Dalian, China
So, here we go.....Dalian sits at the tip of the Liaoning Peninsula (yes, you'll need to find it on a map!) It's actually not too far from Korea and was a logical first stop for us in China. It has a Russian history and you can clearly see Russian influence in the architecture, but it is a part of the People's Republic of China. Russia ruled Dalian from the time that they liberated northern China from the Japanese, until it was returned to China under Mao Tse Tung. Even though the Russian's ruled this city in the past, it was not a hostile situation for the Chinese, and also it allowed the Russian's to have a place to port during harsh winter freezes in Vladivostok (upper Russia). Okay, enough of the history stuff.
I am struggling, trying to figure out what to say about Dalian, so I'll tell you my basic impressions. Dalian, is a beautiful, cosmopolitan city. I was very impressed with its layout, design and obvious wealth. The funny thing is that even the KFC was fancy (and no I didn't eat there). That being said, as with most cities, it does get a little gritty as you walk further away from the city center. The main center square is huge. There are fantastic buildings surrounding you on all sides as you stand in the middle. A major boulevard stretches out in both directions which makes the city feel like it goes on forever.
The one thing that demanded a learning curve in Dalian was the method to which one has to cross the street. Dalian is a big city, but very walkable (well, with certain restrictions as you'll soon read about). It seems that once you leave the main square, all the crosswalks and traffic lights are gone. So, this means that if you want to cross the street, you have to do it at your own risk. I realized this when I was trying to
cross a very busy two way street in order to get to Russian Street. I stood there horrified as I watched locals literally walk into oncoming traffic in both directions in direct defiance of motorcycles, cars and trucks. It was a game of "Chicken" and no one seemed to give. I watched as people on foot were almost hit within mere inches each time they stepped forward. It was a strange ballet of street crossing.
Dalian, China
After watching this for a bit, I decided that if I wanted to see any more of the city, I was going to have to brave it. I was a little concerned that the point system for hitting a westerner might be a little higher than a local in this game of dodge car. So, being the wimp that I am, I waited until the next person was crossing to use them as a human shield…unfortunately it was a young school girl…so I had mixed feelings about letting her be in the in line of fire…..okay, I didn't…I just had to say that so you wouldn't think that I was a terrible person! The good news is that we both made it across the street safely while weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. One lady told me that she subconsciously grabbed onto the elbow of a local Chinese woman as she braved across the traffic…apparently this was met with a strange look (I can't imagine why). I am proud to say that after many crossings throughout Dalian, I became an old pro.
Russian Street was pretty amazing. All of the buildings on this particular street were designed with Russian influence. It was strange seeing Russian architecture with Chinese writing on it. There were multiple vendors lining the streets with various odds and ends. As usual, I had to ignore the constant call of "Hello! You looky". I'm NOT being rude, that is exactly what they say, so I'm just reporting here. Apparently they think that I could never have enough plastic dolls, wind up bicycle toys and leather purses.
Dalian, China
I think I walked a million miles around Dalian. Each corner was fascinating and each street provided more culture or modern asian design to enjoy. I think one of the highlights though was watching the KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) employees standing outside of the store in military precision having their pep talk for the day…apparently they take chicken very, very seriously. I have posted quite a few pictures in my gallery HERE. I did a bit of people watching in Dalian, so there are a number of people photographs as well.
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