Dalian
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| Image:Dalian.png | |
| Administration Type | Prefecture-level city |
| City Seat | Xigang District (Template:Coor dms |
| Area | 13,237 km² (land 12,574) |
| Coastline | ? km (excluding islands) |
| Population | 5,550,000 (2001) |
| GDP - Total - Per Capita | ¥ ¥ |
| Major Nationalities | Han |
| County-level divisions | 8 |
| Township-level divisions | 127 |
| CPC Committee Secretary | ? |
| Mayor | Xia Deren (夏德仁) |
| Area code | 411 |
| Postal Code | 116000 |
| License Plate Prefix | 辽B |
Dalian (Template:Zh-stpw), or Dalny (during Russian controlled periods, aka Dairen during Japanese periods, or from Mid-century (Jointly administered by both USSR/PRC) formerly also Lüda or Luta), is the second of two strategic ice-free seaports on the Liaodong Peninsula.
Today's Dalian is the governing sub-provincial city in the eastern Liaoning Province of the Northeastern People's Republic of China near the southernmost part of historic Manchuria, and serves as the administrative capital for the whole Liadong peninsula (Literally: Eastern Liaoning). The port was situated on the Southern Manchurian Railway about 525 miles (845 km) from Harbin. Port Arthur was initially developed as a commercial, industrial, and shipping center by the Russians starting in 1897-1898, after the Triple Intervention when Russia replaced Japan to lease the Guandong area.
In 1905, the Japanese defeated the Russians in Russo-Japanese War, as a result, the area again came under Japanese control until 1945, when the Soviet Red Army attacked Manchuria and occupied Dalian and Lüshun. In 1955 the Soviet Union handed over the area to the People's Republic of China when they left after the Sino-Soviet Split under Nikita Kruschev.
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Geography
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 Historical references note that the Russian designed city of Dalny (Alt.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). Image:Dalian.jpeg 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
Part of the State of Yan in the Spring and Autumn Period, a minor fishing village Ch'ing-ni-wa became a small town in the 1880s, when the Qing Dynasty established bridges, cannon platforms and camps there. 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 Russians took the lease of the peninsular and established Port Arthur as ice-free headquarters of their Pacific Fleet and Dalnyi as a major commercial port. The city's name is derived from the Russian word "dalnyi", which means "distant (port)". Recently, some Chinese scholars pointed out that the Chinese form of the name, Dalian, had been used as early as October 1879, in a document by Li Hongzhang.
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 on 2 January 1905 for the failure by Admiral Eugen Alexeiev, to concentrate on the naval base and its fortifications. Instead, he split precious resources shipped 8000 kilometers 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 (Lüshunkou).
After World War II, Dalian was not returned to China, but taken over by Soviets with theoretical Chinese overlordship (see Yalta Conference), and was returned to full Chinese control in 1955, although the first communist Chinese mayor of the new Lüda Administrative Office (旅大行政公署) was appointed in 1945. The name Lüda was formed by combining the first characters of Lüshunkou and Dalian. Because of the sudden closure of many Japanese businesses, many Dalian residents were out of work for an extended period.
On 1 December 1950, Lüda was made into a city again. From 12 March 1953 to 1 August 1954 it became a municipality. The city's name was changed back from Lüda to Dalian on 5 March 1981, after the State Council approved it on 9 February. It was upgraded from a prefecture-level city to a sub-provincial city in 1994, with no change in its administrative subdivisions.
Subdivisions
| Pinyin | Hanzi | Area (km²) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Districts | |||
| Ganjingzi | 甘井子 | 491 | 540 000 |
| Lüshunkou | 旅顺口 | 506 | 210 000 |
| Xigang | 西岗区 | 26 | 330 000 |
| Zhongshan | 中山区 | 43 | 370 000 |
| Shahekou | 沙河口 | 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 |
The city administrates 6 districts, 3 county-level cities, and 1 county.
Ganjingzi, Zhongshan, Xigang, 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)
Economy
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 considerable foreign investment (see Special Economic Zone).
In recent years, the city has become a major base for the outsourcing of Japanese-language businesses, such as call-centers. Japanese is widely spoken in the area, and many local people are familiar with Japanese customs and culture.
Transportation
Dalian is served by Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. While you can fly to Dalian from most of the major cities in China, you can always get there by train, as well as buses. From other coastal cities, such as Tianjin and Yantai, you can also get to Dalian by oceanliners.
Cultural Life
Every September Dalian hosts the Dalian International Fashion Festival. 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.
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 abundant in the area.
Education
Dalian's public schools are operated by the Dalian Education Bureau. [1]
Miscellaneous
Dalian is considered a "model city" from which other urban planning in China is to be inspired.
Dalian is a sister city of Kitakyūshū (Japan), Le Havre (France), Glasgow (Scotland), Vancouver (Canada), Bremen (Germany), Incheon (South Korea), Oakland (USA), Rostock (Germany), Houston (USA), Maizuru (Japan), Vladivostok (Russia), Pointe-Noire (Republic of Congo).
The Dalian's soccer club is Dalian Shide, one of twelve teams in the Chinese Super League. Prior to 2000 they were known as Dalian Wanda. 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
The German anatomist Gunther von Hagens runs a plastination center in Dalian.
Colleges and universities
- Dalian University of Technology
- Dalian Fisheries University
- Liaoning Normal University
- Dalian Maritime University
See also
External links
- Official site
- Discover Dalian
- Manchurian Legacy
- Subdivision maps
- Map of Location in China
- Letters and photos from an English teacher living and working in Dalian 2005-2006
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.
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