Dalian ( ; ; ; ; , Dalian or Дальний, Dalny - also formerly known in English as Dairen) is the governing sub-provincial city in the eastern Liaoning Province of Northeast China. Dalian is China's northernmost ice-free seaport.

Administration

Dalian is the second largest city of Liaoning Province, after Shenyang, the provincial capital. Dalian City is governed by the Mayor and its Dalian Municipal People's Government.

Past and present mayors

The current Mayor since 2003 is Xia Deren, born in 1955 in Dalian, a Ph.D. in Finance, former President of Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Vice Mayor of Dalian City and Vice Governor of Liaoning Province. The former mayor is Li Yongjin, now the People's Representative of Dalian, preceded by Bo Xilai, later Governor of Liaoning Province and then the Minister of Commerce in the Central Government, and now the party chief of Chongqing. The Vice Mayors are Xiao Shenfeng, Dai Yulin, Sun Guangtian, Zhang Jixian, Qu xiaofeng, Zhang Jun, and Zhu Chengqing.

Municipal Government

The Municipal Government is located in the main building on the north side of People's Square on Zhongshan Road, originally built as the Administrative Office of Kwantung Leased Territory, and other buildings in downtown Dalian. There are the Commerce, Foreign Economy & Trade, Hygiene, Information Industry, Police, Religion, Science & Technology, Transportation and other city-level bureaus, which work closely with the corresponding agencies at the district level.

Ganjingzi, Zhongshan, Xigang, and Shahekou Districts make up the urban centre. Changhai County is made up entirely of islands east of the peninsula. There are 74 sub-districts and 127 town/townships (11 of which are ethnic). (see Political divisions of China)

There are, in addition, 4 national leading open zones (对外开放先导区):

• The Development Zone (开发区)
• The Free Trade Zone (保税区)
• The Hi-Tech Industrial Zone (高新技术产业园区)
• The Golden Pebble Beach National Holiday Resort (金石滩国家旅游度假区)

Geography

ZHdot: Dalian

One of the most heavily developed industrial areas of China, the Dalian administrative district today consists of Dalian proper and the smaller Lüshunkou (formerly Lüshun city, known in western and Russian historic references as Port Arthur), about forty nautical miles farther along the Liaotung/Liaodong Peninsula. Historical references note that the Russian designed city of Dalny (Alt. Dalney), on the south side of Talien Bay was 40 rail kilometers from Port Arthur/Lüshun (known today as Lüshunkou or literally, Lüshun Port).