For centuries a sentinel city on China's northeastern flank. Dalian's modern history is as colourful as its ancient past.

Dalian was the original seat of power of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty and still contains their magnificent Imperial Palace, built in the style of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

As the gateway to the rich and strategic area once known as Manchuria―now the Chinese provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang―Dalian has been a key port for hundreds of years. But in addition, it's also a summer-time seaside resort, with four large landscaped beaches inside the city itself.

Dalian is a spacious and well-kept city. It was occupied for extended periods in modern times by both the Russians and the Japanese, and their legacies remain in the form of architecture featuring quaint onion domes and Japanese-style roofs.

Summer in Dalian is mild, and is the best time to visit for beach-goers. Winter anywhere in Manchuria is severe, and Dalian's temperatures drop to -7℃. In Harbin however — reachable by direct train from Dalian — the year's big event is a mid-winter carnival, and modern skiing facilities are being developed in the surrounding mountains.