Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It is surrounded by the waters of the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's northernmost warm water port.
The second largest city in Liaoning province, next only to the capital (Shenyang), with the population of 6,2 million people. The area is 12,574 km2.
The city was based by Russians on the leased territory of China in 1898. Its first name was Dalniy. The city was gifted to the Chinese government by the USSR in 1950.
Today it serves as a regional financial base and an important international shipping centre and logistics hub in Northeast Asia. Seventeen enterprises in shipbuilding, internal-combustion engines, and finished oil and bearings are the largest firms of their kind in the country.
The city is also striving to build up an IT and software center – it is now an increasingly important software exporter to Japan.[citation needed] Finance and other service industries are growing as well.
Dalian is a popular destination among domestic tourists and foreign visitors, especially from Japan, South Korea and Russia. Its mild climate and multiple beaches as well as its importance in the modern history of China have attracted tourists.
Dalian Public Government web-site:
