Everything about Dalian totally explained
Dalian (; ; ) is the governing
sub-provincial city in the eastern
Liaoning Province of
Northeast China. Dalian is China's northernmost
ice-free seaport.
Administration
Dalian is the second largest city of Liaoning Province, after
Shenyang, the provincial capital. Dalian City is governed by the Mayor and its Dalian Municipal People's Government.
Past and present mayors
The current Mayor since 2003 is
Xia Deren, born in 1955 in Dalian, a Ph.D. in Finance, former President of
Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Vice Mayor of Dalian City and Vice Governor of Liaoning Province. The former mayor is Li Yongjin, now the People's Representative of Dalian, preceded by
Bo Xilai, later Governor of
Liaoning Province and then the Minister of Commerce in the Central Government, and now the Mayor of
Chongqing. The Vice Mayors are Xing Liangzhong in charge of foreign
trade and economy, Dai Yulin in charge of
finance and science & technology.
Municipal Government
The
Municipal Government is located in the main building on the north side of People's Square on Zhongshan Road, originally built as the Administrative Office of
Kwantung Leased Territory, and other buildings in downtown Dalian. There are the Commerce, Foreign Economy & Trade, Hygiene, Information Industry, Police, Religion, Science & Technology, Transportation and other city-level bureaus, which work closely with the corresponding agencies at the district level.
The city administers 6
districts, 3
county-level cities, and 1
county.
Ganjingzi, Zhongshan, Xigang, and Shahekou Districts make up the urban centre. Changhai County is made up entirely of islands east of the peninsula. There are 74 sub-districts and 127 town/townships (11 of which are ethnic). (see
Political divisions of China#Levels)
There are, in addition, 4 national leading open zones (对外开放先导区):
- The Development Zone (开发区)
- The Free Trade Zone (保税区)
- The Hi-Tech Industrial Zone (高新技术产业园区)
- The Golden Pebble Beach National Holiday Resort (金石滩国家旅游度假区)
Geography
One of the most heavily developed industrial areas of China, the Dalian administrative district today consists of Dalian proper and the smaller
Lüshunkou (formerly Lüshun city, known in western and Russian historic references as Port Arthur), about forty nautical miles farther along the Liaotung/
Liaodong Peninsula. Historical references note that the Russian designed city of Dalny (Alt. Dalney), on the south side of
Talien Bay was 40 rail kilometers from Port Arthur/Lüshun (known today as Lüshunkou or literally, Lüshun Port).
Dalian is located west of the
Yellow Sea and east of
Bohai Sea roughly in the middle of the Liaodong/Liaotung peninsula at its narrowest neck or
isthmus. With a coastline of 1,906
km, it governs the entire Liaodong Peninsula and about 260 surrounding islands and reefs. It is south-south-west of the
Yalu River, and its harbor entrance forms a sub-Bay known as
Dalian Bay.
Climate
The city's
climate is a
monsoon-influenced
humid continental climate (
Köppen climate classification Dwa), characterised by hot, humid summers due to the East Asian monsoon, and harshly cold, windy, dry winters that reflect the influence of the vast
Siberian anticyclone. Average low temperatures in January are at around -6°
C, while average high temperatures in July are at around 27°
C.
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Avg high °C | 0 |
2 |
7 |
15 |
20 |
24 |
27 |
27 |
24 |
18 |
10 |
3
|
| Avg low temperature °C | -6 |
-4 |
1 |
7 |
13 |
18 |
21 |
22 |
18 |
11 |
3 |
-3
|
Source: MSN Weather |
History
Ancient
In the
Qin and
Han periods (221 B.C.-220 A.D.), the Dalian region was under the jurisdiction of Liaodong county. In the early
Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Dalian region was under the jurisdiction of Andong Prefecture in Jili state, and in the
Liao Dynasty (916-1125), it was under the jurisdiction of Dong Jing Tong Liaoyang county. Dalian was named Sanshan in the period of
Weijin (220-420), San Shanpu in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Sanshan Seaport in the
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and Qing Niwakou in the
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Qing Dynasty
In the 1880s, the Qing government constructed loading bridges and fortifications with built-in cannons, and set up mining camps on the northern coast of Dalian Gulf, and it became a small town.
British and Japanese Occupation, and the Soviet Union Lease
The settlement was occupied by the British in 1858, returned to the Chinese in the 1880s, and then occupied by Japan in 1895 during the
first Sino-Japanese War.
In 1898, the
Russian Empire leased the peninsula from the Qing Dynasty, and a modern city was laid out with the name of Dalny (Дальний). Linked to the
Trans-Siberian Railway, Dalny became Russia's primary port-city in Asia. Russian government contributed more than 10 million golden rubles (equivalent to 11,5 bln today's rubles) into the city foundation and building.
Dalny was the main battlefield of the Russo-Japanese War (1905).
Both Dalny (Qingniwaqiao 青泥洼桥 of Zhongshan District, Dalian) and Port Arthur (
Lüshunkou) were developed and heavily fortified by the Russians in the period prior to 1904. Consequently, some historians blame the fall of Port Arthur, a world shaking event of epic proportions, during the
siege of Port Arthur on
January 2,
1905 for the failure by Admiral Eugene Alexeyeff, to concentrate on the naval base and its fortifications, instead splitting precious resources shipped 5,000 miles across the single tracked
Trans-Siberian Railway and
Manchurian railways.
After the
Russo-Japanese war Port Arthur was conceded to Japan (
Treaty of Portsmouth), who set up the
Kwantung Leased Territory or Guandongzhou. Since the foundation of
Manchukuo in 1932, the sovereignty of the territory moved from China to
Manchukuo. Japan still leased it from
Manchukuo. In 1937, the modern Dalian City was enlarged and modernized by the Japanese as two cities: the northern
Dairen (Dalian) and the southern Ryojun (Lushun).
Post-World War II
With the unconditional
surrender of Japan in August of 1945, Dalian, passed to the
Soviets, who had
liberated the city in advance of the end of hostilities and governed the city until 1950. During this period the Soviets and
Chinese Communists cooperated in the further development of the city, its industrial infrastructure, and especially the port, which remained as the free port rented by the Soviet government. The city had been relatively undamaged during the war.
In 1950, the
USSR presented Dalian to the Chinese Communist government without any compensation. After the departure of the Soviets, China made Dalian into a major
shipbuilding center. In the 1990s the city benefited from the attention of
Bo Xilai (son of the important first generation Party elder,
Bo Yibo) who was both mayor of the city and provincial party official, who, among other things, banned motorcycles, created large, lush parks in the city's many traffic circles, and generally built things up very attractively. He also preserved much of Dalian's interesting and attractive
Japanese and
Russian architectural heritage. His legacy, however, also includes the usual quota of empty buildings built with questionable loans, over-development, and corruption. He is the former
Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic.
Economy
Agriculture and Aquaculture
Dalian was originally an agriculture and aquaculture-based area, which, after the opening of the ferry between Yantai and Lüshun during the early 20th century, began to be populated by the farmers and fishermen of
Shandong, across the
Yellow Sea. Corn, vegetables, fruit such as apples, cherries and pears are Dalian's typical agricultural products. Aquaculture is well developed in Dalian, exporting seaweed, scallops, sea urchins and others to Japan, Korea and other countries.
Heavy, Light and Distribution Industries
Even before and during the Sino-Japanese War, the shipbuilding and locomotives industries were a thriving industry, such as the companies which later became Dalian Shipbuilding Co. and Dalian Locomotive & Roll Stock Works (DLoco). After the War, Dalian became an important center of the heavy and light industries, including companies such as Dalian Heavy Industry Co., Dalian Chemical Group, and Wafangdian Bearing Co.; and of the distribution industry, including such as Dashang Group. Overseas retailing giants, such as Wal-Mart from U.S.A., Carrefour from France and Metro from Germany have recently opened stores in Dalian. Mycal, the Japanese retailing chain store, was bought out by its Chinese partner, Dashang Group, and is operated as Mykal.
Dalian Port is emerging as a very important port for international trade. 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. Also completed recently is a newer port on Dagushan Peninsula on the northern suburbs, specializing in import/export of mining and oil products. Together with its Dalian Railroad Station,
Dalian International Airport and two major express roads ro Shenyang-Changchun-Harbin in the north and to Dandong to the east, Dalian has become an important distribution center.
Dalian Development Zone
Dalian has been given many benefits by the Chinese government, including the title of "open-city" (1984), which allows it to receive considerable
foreign investment (see
Special Economic Zone). The Development Zone was established in Jinzhou District, to which many Japanese manufacturing companies, such as
Canon,
Mitsubishi Electric, Nidec,
Sanyo Electric and
Toshiba, followed by Korean, American and European companies (such as
Pfizer. In March 2007, Intel announced plans to build a semiconductor fabrication facility (commonly known as a fab) in the Development Zone, Dalian. It is Intel's first fab to be built at an entirely new site in over 15 years. The fab at Dalian will make the chip sets that support Intel's microprocessors and is expected to begin operation in the first half of 2010. (Source: The Wall Street Journal; March 26, 2007; Page B6)
Financial Industry
There are the Dalian branches of China's five major banks:
Bank of China,
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China,
China Construction Bank,
Bank of Communications, and
Agricultural Bank of China. Dalian Commercial Bank is now called Dalian Bank, which among other things handles processing of the Dalian Mingzhu IC Card for
public transportation. Foreign banks, such as
Citibank,
HSBC,
Bank of East Asia,
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and
Mizuho Corporate Bank also have branch offices.
Dalian Commodity Exchange is the only one of its kind in China, expanding the futures market beyond
soybeans. A "Financial Street" around the new Commodity Exchange building is now being planned.
IT Industry
Since the 1990s Dalian City has emphasized the development of the IT industry, especially in Dalian High-Tech Zone and
Dalian Software Park in the western suburbs near Dalian University of Technology. There, there are not only Chinese IT companies, such as DHC, Hisoft and Neusoft Group, but also American, European and Japanese IT companies, such as
Accenture,
Dell, GENPACT (a
General Electric company),
HP,
IBM,
SAP AG,
Alpine,
CSK Holding,
Panasonic,
NEC and
Sony.
Dalian has recently become the world's important center of IT Outsourcing (
ITO) and Business Process Outsourcing (
BPO), after
Bangaluru (Bangalore) of India, as aptly written in "
The World Is Flat" by
Thomas Friedman (2007). In another way, Dalian is the forerunner of China's "Re-Development of the Old Industry Bases in Northeast" National Project, which began in 2002.
Viewing Dalian's Modern Industries
The Dalian Modern Museum in Xinghai Square is a good place to quickly view Dalian's present-day industries, with displays of the products and services of the major companies.
Also good are the city-wide festivals: China International Software & Information Service Fair (June), Dalian International Beer Festival (July-August) and Dalian International Auto Show (August) and Dalian International Fashion Week (September).
Tourism
Dalian is a very popular destination among Chinese tourists and foreign visitors, especially from Japan, Korea and Russia. Its mild climate and multiple beaches as well as its importance in the modern history of China make it an especially nice place to visit. Some of the most famous beaches are
Tiger beach,
Xinghai beach,
Jinshitan beach and
Fujiazhuang beach.
Four Inner-City Districts
Zhongshan Square and Friendship Square
Tiger Beach and Fujiazhuan Beach » Tiger beach is a good place to see natural scenery. There is Seabed World, Bird Sing Wood and the recently completed Polar Region Museum, where a dolphin show is a big attraction.
Xinghai Square, Shinghai Park and Heishijiao
Xinghai Square was built at the centinary of the City of Dalian (1998) and is slated to be East Asia's largest square. Xinghai beach is in side Xinghai Park. It is about 800m long and is an excellent place for swimming.
Jinzhou District and Development Zone (in the northern suburbs)
Dahei Mountain
Jinshitan Sightseeing Area » Jinshitan beach, the Golden Pebble Beach is a tourist attraction with splendid coves and rock formations. There is also a golf course (Jinshitan International Golf Course), cross country motorcycling, an amusement park (Discovery Kingdom) and a hunting forest. It is a good place for someone who wants silence and peace and it's excellent for swimming too.
Lüshunkou District (in the western suburbs)
Lüshun Museum
Lüshun Railroad Station
203 Highland and Shuishiying Meeting Place » The fiercest battle site and the signing site of the cease fire treaty, of the Battle of Lüshun during the Russo-Japanese War 1904-05.
Three Northern Cities of Greater Dalian
Anbo Hotspring and Ski Course, in Pulandian City
Zhangxing Island International Golf Course, in Wafangdian City
Binyugou Scenic Area and Buyun Mountain Hotspring, in Zhuanhe City
Transportation
Local Transportation
Dalian is one of the few cities in China where there are not many bicycles, because the area is full of slopes, and where there are few motorcycles, because their sale is prohibited. The number of cars on Dalian streets has increased dramatically in recent years, causing traffic jams. The city has a comprehensive bus system and an efficient light rail mass transit system, usually called Qinggui, which connects Dalian Development Zone and Jinshitan with downtown Dalian.
Domestic and international
Dalian has a modern and recently (2006) expanded international airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, with direct flights to the most major cities in China, and to the selected cities in Japan, South Korea and Germany.
The city's location means that train trips to most Chinese cities outside China's northeastern region require changing trains in Shanghai or Beijing. Most of the direct city to city express trains are overnight trips. In August 2007 construction started on a Harbin-Dalian high speed passenger railway, which is expected to be completed in 2013, connecting Harbin, Dalian, Changchun, and Shenyang.
In addition to local and express bus service to Beijing and other areas in the northeast, Dalian is connected by passenger ship service to neighbouring coastal cities, such as Tianjin and Yantai, as well as Incheon, South Korea.
Life and Culture
Dalian is the most livable city in China according to China Daily.
Dalian Dialect
Jiao Liao Mandarin is spoken in Dalian, along with some loanwords from Japanese and Russian.
Sports
» 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 Dalian's soccer club is Dalian Shide (大连实德), one of fifteen teams in the Chinese Super League. Prior to 2000, they were known as Dalian Wanda (大连万达). Dalian Shide achieved success as:
*Premium A Champions 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 » *Asian Club Championship Runners-Up 1997
*Asian Cup Winners' Cup Runners-Up 2001 » *Chinese Super Cup Winners 1997, 2001, 2003
*China FA Cup Winners 2001
City-Wide Festivals
» Xinghai Square, the Xinghai Conference Center, the Dalian World Expo Center and the hotels on Renmin Rd. are the places where Dalian's major annual events are held: Fireworks Displays (Chinese New Year, May 1 and October 1), Dalian International Walking Festival (May), Dalian Locust Flower Festival (May), Dalian International Marathon (June), China International Software & Information Service Fair (June), Dalian International Beer Festival (July-August), Dalian International Auto Show (August) and Dalian International Fashion Week (September).
» Every September Dalian hosts the Dalian International Fashion Festival (大连国际服装节). 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.
Zoo and Museums
» 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. Dalian is also home to a number of public squares, including Xinghai Square.
Food and Restaurants
» The local cuisine heavily depends on variety of fresh seafood and fruits, both of which are abundant in the area.
Inter-Governmental and People-to-People Communication
Japan maintains a Consulate General office and a JETRO office in Dalian, reflecting a relatively large Japanese population.
Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry has about 700 corporate members. Those Japanese who had lived in Dalian before the War have organized the Dalian Society. There are such voluntary groups as the Lilac Society (for women) and the Dalian Mountaineering Association.
Religion
Five religions (Taoism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam) are "officially approved" by the Chinese government. Taoist temples are not found in downtown Dalian, but in Lushunkou District (Longwang Temple), and in Jinzhou District (Jinlong Temple in Daweijia, Xiangshui Temple at the foot of Dahei Mountain, and Zhenwu Temple in Liangjiadian). Buddhist temples are in downtown Dalian (Songshan Temple on Tangshan Street), on the northern side of Anzi Mountain (Anshan Temple), at Daheishi (Thousand-Hand Buddha & 500 Luohan Statues), in Lushunkou District (Hengshan Temple at Longwangtan), and in Jinzhou District 'Guanyinge-Shengshui Temple on Dahei Mountain). Dalian Islamic Mosque is on Beijing Street.
Dalian Catholic Church (built in 1926) is in downtown Dalian, west of Dalian Railway Station. Protestant churches are near Zhongshan Square (Yuguanjie Church, built in 1928 next to the British Consulate General's office, by the Anglican Churches of Britain and Japan jointly), on Zhangjiang Street (Cheng-en Church, a former a Danish Lutheran church, which now also houses the Dalian branch of China Christian Council and Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee), on Xi-an Road (Christian Church for the Korean Minority), east of the airport (the newly built Harvest Church, which can seat 4000 people), in Jinzhou (the newly built Jinzhou Church) and Lushunkou District (Lushun Church, a former Danish Lutheran church). There are many other underground Christian fellowships ("house churches").
The Dalian International Christian Fellowship is located in the Swissotel on WuHui Road. Its special status by the Municipal Government as a "foreigner only" fellowship forbids Chinese citizens from attending. Services are in English and Korean.
Local Celebrities
Toshirō Mifune, 三船 敏郎 Mifune Toshirō (1 April 1920 – 24 December 1997) was a famous Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He was born in Qingdao, China, to Japanese parents, and grew up in the Chinese city of Dalian with his parents and two siblings.
Education
There are the following schools of higher education and research centers:
Colleges and Universities
Dalian Fisheries University 大连水产学院
Dalian Jiaotong University 大连交通大学
Dalian Maritime University 大连海事大学
Dalian Medical University 大连医科大学
Dalian Polytechnic University 大连工业大学
Dalian University 大连大学
Dalian University of Foreign Languages 大连外国语学院
Dalian University of Technology 大连理工大学
Dongbei University of Finance and Economics 东北财经大学
Liaoning Normal University 辽宁师范大学
Neusoft Institute of Information 东北大学东软信息学院
Some universities are undergoing relocations from the metropolitan area to the suburban districts. In 2007, Dalian University of Foreign Languages (except for its Schools of Chinese Studies 汉学院 and Continuous Education 培训部) and Dalian Medical University (except its Hospital) were moved to Lüshunkou District, just east of Baiyin Mountain Tunnel (白银山).
Missouri State University Branch Campus Dalian is a dual management private school with a western director.
Research Centers
Dalian Institute of Chemistry & Physics (AKA 化物所) Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院)
Sister cities of Dalian
The following are sister cities of Dalian:
Szczecin, Poland
Glasgow, UK
Kitakyūshū, Japan
Le Havre, France
Vancouver, Canada
Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia
Bremen, Germany
Incheon, South Korea
Oakland, California, USA
Rostock, Germany
Maizuru, Japan
Vladivostok, Russia
Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo
Adelaide, Australia
Bahia Blanca, Argentina
Environmental protection
Dalian frequently ranks Grade 2 for air pollution according to SEPA.
Plastination center
The German anatomist Gunther von Hagens runs a plastination center in Dalian.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Dalian'.
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