Attached
with various name-tags and reputations, ranging from " The
City of Travelers", to "The City of Soccer" and
"The City of Fashion", Dalian has something to offer almost
all visitors, whatever the time of year.
This harbour city boasts one of the
cleanest environments, with an extremely close proximity to the sea
allowing for warm winds from the pacific to blow, making Dalian
refreshingly cool in summer and pleasantly warm in winter.
Especially during the summer when the
majority of China sizzles in the heat, Dalian is a haven, providing
escape from the scorching sun. The city boasts several beautiful
beaches too, including Golden Pebble Beach (Jinshitan), Fujiazhuang
Beach and the beach at Xinghai.
All the beaches here are excellent for swimming and water sports,
quite a rare thing in China.
Dalian itself is a modern city, with a
cosmopolitan attitude and atmosphere, embodied in the streets around Zhongshan
Square that have a strong international flavor, dotted as they
are, with Japanese and Russian buildings. The City Squares are
particularly charming in the evenings, when locals gather to dance,
sing and generally strut their stuff!
Dalian is most famous however for soccer!
Many of the nation's top soccer stars and by far the best team in
China today, live or were born in the city. Check out their almost
palatial style houses, situated along the coast road. This enthusiasm
is visible at every level and almost all the residents, from
Taxi Drivers to Hotel Managers, will wax lyrical about their team, the
"Shi-da's", given half the chance!
