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**大连 (Dàlián)**

Administration Type	sub-provincial city
City Seat	Xigang District
Area	13,237 km² (land 12,574)
Coastline	1,906 km (excluding islands)
Population	6,200,000 (2005)
Mayor	Xia Deren (夏德仁)

Dalian (Chinese: 大连; Chinese: 大連; Chinese: Dàlián) is the governing sub-provincial city in the eastern Liaoning Province of Northeast China. Dalian is also China's northernmost ice-free seaport.

Administration

The city administers 6 districts, 3 county-level cities, and 1 county.

Ganjingzi, Zhongshan, Xigang, and Shahekou 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)

Pinyin	Hanzi	Area (km²)	Population
Districts
Ganjingzi	甘井子区	491	540 000
Lüshunkou	旅顺口区	506	210 000
Xigang	西岗区	26	330 000
Zhongshan	中山区	43	370 000
Shahekou	沙河口区	49	600 000
Jinzhou	金州区	1390	660 000
Cities
Wafangdian	瓦房店市	3791	1 030 000
Pulandian	普兰店市	2923	820 000
Zhuanghe	庄河市	3866	900 000
County
Changhai	长海县	152	90 000

Geography

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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 Historical references note that the Russian designed city of Dalny (Alt.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).

File:Dalian.jpeg

Dalian - Landsat photo (circa 2000)

Dalian is located west of the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) 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.

History

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). 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, making it become a small town.

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 Imperial Russia leased the peninsula off the Qing Dynasty, and a modern city was laid out with the name of Dalny. Linked to the Trans-Siberian Railway, Dalny became Russia's primary port-city in Asia.

Dalny was the main battlefield of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and 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 2nd, 1905 for the failure by Admiral Eugene Alexeieff, to concentrate on the naval base and its fortifications, instead spliting 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).

The unconditional surrender of Japan on August of 1945 marks the liberation of Dalian in the anti-fascist war, but the Soviets, who had taken possession of the city in advance of the end of hostilities, remained in the city until 1955. During this period the Soviets and Chinese Communists cooperated in the further development of the city, its industrial infrastructure, and especially the port. The city had been relatively undamaged during the war.

After the (friendly) departure of the Soviets, China made Dalian into a major shipbuilding center. In the 1990s the city benefitted from the attentions 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 bicycles, 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 now Minister of Commerce.

Economy

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.

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).

Transportation

Dalian is the one of the few cities in China where there are not many bicycles and the number of cars on Dalian streets has increased dramatically in recent years. Traffic jams during rush hour are now commonplace. The city has a comprehensive and efficient bus and light rail mass transit system.

Dalian has a modern and recently (2006) expanded international airport, Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, with direct flights to most major Chinese cities. The city's location means that train trips to most Chinese cities outside China's northeastern region require changing trains in Shanghai or, more probably, Beijing. Most of the direct city to city express trains are overnight trips. 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 South Korea.

Cultural life

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.

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. This is the largest square in China, with an area about twice as large as Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

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 local cuisine heavily depends on variety of fresh seafood and fruits, both of which are abundant in the area.

Sports

The Dalian's soccer club is Dalian Shide (实德), one of twelve teams in the Chinese Super League.

Prior to 2000 they were known as Dalian Wanda (万达). Many regard Dalian Shide as China's premier soccer club having achieved success as: Jia 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

Education

Dalian's public schools are controlled by the Dalian Education Bureau [1].

Colleges and universities

Dalian University

Miscellaneous

Sister cities of Dalian

The following are sister cities of Dailian:

Dalian is considered a "model city" from which other urban planning in China is to be inspired and it is also considered one of the cleanest cities in China.

The German anatomist Gunther von Hagens runs a plastination center in Dalian.

External links

References

Tom McKnight,PhD, et al; Geographica (ATLAS), Barnes and Noble Books AND Random House, New York, 1999-2004, 3rd revision, ISBN 0-7607-5974-X, 618 pp.

Frank Theiss, The Voyage of Forgotten Men, 1937, Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1st Ed., Indianapolis & New York, 415 pp.

39°02′N 121°46′E / 39.033°N 121.767°E / 39.033; 121.767

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-'''Dalian''' ({{zh-s|大连}}; {{zh-t|大連}}; {{zh-p|Dàlián}}; [[Japanese language|Japanese]]: Dairen; [[Russian language|Russian]]: Дальний, Dalny) is the governing [[sub-provincial city]] in the eastern [[Liaoning]] Province of [[ Northeast China]]. Dalian is also China's northernmost ice-free seaport.
+'''Dalian''' ({{zh-s|大连}}; {{zh-t|大連}}; {{zh-p|Dàlián}}) is the governing [[sub-provincial city]] in the eastern [[Liaoning]] Province of [[ Northeast China]]. Dalian is also China's northernmost ice-free seaport.
 == Administration ==