When “A Walk Across Dalian” was published in January 2010, it was understood that city of Dalian would continue to change. Never was there an expectation that when SongLi went to visit the ocean it would no longer be there. But that is what happened just six months later in July 2010.
Buildings are torn down and new ones take their place (see the Shell Museum). A massive body of water? It should remain where it always was. Unless that area of sea is reclaimed as land.
While the book was in production, a vast part of the Northern coast was being renovated and this was noted. The plan was to turn former warehouse and shipping space into commercial and residential areas. It was a smart move to make better use of Dalian’s land and coastal view.
The early stages of development for this location involved a great deal of landfill to extend the coastline. But it had been restricted to the former warehouse area. Apparently the expansion was more vast than imagined, as the entire Donghai Park was erased. Satellite maps from April 2009 confirm that the landfill stopped short of the Park, and it remained untouched.
Donghai Park and the Haizhiyun Square (Rhythm of the Sea) sculpture was the original spot where SongLi ended the Coast-to-Coast Trek in March 2008. The location nearly doubled the distance SongLi had to walk, so it could end in a public access area along the coast.
Now that spot is at least a kilometer inland (see the Location Map).
Not only is the ocean gone but the mountains too. They have been stripped down and used as the new land foundation. The construction effort will continue for years yet. This situation is being noted for travelers who wish to follow SongLi’s adventure or just spend a day at the beach.
While it is a well known fact that a key battle in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 took place in Dalian, the city was spared any direct military action in the later Second World War. The city was defended by a ring of mountain fortresses against an amphibious invasion that never came. Yet Dalian, known as Dairen at the time, earned the distinction as a site of Allied bombing in the closing days of the war. This obscure and forgotten historical footnote has not been recorded in any book about Dalian but there are clear eyewitness accounts of the event.
“One day, the American bomb hit the downtown office building and half of it collapsed.” from the memoir Dalny by Tatiana Erohina.
On 26 September 1944, a squadron of American B-29s from the 40th Bombardment Group flew to Anshan, China on a mission to destroy the strategic industry of Showa steel works. Due to technical complications, two bombers were unable to follow the main group and instead headed for the secondary target of Dairen. A series of weather and mechanical problems would deliver an amazing and successful result, best summarized in the words of the men who actually participated in the action.
“I remember the mission against Anshan when we bombed the alternate target at Dairen. That mission was one of the things that helped to make Frank McKinney something of a legend as a bombardier.” Robert L. Hall, Central Fire Control Gunner.
“As I remember the Anshan/Dairen mission, we lost our formation near Anshan, and had to go to the secondary target at Dairen, Manchuria… At the last moment, the bombardier said he saw some buildings through a hole in the clouds, and that he would take over. I distinctly remember looking at a big, square building when the bombs made a direct hit on it.” John Z. Topolski, Radar Operator.
“I felt a great disappointment for not being able to bomb Anshan… As we approached the secondary target at Dairen, I had a sinking feeling that we would have to bomb by radar. Then we had another disappointment when our radar equipment malfunctioned and the radar operator couldn’t identify the target. I was frustrated, and even though we had to get rid of the bombs, I was determined to do something with them other than dropping them at random… We had no idea of the importance of this target to the Japanese… What a great satisfaction it was to me, luckily hitting the target and not having to just dump the bombs somewhere to get them off the plane.” Frank W. McKinney, Bombardier.
“A memo to my old China-based B-29 gang: Remember your two plane “accidental” raid on Dairen last September? Well chums, the Japanese are still rocking on their heels over that one. They think you must have done it with mirrors. Remember how the B-29’s raided the Anshan steel works that day, and how two Superforts dumped their bombs on the Dairen waterfront and warehouse all because they were unable to reach the Anshan targets so many miles farther north? Well, I found out when I landed here with 7th fleet units that the eight story head office building of the Anshan Steel Co., right in the heart of Dairen’s modern business district, was sliced off in that half pint raid and not a single adjacent building was hit. The Japanese are still going around talking to themselves. They think you did it on purpose but they can’t figure out how a B-29 could pick off that single Anshan company building in Dairen with such precision, while the main force wrecked the steel works so far away.” Accidental Raid Still Puzzles Dairen Japanese in Manchuria (1944) by John Grover
An authoritative and detailed travel guide for Dalian to assist travelers in their exploration and navigation of the Chinese city. Includes historic timelines for the former colonial port, social information about the modern culture, and tips on where to eat, shop, sleep, and visit. This comprehensive reference guide has been condensed into a portable ebook for easy use by any seasoned or first-time visitor. Developed by Historical Society of Dalian as a mobile and inexpensive reference.
An iconic landmark of Xinghai Square since 2000, the Dalian Shell Museum was torn down in January 2010. It is scheduled to be rebuilt in a similar yet larger version of its European castle architecture. The location will then re-open as a hotel, projected in two years.
A Google Earth satellite map of the demolition zone has been created for public viewing. Images of the pre-demolition condition in May 2009 are presented as a comparison for the demolition state in January 2010.
In the tradition of his “Everyday Dalian” photobook, the Municipal Government of Dalian originally commissioned SongLi to produce his second photography book about the city. The intended purpose was as an international promotion for the 2009 Davos World Economic Summit.
However, SongLi evolved that inspirational vision into a new and unique visual expression with the timeless book, “A Walk Across Dalian.” This rare artistic perspective offers a photographic guide to the city unlike anything done before. Based on his 2008 Coast-To-Coast Trek across the city of Dalian, this journey of images shows the city through the eyes of a resident foreign expert. It also offers a personal introduction to the history and culture of the famous and historical seaport.
China is a country of evolving cultural legacies and economic destinies. Weaved within this tapestry of modernization are the threads of Christianity and its fluctuating influence. One of the most unique examples of this Western religion takes place in a historic coastal city that has long been overshadowed.
The Chinese city of Dalian has gone by many names in the past one hundred years. Each title was in preference to the language used by the colonial society or occupation force that administrated the city, from Great Britain to Russia to Japan to the Soviet Union, and then finally native China. As a military port and commercial hub, Dalian was a strategic location in three foreign wars and the national civil war.
From its formal foundation in 1898, Dalian was a center for cultural exchanges. Its Christian community thrived for generations, with ties to Europe, America, and Japan. During the years of social turmoil within China, churches where closed and their congregations scattered. Yet that spiritual faith remained. These centers for worship have been restored and their congregations attract growing numbers of Chinese Christians. Dalian is also one of the few cities in China to have preserved Christian cemeteries for foreigners.
Most of these historical records and pictures have been lost, and what survives exists with little knowledge or attention. Therefore, this project will create a definitive reference source of materials that is both educational and personal.
The city of Dalian has always held secrets. Its foreign colonization and occupation brought external cultures and languages to Northeast China. Great Britain, Russia, and Japan took turns dominating the region for nearly a century, influencing local folklore and religious superstitions. When the city was finally returned to native hands, China experienced numerous waves of political and social upheaval. These events made local ghost stories a taboo subject. This compilation is the first historic research of supernatural events and sightings in Dalian from 1858 to 1958. It also combines vintage colonial images with the modern photographic vision of SongLi.
The original Russian settlers of Dalian were Orthodox Christians. They established their cemetery at the furthest boundaries of the city in 1989. In later years a chapel was built and expanded on the grounds. Buried at the location are the early citizens of the colonial community. During the Russian occupation after the war, this site was used for Soviet soldiers, in addition to another forgotten cemetery North of downtown. Lushun hosts the oldest known historical Russian cemetery and it is designated as the only one in the region, which is not completely true. Any foreign cemetery on Chinese soil is rare. However, SongLi discovered two other century-old cemetery locations that have been preserved yet forgotten by the public. SongLi also has been able to guide foreign families to visit the final resting place of loved ones buried at these locations during the 1920s and 30s. This service is extended to anyone looking to rediscover the grave of a family member. Otherwise, in the interest of privacy and preservation, these sites will not be disclosed for any non-family visit requests.
