At the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeast China's Liaoning Province, Dalian is increasingly important in global trade due to its strengths in shipping, manufacturing, finance and tourism.

The city of 6 million residents is a hub for the Bohai Bay area and the northeast Asia economic region that faces Japan and both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea across the Yellow Sea.

Shipping hub

With 1,906 km of coastline, Dalian's shipping network connects Bohai Bay and northeast China to ports across the globe. Its Zhoushuizi International Airport, the largest airfreight center in northeastern China, handles 130 daily domestic and international flights including more than 30 between Dalian and Beijing each day. Weekly more than 70 flights connect with Japan and over 40 serve South Korea.

Ships leave Dalian Port for more than 300 destinations in over 160 countries and regions. Over 70 percent of goods shipped by sea and more than 90 percent of foreign-bound trade containers from northeast China pass through Dalian Port.

Throughput at the port surpassed 165.44 million tons last year, up 13.9 percent over 2006, when it handled 3.81 million containers, an increase of 18.7 percent.

The port's ore and crude oil terminals each have a capacity of 300,000 tons. Another terminal is dedicated to shipping automobiles.

Test operations are now underway on a Yantai-Dalian train ferry across Bohai Bay to Shandong Province.

The Dayaowan Bonded Harbor Area, which started operations in 2007 in the north of the city, is also part of Dalian's bid to become the international shipping hub of northeast Asia.

An internationalized city

Dalian became a window to northeast China after the nation began its reform and opening policies. It has a state-level economic development zone, a hi-tech industrial zone, a state tourist resort and the only bonded harbor and export processing zone in the region.

The city is now home to 12,661 foreign-invested companies, including 186 operations by 87 Fortune 500 companies.

It has residential communities and schools serving the overseas community along with international restaurants and entertainment facilities.

As the financial center of northeast China, Dalian is home to 79 branches or subsidiaries of finance institutions, including eight foreign banks.

Sompo Japan Insurance and ING Group have their China headquarters in Dalian. Thirteen other foreign insurance companies have representative offices in the city.

The International Monetary Fund established its first China training center in Dalian. Soybean futures traded on the Dalian Commodity Exchange are ranked No 1 in China and No 2 in the world.

The city is also an exhibition center. It has hosted the Worldwide Chinese Insurance Congress, an APEC senior officials economic conference, the Asia-Europe forum, a WTO ministerial meeting, and the annual "New Champions" forum, also known as Summer Davos, that attracts government and global business leaders.

New science & technology

Dalian also plays a crucial role in the revitalization of northeast China. Its industrial output is top among the region's cities.

Relying on science and independent innovation, the city's hi-tech and new industries now join petrochemicals, shipping, and manufacturing as core industries.

The city already leads the nation in production of petrochemicals, diesel locomotives, machine tools, automobile spare parts, refrigeration equipment, precision bearings and shipbuilding.

Dalian is home to 22 institutions of higher learning and more than 100 scientific research centers whose strength in ocean engineering, computational mechanics, industrial chemistry, and biological engineering lead the nation.

Its telecommunication and information infrastructure is at the forefront in China. It has the largest international data processing center in the northeastern region.

An US$2.5 billion Intel chip factory, one of the largest single foreign investments ever made in China, is under construction in the economic development zone of the city.

Dalian is also a national software production and export center and a base for computer animation and games.

The city is now home to nearly 700 software and IT service companies, a sector that continues to grow over 50 percent every year, making Dalian China's third-largest software export city.

Capital of romance

It is also among the "Best Tourist Cities in China" selected by the National Tourism Administration and the World Tourism Organization.

In March 1999, the National Tourism Administration named Dalian "Capital of Romance".

Surrounding the city are prime spots to enjoy water sports, while every year it hosts various events such as the Sand Beach Cultural Festival, the International Fashion Festival and the International Beer Festival.

With the Bohai Sea to the west and the Yellow Sea in the east, Dalian is neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. The city has more than 60 public squares, including famed Xinghai Square - Asia's largest city square - and Zhongshan Square in the city's central business district.

Dalian promotes tourism through the 3S: - sun, sand and sea in summer and springtime climate, sports and shopping in winter.

A tourist resort in Lushun district showcases "half of the modern history of China" while Jinshitan resort in the development zone offers the highly regarded Geological Museum of China and attractions called the Golden Coast and Discovery Land.

More than 40 percent of the city is covered by greenery, the equivalent of 11.1 sq m for every resident.

Dalian has been awarded many titles for its environment, including the China Residence Award and the National Environment Protection Model City. It was among the world's top 500 cities with excellent environment listed by the United Nations.

Sports city

Dalian is famous as the hometown of national athletes. China's Olympic dream started with a Dalian resident named Liu Changchun who became first Chinese Olympic athlete when he competed in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Wang Junxia, who was born and trains in Dalian, is the world record holder in the women's 3,000 m and 10,000 m races.

The Dalian football team won eight championships in the 13 seasons of China's professional football league.

Every year, the city holds more than 300 sports activities, including the International Walking Festival.

In 2006, the walking festival drew 230,000 people to walk along the seaside Binhai Road. It set a new world record.

It was the host city for one of two marathon races held in China by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Dalian also has wheelchair races for disabled athletes.

(China Daily July 21, 2008)