Dalian Facts

Wedged between the Yellow and Bohai Seas on the southern cusp of the Liaodong Peninsula, Dalian enjoys five-star status as one of China's premiere cities. The "Hong Kong of the North," became one of China's few "open door cities" in 1984, allowing foreign investment long before other areas of China were accessible. As a result, Dalian glows with a cosmopolitan swagger full of vacation-happy charisma. Trendy dance clubs, ultramodern shopping centers, refurbished four-star hotels and internationally acclaimed restaurants are the norm rather than the exception. The surrounding geography is a wealth of beaches and mountains, all with just-minutes-from-downtown-accessibility, lending this cosmopolitan...

...is the supermodel of Chinese cities. Thoroughly modern, sartorially savvy, and unabashedly narcissistic, it is also the largest and busiest port in northern China. Dalian's straightforward beauty can be refreshing in a region where most towns are of the interesting-but-homely type, and indeed, there are few more enjoyable activities after a week in the Dongbei gloom than a sunlit stroll along the city's supremely walkable streets. The mere fact that the city has a definable downtown, unlike other cities in China, is to be lauded.

Like Shanghai and Hong Kong, the cities to which it is most often compared, Dalian isn't really Chinese. Located just north of the Lushun naval base at the tip of...