Dalian, China: Russian City of Romance, Seafood and a Toboggan Run

By Oscar Davis

Dalian China is popularly known as the gateway to Beijing and Tianjin, China’s city of romance, and the Russian city of China is Liaoning Province’s largest city. It is a significant tourist attraction site, with numerous Dalian hotels. 

`The city has a population of over six million, and its primary language is Mandarin. However, most of the locals also speak Chinese, Japanese and English.

The Russians founded the beautiful city in 1898, and it has since become home to numerous Russian expatriates as well as university students. Dalian is also popular for its high-class fashion.

According to the Guardian, Dalian has a fascinating history: Transformed in 1898 from a small fishing village into a major port city under Russian rule, Dalian passed into Japanese hands in the 1930s before falling under Soviet control after the second world war. In 1950, the USSR handed the city over to the Chinese government.

Like Brazil, Dalian city’s indigenes also have a profound love for football, and the city’s mild climate favors outdoor activities. With its delectable seafood cuisine, luxury five-star hotels, and breathtaking tourist attractions, it is certainly a destination you would love to visit.

Dalian’s China Aesthetics

The city allures visitors with its dynamic city center and beautiful beaches overlooking the Yellow Sea. You are going to fall in love with the trails along ledges, pretty coves, cliffs, and green areas. These places offer a cool and serene dwelling from noise and the rest of the world.

Visitors always lose themselves in Dalian’s flower-filled parks, and breath-taking seaside views. There is something about the most famous seaside, Xinghai, that makes couples fall in love with each other. Tourists love Xinghai because of its beauty and size, and honeymooners rarely want to leave.

 The city’s seaside and natural sites are pollution-free, making it a top-rated tourist destination. Not only that, it has been voted the nicest in China and ranked among the top 500 cities with “excellent environment” worldwide. Experts have predicted that Dalian China will soon become China’s capital city for both lovers and fashion.

Also, the beautiful souvenirs sold in the city’s various shops are affordable, and bound to satisfy your every souvenir taste, with silk, pottery, fine prints, beautiful Chinese embroidery specialties, and excellent teas.

Dalian Beaches

With over 18,000 km long coastline, Dalian has been blessed with numerous beautiful white sand beaches overlooking the soft seas. Many of these beaches also have beautiful underwater worlds, making them perfect for diving.

Some of the beaches found in Dalian like the Jinshitan Beach also known as Golden pebble, Xinghai and Xianyuwan beach are free to enter and have accessible means of transportation to get to their locations in Dalian China–although they are extremely cold during winter.

Some beaches like the Jinshitan do not have waves and are safe for children. You can picture yourself enjoying the “good life” on a Dalian beach, birdwatching, with a cocktail in your hand and an enormous straw hat over your gorgeous head. Living the dream in Dalian, oh yeah!

Dalian’s Climate and Weather

Liaoning province enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year, which allows relatively mild days with little sunshine. The seawater is quite cold, even in summer, and swimming will be a treat for you if you love the cold water. Generally, the city’s temperature is between 16°C and 24°C in summer, while in spring, the temperature ranges between 3 °C and 10 °C.

In autumn, the temperature ranges between 5oC and 13oC, and winter can be as cold as -6oC. However, this peculiar weather will not stop you from enjoying the city’s spectacular sights. These sites include Bangcui Island, Laohutan Park, Hill of Swallows, and the city center, which provides an exceptional view of the city in clear weather.

Dalian’s Tourist Attractions

The city has many unique attractions, including the Dalian Polar Aquarium, which houses many rare polar animals. The aquarium’s atmosphere is so warm and delightful, and the fun activities are suitable for both adults and children.

 Another popular attraction is the Russian Style Street. The 500-meter long street is a trading market with Russian-style restaurants, bars, and clubs. You are sure to enjoy the feeling of “Moscow in China”. The Russian wine, sausages, boots, clothing, and handicrafts with authentic cultural features are quite entertaining.

The city is also magnificent at night, with colored lights illuminating the squares. Dalian has the largest number of city squares worldwide, including Xinghai and Renmin Squares, designed to perfection, to impress you.

Museums

The city’s museums, particularly the National History Museum, will also find their way into your heart. This is because of the diverse display of animals. You will also love exploring the small mountains surrounding the city. 

Besides, wouldn’t you love to bask on the 18km of the city’s beach? You could finish that up with the Tiger Beach stroll through the city’s parks. Several areas reserved with this include Dalian-Plage Lüshunkou Park, diving and attending the fashion festival. 

 Other popular tourist attractions include People’s Square, The Binhai road and the Japanese-Russia prison at Port Arthur. Especially notable are the Laohutan city square, Baiyu hill, Bangchuidao Island, the Japanese street, the city port, the Hengshan temple, and the sightseeing tower. The East Crest Mountain war sites, hot springs and ski resorts are also interesting to visit, as this is a city that’s rich with history. 

Culture in Dalian

The people in Dalian China mostly speak standard Mandarin, and the locals converse using Jiaoliao, a native dialect of Mandarin. The Dalian people have a real love for theatre, arts, and sports. With the numerous city festivals, like the Dalian walking festival in May, the Binyugou Ice Lantern Festival in January and February, the Lüshun International Cherry Blossom Festival in April and May, The International Beer Festival in July and August, there is almost always a festival in Dalian China.

The Dalian people are highly welcoming of guests, so get ready to make some new friends too.

 Like Brazil, Dalian is crazy about football and other forms of sport. Regardless of age or gender, everyone gets excited when it comes to football, and there are tons of stories to tell in conversations. The city also holds an annual running marathon, where natives and visitors alike showcase their athletic prowess. The beautiful Dalian hotels also showcase the city’s culture through the warmth, atmosphere and décor.

Dining in Dalian                 

The city is famous for its fresh seafood cuisine, primarily influenced by Northeastern Chinese cuisine. Visitors and locals alike love to enjoy the delectable seafood from restaurants or Dalian hotels. Imagine yourself enjoying this at the seaside, with a nice beer or mocktail, and beautiful music.

The seafood from Dalian China is affordable and delicious, and a very popular component of almost every dish. Popular dishes include grilled seafood (abalone, shrimp, oyster and mussels), the famous Peking duck, noodles, Dalian Menzi, Snowflake scallops, and corn cake with spicy fish, the moon cake, and Gua (sticky rice cake) desserts.

Trust me, these delicacies will delight your taste buds. You’ll love visiting the night market held in front of the Zhongshan Hotel for dinner. The mouth-watering scents and colors will make your experience even more memorable.

Visiting China for Business?

You should keep the following in mind while planning a trip, looking for a job, or establishing a new business or branch in the Russian City of China.

While countries among the 21 APEC economies do not require a visa, such as Australia, Chile and Russia, they are not allowed to stay more than their visa-free period.

Citizens of countries that weren’t given such an opportunity will require a visa to China. However, there are various types of visas and the reason for your travel will determine the type of visa you will need.

For a business and tourist visa, you will need an L-visa, M or F respectively. Nevertheless, before a visa can be issued, you will need an invitation letter, without it, your visa application process will not commence. The invitation letter is vital especially for an M or business visa. While for tourist purposes, a photocopy of your airline ticket or hotel reservation must be used. 

Also, apart from your invitation letter, other vital documents that will be needed to process your visa are:

• A 6-month valid passport, with two free blank pages.
• A photocopy of all details on your passport.
• Any previous China visa.
• A Chinese visa application form.

 Dalian Hotels

With over 2000 luxury hotels and several furnished apartments available for lease, visitors are sure to have a fantastic time in the city. The breath-taking views, intercontinental cuisines, and professional services of the five-star luxury Dalian hotels like the Castle hotel, Shangri La Hotel Dalian, and Intercontinental Dalian, will provide comfortable accommodations in the city.

Cost of Living in Dalian

The cost of living in Dalian China is relatively high, compared to many other Chinese cities, especially with cuisines. Dalian hotel prices typically range between 50 US Dollars and 250 US Dollars, per night. However, the prices of Dalian hotels vary with season and five-star luxury hotels would generally cost much more than those with three-star.

 Dalian Cuisine

 Dalian dishes originated through the fusion of Korean and Russian dishes. If you would like to try out a fusion of both dishes, Dalian meals are top-notch in this regard. Some of the popular meals your taste buds will thank you for are the Sea Urechis dumpling, sauteed cabbage with sea snails and Shenyang. Meals can cost as low as 5 US Dollars, or higher, depending on the cuisine of choice. Read a review of one of the restaurants in Dalian that features these dishes.

Working in Dalian

 As an expatriate in Dalian China, you will find employment opportunities in any sector of your career choice, from education in several city universities, to positions in the industry, technology, or financial services. You can also send applications to establishments you would like to work within the region and browse through newspapers, visit ex-pat forums, and make contacts at professional and business events.

Transportation

There are many ways to get around Dalian city. The town has quite an extensive bus network, and the metro network, Qinggui, is efficient and fast. And like in most Chinese cities in 2021, most of the motorbikes are now electric, making the air far less polluted. 

These buses connect Dalian with several other major Chinese cities, so you won’t have a problem navigating to Beijing and the likes.

You could get a Mingzhu IC Card, also called a Pearl card. It can be used as means of payment on public transportation or grocery shopping.

 The Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport is located northwest of the town, about ten kilometers from the city center. Traffic congestion is not uncommon in Dalian city due to its large population. You do not need to rent a vehicle, as using other transport means, such as taxis, trains or buses are an easier way to get around Dalian.

 To get to the city center, you would have to take a cable car. However, you could return to your place of stay through the use of a toboggan. This gives a thrilling experience visitors do not forget in a long time. Many Dalian hotels also offer shuttle services at a fee, when you book a stay.

Health, Security and Covid

China accepts US Travelers inoculated with American-made vaccines. The Chinese Embassy in the United States issued a notice on April 21, 2021, allowing US passengers vaccinated with American-made non-inactivated vaccines to depart from Dallas and enter the Chinese mainland.

The accepted American-made non-inactivated vaccines include vaccines made by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. The Notice required that passengers must get all the required shots before their trip to China. China-bound passengers are also required to provide positive IgM antibody test results as well as negative nucleic acid test results.

 You need not worry about security in Dalian China, thanks to the city’s decreased crime rate. However, we advise that you take necessary safety precautions, especially in markets and other crowded areas.

Oscar Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Leeds, UK. He travels regularly to China on assignment.