Dalian city is located in the southwest of Liaoning and borders the Yellow Sea to the east, the Bohai Sea to the west, Anshan to the north, Yingkou to the northwest and Dandong to the northeast. It is an important port, trade, industry and tourism city.
Facts of Dalian
Chinese Name: 大连 (dà lián)
Population: 5,949,000
Area: 12,574 square kilometers (4,855 square miles)
Location: in the southwest of Liaoning Province, northeast China
Area Code: 0411
Zip Code: 116000
GDP (2019): CNY 736.39billion (USD 106.74 billion)
Administrative Division: 7 districts (Zhongshan, Xigang, Shahekou, Ganjingzi, Lushunkou, Jinzhou, Changhai); 1 county (Changhai); 2 county-level cities (Wafangdian, Zhuanghe)

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History of Dalian
Dalian, compared to ancient capital cities such as Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing or Luoyang, is a young city with only a 100-year history. Situated at the tip of China's Liaodong Peninsular, it is a trading and financial center in northeastern Asia and has gained the name the 'Hong Kong of Northern China'. The old name was first used by an official in his memorial to Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) referring to the present Dalian Gulf. In the early 20th century, the gulf area developed quickly and expanded into a city of significant size and importance. After the Opium War in 1840, the area was plunged into warfare. At the end of the 1800s, Japanese and Russian invaders successively set their feet on the Chinese mainland here. In 1894, Japan invaded the Peninsular and in 1897 Russian troops occupied Lushun Port (Port Arthur) and imposed upon the Qing government an unfair contract, in which they ceded Lushun as a colony to Russia. Seven years later, Lushun was again transferred to Japanese rule, when the Russians lost in the Japanese-Russian War. From then on the city suffered from the colonial rule of Russia and Japan for decades. It was as recently as 1955 that the Chinese government took over sovereignty of Lushun and the hardest times in this city's history ended.

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What to see in Dalian?
Dalian is more like a coastal city in the southern China as it does not have a freezing temperature of -30ºC in winter and the summer heat here is not so hot thanks to the soft sea wind. It also boasts long coastlines, fantastic sea views, sun-kissed beaches, holiday resorts and coastal parks. A variety of exotic streets and countless century-old European buildings in Zhongshan Square add more charm to Dalian. The old trams still running on the street slowly pass through the city, connecting numerous landmark squares, but also symbolizing the brand of an era. The best time to visit Dalian is from May to September. Fishing and tasting the best fresh seafood from September to October is the most satisfying thing to do. Top attractions in Dalian are listed as below；

Golden Pebble Beach National Resort	Lushun Port Arthur	Tiger Beach Ocean Park

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When to visit Dalian?
Bordered by the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, Dalian is situated at the southern end of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeastern China. This is a warm temperate zone with a semi-moist monsoon climate and ocean climate features. The annual average temperature here is from 8 to 11ºC and it has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Influenced by the mild ocean winds from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, Dalian weather is pleasant with an annual rainfall of 550 to 1000 millimeters, over 60% of which falls during the summer period.

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How to get to Dalian?
As the provincial transportation hub, Dalian equips with well-developed public transportation system. This city is easily approached because of its convenient air routes, railways and long-distance bus routes extending major cities in China. Besides, Dalian city buses, metro system, ships, trams and taxis make the sightseeing within the city more easily.
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport   As of Jan. 1, 2018, the 144-hour Visa-free Transit in Liaoning scheme has been implemented in Liaoning for citizens from 53 countries and regions including USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, etc., and Dalian Zhoushuizi Airport is one of the entry / exit ports.

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Dalian Travel Tips
Local Highlights: Both the Russian and Japanese colonists dreamed of establishing a city of their own on this land in those colonial periods. A group of Russian architects fascinated with French culture came to the city with their construction blueprint of Paris and built all sorts of elegant squares with artistic sculptures, lush lawns and western-style fountains. These formed the architectural basis of the present city - taking squares as the center and radiating outwards. Today, the stylish women troopers patrolling the squares have become a feature of the city.

Local Festivals: There are two things that have earned the city a great reputation. One is Football and the other is Fashion. Given the name of 'Oriental Brazil', it hosts many Chinese football matches and has the most successful football teams in China. The enthusiastic fans in the football club of the four-star Wanda International Hotel tell everyone how much the Chinese like this game.

Dalian International Fashion Festival, during which thousands of dazzling celebrities, designers, pop stars and clothing merchants from both home and abroad get together to present an In-Fashion feast to the world. Consequently, the city stirs shopping lovers' blood with all sorts of skyscraper shopping malls and markets.If you are lucky enough to come to the city around September, a sea of world-class fashion brands will delight you.

Dalian Nightlife: Numerous bathing places and beaches in the city are popular venues for the locals to relax from everyday work and stress. Young people, like those in many other metropolitan cities in China are trend pursuers who spend their evenings in bars and pubs throughout the city.

Dalian Food: Surrounded by the Yellow Sea and inland Bohai Sea, this city has rich marine resources. The seafood here is equal to its southern counterpart in Guangdong Province and there are numerous restaurants in the city providing a wide variety of top-quality seafood at very reasonable prices.
 

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