Walking Around Dalian (China)
Dalian /大连 is the second largest city in Liaoning Province, Dongbei (North East), China, the largest port in northern China, and a major destination for Chinese tourists. At the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the main part of the city is on its own sub-peninsula, with the port to the north of the town centre and natural coastline dotted with beaches to the east and south.
Dalian in fact encompasses 6 districts, 3 county-level cities and one county. Visitors are likely to spend time in only 5 of the city's 8 districts (and none of the sub-cities). The following two districts of in central Dalian are covered in this video:
Zhongshan District - Home of Dalian's financial and commercial center, and also home to squares and avenues with grand Russian and Japanese architecture. This is the easternmost of Dalian's 4 downtown districts. Around the eastern and southern side of the coast are several beach and scenic areas including Binhai Lu, Bangchuidao beach & Golf Course, and Tiger Beach.
Xigang District - Home of the municipal government district and People's Square, on the western border of Zhongshan District. On the southern coast lies Fujiazhuang beach.
Dalian, as a city, is young by Chinese standards, dating from 1898, though smaller settlements had long existed in the area. Like Hong Kong, Shanghai and Qingdao, Dalian's development stemmed from colonial occupation, in this case by Russia. Under Russian rule Dalian, or Dalny as it was known, became the southern tip of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the main port of the eastern Russian Empire. Following the Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5, the city was transferred to Japanese control and renamed Dairen. The Chinese government resumed control following World War II (though the city was jointly run with the Soviet Union until 1955), and in 1950 it was again renamed by the newly formed Communist regime, this time to Luda City. There followed a period of relative stagnation until the city (once again named Dalian) was opened up to foreign investment in 1984. This sparked the first period of redevelopment of the city, the second period coming with the appointment of Bo Xilai as mayor. Under Bo's stewardship, the city became a model example of redevelopment, with extensive redevelopment of its infrastructure and open spaces and a new focus on tourism and commerce and away from heavy industry.
Dalian is less reliant on heavy industry than its Northeast counterparts, and its heavy industry there is mostly relegated to the development zone far outside the city center. This, combined with the city's many parks and green hills, wide thoroughfares and army of street cleaners, makes Dalian a more pleasant city to visit and live in than most Chinese cities of comparable size. Though most of the tourist industry in the city is targeted at the domestic, rather than the international market, overseas tourists should still find enjoyment in the city. The large number of foreign businesses in the city and foreign students and teachers at the city's many universities ensure that there are plenty of companies (from upmarket hotels to bars and coffee houses) which cater to those who do not call China their native home. The city has a population of around 6,000,000.
Dalian is perhaps most abuzz when it hosts the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the Champions (summer Davos).
Trip to Dalian Beach View, Bee Honey, China,
Trip to Dalian Beach View, Bee Honey, China,