Dalian: Beach, Fashion and More
By admin on 2015-01-26

Dalian, located in the southernmost portion of Liaodong Peninsula, is one of the most important industrial bases and main seaports in China. Known as the "Hong Kong of Northern China", it is the center of information, finance, trade, and tourism in East Asia.

This harbor city is famous for the cleanest of environments, enjoying an extremely close proximity to the sea, the Bohai Sea to the west and the Yellow Sea to the east. The local people have created countless scenic spots along the long, rugged coastlines and amid the beautiful bays of their city. A summer tourist resort, here you can find natural scenes of stunning beauty, a "soft on the senses" climate, stylish architecture, and luxurious beaches.

Apart from it's remarkable scenery and environment, Dalian people have many other prides. One gives the city another tag as "the city of football". The Dalian Shida Football Club has won seven out of nine regional championships. Football is such a craze in the city, everywhere you will find kids playing football in the street, taxi drivers giving discounts to football fans and men amicably arguing about matches. While the fame of the city results primarily from the architectural endeavors of men, the women of Dalian are also well known for their amazing comeliness and stylish dressing. This is why it is annual host to the famous Dalian International Fashion Festival.

International Fashion Festival

"Dine out in Guangzhou, have fun in Shanghai, dress up in Dalian" is a famous saying among Chinese people, indicating that Dalian is the most fashionable city in China. Originating in 1988, the International Fashion Festival boasts a reputation as the most magnificent and influential international economic and cultural event in China. Foreign participants have taken to thinking of it as "The Dalian Carnival".

The event brings together designers, stunning runway models, fashion agents, and fabric manufacturers from over 200 countries. The festival, usually celebrated in September, includes a series of collections by some of the world's top designers, forums on clothing and accessory design, cultural seminars, and a garment & fabric expo. With parades, diverse and rarely seen performances, and night life sandwiched between opening and closing ceremonies, it's a time when singers, dancers, and musicians head for town to display their talents.

Squares

The city itself is perhaps most renowned for its beautiful squares and the rich culture they both represent and encourage, whether it be the finery of Sea Melody Square, the masculinity of Xinghai Square, the sheer elegance of Zhongshan Square or the historic significance of the Renmin Square. And, as in Paris, you will find not only beautiful fountains, Grecian sculpture, French lamps and numerous people in the squares of Dalian.,What is also worth mentioning here is the unique sight of women police officers mounted on horses and patrolling the squares. These unexpected sights and delights add great pleasure to one??s Dalian journey.

Zhongshan Square   This is the oldest square in Dalian, build by Russians in 1899, it was renamed Zhongshan, the formal name of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, after the Liberation. Russian and Japanese architecture dots the square. Also the first musical square in China, Zhongshan Square is fitted with world-class audio systems and powerful speakers. In the evenings, crowds gather here to play Chinese chess, dance, and watch movies under the starlight. Opera performances, plays, and concerts are common too.

Xinghai Square    Xinghai Square was built in 1997 to commemorate the repatriation of Hong Kong. It is located in the center of the Xinghai business district. At the central pivot-point of the square, a vertical, pure-white, ornamental marble column measuring nearly twenty meters in height and two in diameter, stands to triumphantly celebrate the year HK returned to the motherland. In the southern end of the square, the City Centennial Sculpture is located. From this sculpture, you can learn much of the history of Dalian and it??s citizens?? determination for the future.

Xinghai Park

The park is composed of an 800-meter-long bow-shaped bathing beach and garden. The beach is flat and the water is smooth, offering an ideal place to swim, dive, stroll, fish, and boat. In the east and west ends of the park, people can enjoy the seascape, while standing on the cliffs above the sea. There are also many entertainments to enjoy in the park, such as the bungee with a height of fifty five meters, the across-the-sea lift cable which boasts at being the longest in the world, and the Prehistoric Life Museum with fossils dating back several hundred million years.

Snake Isle

Snake Isle is located some 25 nautical miles northwest of Lushunkou, and is home to a reputed 18, 000 vipers. With humid weather and dense foliage, the resort is also a paradise for other species including birds and countless rare insects. In 1980, the isle was listed as a part of the Laotieshan State Natural Protection Zone. And, of course, the newly opened Snake Museum has a huge collection of different snake specimens from around the world.

Sunasia Ocean World

It was once the only underwater tunnel aquarium in China and houses the longest acrylic tunnel (118 meters) in all of Asia.

Visitors can view fascinating underwater sea life up close, by taking the moving passage through the transparent tunnel. Surrounding you are over two hundred varieties of rare fish and other sea animals from around the planet, including giant sea turtles, colorful tropical fish, and those scary eels. It also has a warship model exhibit, a touch zone to make you jump and squirm, and a play room for the kids.

And the end of the passage, you can watch divers hand feed sharks or enjoy the horrors of a shark feeding frenzy as hungry sharks are invited to exhibit their skills as predators. For about 300 Yuan, you can also get into the water and feel the underwater environment, while sharing an ??up close and personal?? experience with the marine life. It is really an exciting experience!

Polar Aquarium

Opened in 2002, it is currently the largest polar aquarium in the world and has eleven species totaling one hundred and fifty three individual polar animals and is residence to three thousand fish. You will find that animals from both the south and the north polar regions, including polar bears, penguins, polar belugas, and sea elephants, share their neighborhood here.

The aquarium offers visitors a true feeling of being on the polar ice caps. You will feel you're living in an almost surreal crystal ice and snow world surrounded by animals. Otter and dolphin performances are also held every day. In the sea animal section, one can touch fur seals, otters, and sea lions.

Golden Pebble Beach

This resort covers a land area of sixty-two square kilometers, a maritime space of fifty eight sq km, and is also fifty eight km away from downtown Dalian. The beautiful seascape, sunny beach, exotic rocks and abundance of entertainment all make up the resort's appeal to Dalian people and visitors. The former mayor of Dalian Mr. Bo Xilai likens the resort to an "Oriental Hawaii". A Disney-style amusement park is under construction in the center of the resort and will open in 2005.