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.
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.
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.
One of the most well known but best kept historical secrets in Dalian is the Great Wall of Koguryŏ (Korea). Built in 631 AD when most of Manchuria and sections of Southern Russia were part of the Goguryeo Kingdom, these remains have been both celebrated and shrouded because of the historical interpretation of cultural ownership. The Jinzhou District of Dalian was once an ancient walled city with a history stretching back for centuries as the Tang and Sui Dynasties fought to expand their empire. Dalian was the last fortress along a defensive wall that stretched North for hundreds of kilometers. While the Bisa (Beisha) castle itself has been lost in time, portions of this Great Wall remain along the highest peaks of Dahei Mountain.
Note: Liaoning Province has two cities spelled Jinzhou in English. However, the Hanzi (Chinese characters) are not the same.
Jinzhou 锦州 is an ancient city in Western Liaoning.
Jinzhou 金州 is a historic district of Dalian city.
Because of the overwhelming popularity and demand for Discover Dalian tours, SongLi has created a selection of self-guided and self-service tour packages. A perfect option for anyone who has a spirit of independent adventure but does not know how to get around in Dalian.
These highly detailed packages offer interactive map-based, step-by-step travel instructions for seeing the city with a personal virtual guide, but without SongLi actually at your guide.
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.
On September 4th, 2008 the city of Dalian hosted the Parlympic torch relay. One of only a handful of “ancient” and “modern” cities in China to hold this honor, the route followed the original design of the Olympic torch relay. That had been planned to run along the Binhai coastal road was but later relocated.
This digital map features all 70 relay points, and the official Paralympic relay route path. It also shows the parallel course ran by SongLi as he followed the trek. It was an uphill run for nearly 3 km in the late summer heat, and he was able to document over half the run up-close and personal. Flame icons on the map with a yellow border indicate a snapshot SongLi took of that relay point during the course.
The Taiwan cinema came to Dalian for production of the film: 《爱在日月潭》Love In The Sun Moon Lake (Ai Zai Ri Yue Tan).
It is a romantic drama, about two lovers who are separated by the invisible barrier between Taiwan and the Mainland. The plot background is similar to a famous Korean story. Various locations in Dalian were used, including some of the vintage Colonial areas needed to depict scenes meant to take place in Europe.
Behind-the-scenes production stills can be found on the discoverdalian.com website.
