known for the Forest Zoo that features many pandas and the Fujiazhuang beach.
Shahekou Districtis mainly a residential area and a home to a large number of universities and universities. Here is also the Xinghai Square.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Dalian is mostly famous for its beautiful and impressive squares, some of which were built in honour of specific events while others serve as a decoration and aesthetic pleasure of the locals.

Binhai Road is a 40-kilometre long scenic road that follows the coastline of Dalian. It was originally built as a military defense road in 1970s, but today, it is a National Scenic Area with beautiful mountain scenery on the one side and the picturesque sea view on the other. Driving along the road, tourists pass through Laohutan Park, Fujiazhuang bathing place and the Bangchuidao scenic area.
Zhongshan Square is the central square in Zhongshan District that hosts the city's financial centre. The area attracts with its historical reminders such as old Japanese and Russian buildings that show the influence of both countries over Dalian's past. Nearby is the Friendship Square that comprises of a huge spherical International Friendship Monument that gets lit at night. Shops, restaurants and green spaces surround the square.
Xinghai Square is the largest square in Asia which was built in 1997 in commemoration of the returning of Hong Kong to China. In the centre of the square stands the Huabiao Pillar which symbolises the development China through the carved dragons. On the other side of the square is located another monument- a gigantic white-stone book that was erected for the 100th anniversary of Dalian.
People's Square used to be called Stalin Square but its name was changed to People's Square. It is the jurisdiction and administration centre of Dalian with old Russian and Japanese style buildings. Today they house Dalian Government, Dalian Courthouse, Dalian Police Station and some others. Various celebrations are also held here.
Dalian Forest Zoo is set in the mountains close to the seashore and is a major tourist attraction because of its 300 species of animals, including lions, red pandas, tigers, bears and so on. The zoo is divided into 6 sections, each concentrated on certain species. As the garden is quite big, tourists can try a safari on a comfortable bus.

AIRPORT
Flying to Dalian is possible through its international airport located in short distance away from the city centre.

Dalian International Airport is located north-west of downtown Dalian. The fastest way to reach your destination is to take a taxi. It costs 30 Yuan. Public buses also run from and to the airport for only 1Yuan per person. The light rail goes to the central train station and costs 5RMB.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation in Dalian is well arranged and cheap.

Buses in Dalian are inexpensive and cost between 1 and 2 RMB depending on whether the bus is air-conditioned or not.
Light Rail is the other option for traveling around Dalian. The ticket costs 4RMB.
Taxis are metred. The initial price is 8 Yuan and every additional kilometre costs 1.80 Yuan.
Trams are typical means of transport in Dalian. Fare: 1 RMB.
Motorcycle taxis are very characteristic for China. Tell the driver where you want to go and negotiate the price. It should not cost more than 4-5 Yuan for a short drive.
Three-wheeled blue taxisare specific for Dalian. Prices need to be agreed upon in advance.

HISTORY
Even though the earliest settlement of the region might have taken place long before the establishment of the city, the history of Dalian officially began in 1898. Those were the years when the city was under the colonial leadership of the Russian Empire and thus a main port along the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1905, however, when the Russians were defeated by the Japanese armies, Dalian was taken over by the Japanese and renamed Darien. In the end of the World War II the Chinese regained control over Darien and gave back its previous name. The international market in Dalian was opened in 1984 and a period of thorough redevelopment followed. Today, thanks to the foreign investments, various businesses, foreign students and tourists who come to the city, Dalian is a welcoming modern city with plenty offerings for its visitors.

CITY LINKS

Mondo Times: A Local Online Newspaper in English: http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/cn/192/4534/11373
Dalian Official Website: http://www.dl.gov.cn/main.html
Useful Tips: http://wikitravel.org/en/Dalian
Dalian Tourism Website: http://www.dalianxpat.com/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Dalian Fisheries University: www.dlfu.edu.cn/index.asp
Dalian Jiaoting University: http://202.199.128.81/en/index.asp?f_head_id=2&f_menu_id=1
Dalian Medical University: http://www.dlmedu.edu.cn/
Nanjing Normal University: http://www.njnu.edu.cn/english/index.asp
Dalian University of Technology: http://www.dlut.edu.cn/