Landmark
Xinghai Square
Asia's largest city square, an iconic Dalian landmark with spectacular sea views and the Xinghai Bay Bridge.
Open 24 hours
Free
Dalian's strategic location on Liaodong Peninsula made it an important port since ancient times. During the Qing Dynasty, it was a small fishing village until the late 19th century when Russia, and later Japan, recognized its strategic value.
In 1898, Russia leased the area from China and began building a modern port city, naming it "Dalny." After Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan took control and renamed it "Dairen." The city developed rapidly under Japanese rule, becoming an important industrial and commercial center.
After World War II, Dalian was returned to China in 1955. The city became a major industrial base and one of China's first coastal cities to open to foreign investment in the 1980s. Today, Dalian is known for its software industry, shipbuilding, and tourism.
