Visitor's Information for Dalian

Dalian is the second largest city in Liaoning Province, Dongbei (North East), China and the largest port in northern China as well as a major destination for Chinese tourists. Located 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.

Understand

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 the Second World War (though the city was jointly run with Russia until 1955) and in 1950 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 most Chinese cities, especially in north east China, and what heavy industry there is is mostly located in 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, make 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 international, market, overseas tourists should still find plenty to do 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) that cater to those who do not call China their native home. Currently, the city has a population of around, 6,300,000. Dalian is now home of the World Economic Forum Asia also called the Davos meeting of China. Meeting facilities such as the Xinghai meeting & Exibition centers and official business hotels like the awarded Nikko hotel and others are hosting venues.

Talk

Mandarin is the main language of Dalian, and most Dalianese speak a fairly standard version of the dialect, though the local variety (known as Dalian-hua and related to the Shandong dialect) can sometimes be hard to follow for those unfamiliar with it. As in the rest of China, English is increasingly spoken, but still not understood by most Dalianese. Outside of the more expensive hotels and businesses that cater to overseas customers, a grasp of basic Mandarin phrases (at least) is advisable.

When to go

Climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Daily highs (°C) -1 0 6 14 20 24 27 27 24 18 9 2
Nightly lows (°C) -8 -6 -1 6 12 16 21 21 17 10 2 -5
Precipitation (cm) 1 1 1 3 4 6 17 14 8 3 2 1

The city is best visited in summer or autumn, any time between Jun and Oct. However, during the summer school holidays (early Jul-late Aug) the city attracts large numbers of Chinese tourists making long distance transport tickets and hotel rooms harder to find and some sights more expensive. The Labour Day (one week around May 1), National Day (one week around Oct 1) and Chinese New Year (four weeks during late Jan/early Feb) holidays see similar, though smaller, influxes and so it may be preferable to schedule visits outside these times. Sometimes Chinese cities are less populated during national holidays, as many of China's new urban dwellers return to their hometowns for the holiday. Dalian is not nearly as big as Shanghai or Beijing and attracts far less tourists so nearly any time of the year is good for a visit.

Districts

Dalian city is divided into 4 main districts:

  • Zhongshan District, home of Dalian's financial and commercial center.
  • Xigang District, Dalian's government district.
  • Shahekou District, mainly a residential area, though Xinghai Square and the many universities in the district may attract visitors.
  • Ganjingzi District is by far the largest district, running from the Heishijiao University and high tech area in the south to the edge of the Dalian Development Zone in the north and to Yingchenzi in the west. For all its size, however, Dalian International Airport is the only location within the district most travellers are likely to visit.

The wider Dalian administrative area encompasses 6 further districts Jinzhou District, Lushunkou District, Wanfangdian District, Pulandian District, Zhuanghe District and Changhai County (spread over a group of islands to the east of the Liaodong Peninsula). Of these districts only Lushunkou, Jinzhou and Zhuanghe are likely to be of much interest to visitors.

  • Jinzhou District lies immediately north of Dalian city. The main attractions in the district are the Golden Pebble Beach (east of the Dalian Development Zone) and Xiangshui Temple.
  • Lushunkou District occupies the very southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, with the historically significant city of Lushun (formerly Port Arthur) at its center.
  • Zhuanghe District well north east of Dalian city is a mostly rural district with the impressive Bingyu Valley as its main, or rather only, attraction.

Get in

By plane

Dalian International Airport, (IATA: DLC), +86 411 8665 2071, to the north-west of the town centre, offers direct flights to Beijing, Changchun, Changsha, Chaoyang, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Hong Kong, Jinan, Kunming, Luoyang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Qiqihar, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Ürümqi, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xian, and Yanji.

Daily international flights are available to Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong and regular direct flights to Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, and Toyama in Japan, Busan in South Korea, and Pyongyang in North Korea. Most other major international destinations can be reached through flights via Beijing or Shanghai.

Air China, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines provide international flights and most major Chinese domestic carriers also serve the airport. A regular airport bus departs after every flight lands and runs to the main train station (it also stops at the smaller Shahekou train station so be careful not to get off too soon) as well as Renmin Lu. Tickets cost ¥5. Public buses #701 and #710 also run from the airport to the train station, #701 terminating at Zhongshan Square and #710 going on to the harbour, Sanba Square and Erqi Square. Both buses cost ¥1. Tickets for outbound flights can be booked in advance from the airport ticket office on Zhongshan Lu, just opposite Xiwang (Hope) Square in the centre of town.

By train

Dalian Central Train Station +86 411 8260 3331 is located next to Shengli (Victory) Square in the town centre. Direct trains serve most cities in Dongbei as well as Beijing and Tianjin, but longer journeys usually involve a change at Beijing. A special daily express train also runs to Shenyang. Tickets can be booked up to seven days in advance from the station, though this requires a degree of Chinese proficiency (or access to someone with Chinese proficiency), as well as a tolerance for Chinese queuing habits. Local travel agents and major hotels should also be able to book tickets in advance, often further than is possible from the station (for an extra charge). For further details on train travel in China, including details on the various classes available, see the main China article.

By bus

Long distance buses are available and serve most destinations in the vicinity of Dalian. The main long distance bus station is on Jianshe Jie, outside the northern entrance of the main train station. Smaller stations serving mainly local cities,are located next to the passenger ferry terminal, to the west of the city centre at the intersection of Anshan Lu and Xinkan Lu (bÄ›i gÇŽng qiáo station (北岗桥汽车站)) and in Heishijiao, next to Xinghai square.

By boat

Ferry services run from the passenger ferry terminal (大连港客运站 dàlián gÇŽng kèyùn zhàn) in the centre of Dalian (Gangwan Jie, east end of Renmin Lu) to cities along the Bohai Sea as well as to Incheon in South Korea. A fast ferry runs to Yantai and takes around three and a half hours. Previous services to Shanghai, Tianjin and Qingdao no longer operate. Tickets can be purchased either from the ferry terminal or from a kiosk at the train station. On long haul domestic ferries (excluding fast ferries) first class berths typically offer a two bed room with a shower, second class offers a four bed room with a wash basin while lower classes may offer only a bunk in a large, shared area, a hard seat, or no reserved place at all.


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