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.

The beach is no longer there.

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 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.

Xinghai Square Shell Museum

Promotion for the photobook “A Dove From Dalian: The History of Christian Faith in the Former Capital of Manchuria” by SongLi. (Music © Torley Wong).

Promotion for the photobook “Dalian Ghost Stories: Based on True Events from the Qing Niwa, Dalny, Dairen, and Luda Periods of the City’s History” by SongLi. (ISBN: 978-1441472809) Music © Torley Wong.

Homes in the Nanshan Street neighborhood had ranged in age from 80 to 100 years old. These colonial dwellings survived wars, a civil war, and social upheaval. In recent years they had remained immune to the frenzied modernization drive in China. However, by November 2008 this landmark and signature feature of Dalian’s past became another lost memory.

Nearly 20 acres of land, covering 80377m² is being erased and reformatted. Neither the demolition process nor the reconstruction efforts will be finished any time soon. Based on previous examples around the city, the site will not be habitable for perhaps four years. The stages of transition will be staggered, with many square blocks flattened for construction while gutted house shells remain standing in other sections.

Images of the pre-demolition condition (August and September 2008) are presented as a comparison for the initial demolition progress in January 2009.

Nanshan Road Demolition Map

100 Years of History in Images and Geography. Nearly 200 historic landmarks, covered by 800 photos from 1908 to 2008.

The roadway structure of Dalian remains the basic framework that defined the city since its foundation one hundred years ago. While most of the original city buildings have been replaced over decades of modernization, many of the colonial landmark sites yet remain.

This digital map was compiled exclusively by SongLi from extensive research over several years, and remains an ongoing historical preservation project. Original Japanese geographic surveys and picture postcards have been translated and matched with current Chinese maps, satellite images, and SongLi’s own personal photography.

This combination of visual historical records and modern geographical references is the first of its kind created for Dalian. Its presentation in Japanese, Mandarin, and English is the most extensive and complete interactive historical study made for public use.

While much of this data is public record, this collection and its images remain the exclusive creative property of SongLi and may not be copied without permission.

Historical Map and Photo Index

We proud to offer mail and package services in cooperation with our partner, Dalian Express. This is a complete turnkey solution for the receipt, collection, and forwarding of any postal items.

In addition, we can provide its private and secure language services in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and English for all your international correspondences.

Please contact us to find out how your business can have a permanent mailing address in Dalian for a low monthly fee.

Dalian Express: Mailbox and Mail Forwarding Service from China

The Historical Society of Dalian provides an open forum where resident and foreign historians can exchange information and contribute to the public record. The HSD promotes a scholarly view of history that enriches public understanding. The Society hosts an annual conference and quarterly seminars.

Events In Dalian (1840-1945)

The origin of Dalian dates back approximately 6,000 years ago when the “Sushen” people began to settle the area.

Dalian was an important port as early as the 6th century AD. In early Tang Dynasty (640 A.D), Dalian was known as Sanshan Pu and later Qingni Pu.

In 1371, the Ming Dynasty Emperor conquered the Port. Dalian was called “Qingni Wa”, which is still the name of a downtown section near the Dalian Railway Station.

It was occupied (1858) by the British and was fortified as a naval base by the Chinese in the 1880s. It was attacked and briefly held by the Japanese in 1895. Subsequently it was granted, with adjacent parts of the peninsula, to Russia as part of the Liaodong lease.

While under Russian control (1898-1905), The area south of Dalian was renamed Port Arthur. It was valued by the Russians for its year-round access to the Pacific Ocean and was extensively refortified for naval use.

Dalian was transformed during the same period from a minor fishing port into a modern commercial port and was given the Russian name Dalny (Distant), from the Dalianwan Gulf (Talienwan in historical literature).

The battle of Dairen (Dalian) took place on May 30 ,1904 , during the Russo-Japanese War. The battle was won by Japanese forces under the command of general Hikato.

The Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), transferred the Liaodong territory to the Japanese, who renamed it Kwangtung. The tactics used on the Russian Fleet, at anchor in Port Arthur during this war, would be modified and applied years later to the attack on the American Fleet at Pearl Harbor

Port Arthur, renamed Ryojun, became an important Japanese naval base and was (1905-1937) the administrative center of the territory.

Dalian, given the Japanese name Dairen (as the Kanji characters are pronounced), was enlarged and modernized. It became the capital of Kwangtung in 1937 and developed rapidly in the 1930s and early 1940s as the main port and logistical center for Japanese-controlled Manchuria.

Following the defeat of Japan in World War II, the ports of Dalian and Lushun (Port Arthur) were placed under joint Soviet-Chinese control in 1945. They were returned to full Chinese sovereignty in 1955.

Dalian and Lushun remained as two separate cities and later were combined into the City of Luda. In 1981, Dalian became the official name of the City of Luda.

Dalian became a center of heavy industry in the late 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s it was developed as China’s leading petroleum port.

Today, Dalian is the main commercial port for Northeast China.

One Hundred Years of History:

1840 Spring
Britian warships probe the costal areas of Dalian many times during the First Opium War.

1857 Summer
A joint Fleet from Britian and France invaded Dalian Bay and established logistical positions.

1860 May
A squadron of British warships invaded Qingniwa, Heshang Island, and Dagushan Mountain and other areas around the Dalian Coast.

1860 June 21
127 Britian ships with more than 11,000 soldiers landed at Dalian Bay and made raids against Lushun Port, Yangtouwa and other strategic locations. They left on July 26.

1880 June
Qing Government establish the North Naval Fleet at Lushun Port.

1883 March 21
Fort battlements on Huangjinshan of Lushun were armed with seven heavy cannons and eight 12 inch guns.

May
The construction of Lushun Shipyard began.

1884 June
Three infantry battalions from Korea were transfered to defend Jinzhou, Dalian Bay, and Lushun Port.

October
First telegram line in China was opened from Shanhaiguan to Lushun (via Yingkou).

1885 February
First international telegram line in China was opened from Lushun to Seoul of Korea (via Fenghuang City).

February
Twelve cavalry and infantry battalions from the Ming Army arrived to re-enforce the defense of Dalian Port.

1888 November
Lushun became the first city in China to build a running water system. It was originally developed to guarantee a water supply for Lushun dock and military forces.

November
Fortress construction began at Heshang Island, Hauangshan Mountain, Laolongtou, and Xujiashan and were completed by early 1894.

November
A French contractor began to construct the big dock in Lushun, with a plan to finish the project in 30 months.

1894 August 1
Both China and Japan declared war against each other at the same time.

September 14
Ten battalions from the Ming Army were sent to defend Dalian Bay.

September 17
The “Grand Huaihai Battle” began between Japanese and Chinese Naval fleets.

September 18
Seven injured warships of China’s North Navy Fleet came to the Lushun shipyard for repairs.

October 24
The Japanese Second Army landed at Huayuankou of Zhuanghe and invaded Jinzhou and Lushun.

November 6
The Japanese Army attacked and occupied Jinzhou City.

November 7
The Japanese Army attacked and occupied all forts along Dalian Bay.

November 21
All Qing Army fortresses along the west, middle and east lines of Lushun fell into enemy hands. Japanese trooped occupied Lushun Part and killed thousands of innocent people in 4 days and 3 nights. This Lushun massacere tragedy shocked the whole world and was condemned by world opinion. For further information, see the book: On The Great Highway.

1895 January 18
The Japanese Joint Naval Fleet left Dalian Port with its troops for miltary tasks in Shandomg Province.

April 17
The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed, which surrendered Chinese soveregnty under humiliating terms.

December 25
Under pressure from European powers to give up territory taken in the war, the Japanese Government allowed the Qing Government to reclaim Liaodong Peninsula for a price 30 million liang of silver. Japan dropped its claim to the territory and its troops withdrew from Dalian.

1896 January 13
An armored Russian ship arrived and anchored outside of Lushun Port. It claimed neutral status but was not allowed to dock at the port.

1897 December 17
Five Russian warships invaded Lushun Port and later Dalian Bay, claiming the land as a prelude to occupation.

1898 March 27
Under further threats of force by Czarist forces, a treaty was signed to lease Lushun and Dalian for 25 years to Russia.

March 28
A Russian prince led troops to formally occupy territorial positions at Huangjinshan in Lushun, Dalian Bay, and Heshang Island.

May 7
Czarist Russia forced the Qing Government into signing a new treaty to expand the time and rights of its leaes of Lushun and Dalian.

1899 July
The Russian Czar Nicholas II approved construction of Dalian Port and the city of Dalian, in the areas of East and West Qingniwa. Dalian Port was declared a “Free Port”. The city design was based on a Russian engineer’s idea to emulate Paris.

1900 May
Additional fortresses were added in Lushun to protect the harbor from Naval bombardment.

June
Russian Army and Naval troops from Lushun Port were sent to help put down the Boxer Rebellion in Tianjin and Beijing. These forces served as the vanguard of the Eight-Power Allied Forces.

1903 January 10
The railway project form Harbin to Lushun Port was completed.

1904 February 8
The joint fleet of the Japanese Navy launched a sneak attack at night against the Russian Pacific Fleet at Lushun Port. This was the prologue to the Russo-Japanese War.

February 9
Russian declared war against Japan.

Feburary 10
Japan declared war against Russia.

February 24 – May 3
Japanese troops tried to block Lushun Port.

April 12
The Russian Flagship hit Japanese mines outside Lushun Port. The commander of the Russian Fleet and 656 sailors died at sea.

May 5
The Japanese Second Army landed in the Houershi area, near Xingshutun of Jinzhou.

May 26
Japanese troopes occupied Nanshan Fortress in Jinzhou at a cost of more than 5000 soldiers. This strategic battle cut supply lines of Russian troops in Lushun. Japanese Senior General Nogi Marisuke lost his first son at this battle.

May 30
Dalian Bay fell into the hands of Japanese troops.

May 31
Russian troops in Dalian burned their own capital building and caused other destruction to cover their withdrawal to Lushun.

June 6
More Japanese troops landed at Dalian Bay. General Nogi Marisuke led 50,000 Japanese troops of the Third Army to attack Lushun.

August 10 -18
The Russian Fleet attempted to break the Japanese blockade of Lushun, along with three ships sent from Vladivostok. The Russian ships were annihilated.

August 19
General Nogi Marisuke launched the first offensive against Russian fortified positions in Lushun. The attack lasted five days but failed.

September 19
Japanese troops launched a second offensive against Russian fortified positions in Lushun.

October 25
Japanese troops launched a third and still unsuccessful offensive.

November 19
The Seventh Japanese Division landed at Dalian and joined the Third Army, increasing the troops strength around Lushun to 100,000.

November 26
Japanese troops lauched a fourth offensive against Russian fortified positions in Lushun.

December 5
Japanese troops conqured the Russian West commanding elevation, known as Height 203, along the at cost of more than 10,000 solders. Japanese Senior General Nogi Marisuke lost his second son at this battle.

December 6 – 9
Japanese troops attacked and destroyed the Russian Naval fleed blocked inside Lushun Port with heavy artillery guns.

Decmeber 15
Several senior Russian Commanders were killed by the Japanese bombardment of the North Fort headquarters in East Jiguanshan.

December 18
Japanese troops occupied the North Fort in East Jiguanshan Mountain. Other major fortresses along this defense chain fell to Japanese forces over the next two weeks.

1905 January 1
Japanese troops captured the Russian position on the East commanding elevation. Russian troops declared their surrender.

January 2
Representatives from Japan and Russia signed the surrender treaty of all Russian forces.

January 9
Japanese toops set up Fort Headquarters in Lushun.

February 11
The Japanese Provisional Authority changed the Dalian’s original Russian name of Dalny to Dairen.

September 5
Japan and Russia formally signed the Portsmouth Treaty. Russia transferred its lease rights of Lushun and Dalian, as well as other railway rights in South Manchura to Japan.

1906 September 1
The Japanese Government declared Dalian port as a “Free Port.”

September 10
The U.S. diplomatic consul was established in Dalian.

December 26
The South Manchuria Railway Company was established in Tokyo.

1907 March 5
Headquarters of the South Manchuria Railway moved form Tokyo to Dalian.

July
The Dalian Ship Plant of Kawasaki Shipyard (the predecessor of today’s Dalian shipyard) was established.

July
The Lushun prison, built in 1907 by the Russia, was expanded by 85 to 253 cells, capable of holding up to 2000 prisoners.

1909 August 9
The Trolley bus line from Dazhan Bridge (today’s Dalian Port) to the Electrical Park (the area West of New Mart downtown) was completed.

1910 November 26
The Shanhekou Railway Factory of the South Manchuria Railway (predecessor of today’s Dalian Rolling Stock Plant) was completed.

1920 May
Baixue Han was born in Dairen, Manchuria. The life of the illegitimate girl of mixed Japanese and Chinese parentage was detailed in the book: Blue Sky Red Tears.

1927 July
Zhou Shui Zi Airport was completed.

1937 June 1
The new Dalian Train station was completed.

1942 May 7
Wang Jingwei fled to Dalian and met with Pu Yi at Changchu.

1944 July 29
US B-29 bombers flew 70 sorties over Dalian and Anshan.

1945 August 22
Soviet troops entered Dalian and disarmed Japanese troops. Dalian was liberated.

November 25
Luda Municipal Government was established.

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Data and research 2002 – 2008 © copyright SongLi and DiscoverDalian.com.
All Rights Reserved.