Dalian

Dalian, or Luda as it was once known, is one of China’s most vibrant and modern cities. Dalian is located in the southernmost part of the Liaodong Peninsula in Liaoning Province in northeast China. It is surrounded by the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west.

Dalian’s strategic position and deep water, ice-free port made the city a crucial stronghold during the Japanese occupation. A few years later in 1954 the Japanese handed Dalian over to the Russians under the Yalta agreement. As a result both Russian and Japanese influence can be felt throughout the city including some great examples of neo-classical architecture such as the Dalian Hotel in Zhongshan Square.
Dalian is also famed for its excellent seafood restaurants with specialties such as sea cucumber, sweet and sour fish. It also boasts the largest public pedestrian square in Asia, Xinghai Square, which serves as a symbol of this wealthy city.

As an important industrial base of China, Dalian has all categories of industries capable of manufacturing complete sets of equipments. Dalian is the building base of large ships and maritime projects in China. Its shipbuilding industry accounts for one-third of the total industry in China. Dalian is the manufacture and export base of machinery manufacturing industry. Its power inner combustion locomotives, machine tools and tires, refrigeration machinery, bearings, and diesel engines are world-famous.

Dalian is a famous summer resort and one of the tourist terminals of China with its beautiful scenery and pleasant environment. Dalian is an outstanding tourist city in China. The Southern Coast, the Forest Park, Lüshun Port, Golden Pebble Beach and the Bingyu Valley are important and famous provincial or national tourist spots. Many large-scale internationalized events including the annual Dalian International Fashion Festival, Acacia Flowers Festival, Spring Festival of Fireworks, and Dalian Import and Export Commodities Fairs of China attract businessmen, artists, fashion designers and popular models all over the world to the seaside city of Dalian. Dalian Nature Museum, Lüshun Museum, Dalian Modern Museum and Architectural Arts Museum are all ready magnets both at home and abroad.
  
Dalian is one of the most livable cities in China, which is recognized by the Chinese Central Government as “National Sanitary City”, “National City in Environmental Protection”, and “National Garden City”. The city is the first chosen as the city of environment cooperation with Japan. There are more than 100 city plazas in Dalian with 9.5 square meters public green space per capita. In 2001, Dalian won the title of the “Global 500” by the UNEP.
   
Nest Cliff
The name of this cliff comes from the fact that many swallows make their nests on it every year. The cliff is a major tourist attraction in Dalian because of its marvelous scenery. The sea under the cliff is rich with fishes and excellent for fishing.

Xinghai Park
Xinghai Park, covering 150,000 square meters, is next to a circular beach that is about 800 meters long. In the park there are numerous trees and flowers. A stone-paved path connects all the pavilions, including Wanghai Pavilion and Haiyan Pavilion. On the eastern and western tips of the park there are two beautiful cliffs. Standing on the cliffs, you can enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the sea. The Xinghai Park Beach is excellent for swimming, as well.

Tiger Beach
The name of the beach is derived form the fact that a rock coming out from the sea looks like a sleeping tiger. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, Tiger Beach is one of the best beaches in Dalian and excellent for swimming. In the eastern part of the beach, there is a park. In the middle of the park entertainment facilities are to be found. While an aquarium is located in the western part of the beach, here you can see the largest birdcage in China, which is 36.4 meters long and 7 meters high, coving 18,000 square meters. The largest animal sculpture in the world is the sculpture of the tiger which is also located here. On the beach there are a dolphins' performing hall and a cable car crossing the sea.