Bars & Nightlife - Tokyo
 
Most socialising done in Tokyo is away from home, hence the infinite number of venues which offer alcohol in the city, from the ubiquitous izakaya, to the more exclusive glitzy bars. The nightlife in Tokyo rivals that of any other major international city. Whether you’re looking for a hedonistic party, superclub sounds or chilled out beats it’s all here for the taking. Lounge about or dance the night away at Tokyo’s best clubs.
Shot Bar Shadow The Golden Gai area accommodates a plethora of tiny bars in its bustling streets. Most can only fit up to eight punters at a time. Address: 1-1-8 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku
Subway: Shinjuku (east exit, Yamanote line)
New York Bar On the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel it is easy to see why Sofia Coppola filmed part of ’Lost in Translation’ here. Listen to top-notch jazz musicians whilst checking out the Tokyo skyline. Address: Park Hyatt Tokyo 52F, 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Subway: Shinjuku (west exit, Yamanote line)
Majestic Fall into Majestic at the end of a heavy night, when lounging on one of its velvet bedspreads will relieve tired feet. This bar is the latest addition to Tokyo’s sultry bed-bar scene. Address: B1F, 1-14-17 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku
Subway: Nogizaka
Sekirei Kimono-clad dancers perform nightly in Sekirei’s opulent and historical surroundings. Emperor Meiji signed the Japanese constitution here and this grand bar now plays host to a high-class clientele. Address: Meiji Kinenkan, 2-2-23 Moto-Akasaka, Minato-ku
Subway: Shinanomachi

Seabed Described as a chill out bar-lounge, this venue operates as a massage salon until 9pm, when barmen replace the beauty therapists. Cocktails are served late into the night. Address: Dear Nishi-Azabu Bldg 3F, 3-1-20 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku
Subway: Roppongi (exit C1)

Age-ha The Daddy of clubs in Tokyo, Age-Ha is a warehouse superclub that holds more than 4000 partygoers. A mixture of gangsta-rap and urban hip hop keep the Tokyo kids happy. Address: 2-2-10 Shinkiba, Koto-ku
Subway: Shin-Kiba

Space Lab Yellow One of the best sound systems in the city draws a Japanese-strong crowd dressed in weird and wacky outfits. The best DJs have all played a set here. Address: Cesaurus Nishi-Azabu Bldg B1F-B2F, 1-10-11 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku
Subway: Roppongi (exit 2)

The Room One of the smallest clubs in the area, 200 people pack into this exclusive venue. Look out for a red street light indicating the basement entrance. Address: Daihachi Tohto Bldg B1F, 15-19 Sakuragaoka, Shibuya-ku
Subway: Shibuya (Yamanote line, south exit)

La Fabrique Gauloises tobacco sponsor many signature nights at this French-themed club. Japanese customers show their enthusiasm by sporting berets in the spirit of all things Gallic. Address: Zero Gate B1F, 16-9 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku
Subway: Shibuya (Yamanote line, Hachiko exit)

Bullet’s For a friendlier club experience head to Bullet’s. Sink into one of the many sofas or mattresses and listen to the abstract sounds of experimental DJs. Address: Kasumi Bldg, B1F, 1-7-11 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku
Subway: Roppongi (Hibiya line, exit 2)

Simoon Offering more standard R&B and reggae music, Simoon may be light relief from the electronica sound found in the superclubs. Don’t be put off by the entrance as the interior is deeply appealing. Address: 3-26-16 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
Subway: Shibuya (Yamanote line, east exit)

Previously a relatively hidden destination Tokyo’s technological leaps and passion for everything new has made the rest of the world sit up and take notice. A city of smaller cities, Tokyo’s neighbourhoods are individual and unique in what each can offer, from cultural sights to vast shopping malls. Get ready for a whirlwind of modernity and tradition - this is Tokyo!
The City  Before you set foot out the door of your hotel, be aware of Tokyo’s complicated address system. Very few streets have names and instead are identified by numbers indicating building, block and area. 1-11-18, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku would therefore translate as the 18th building of the 11th block of the 1st area of Shibuya in Shibuya ward. Invest in a bilingual map of Tokyo and don’t hesitate to ask police for directions as even the locals get confused. Once you have grasped the navigation system, Tokyo is a delight to get around. The metro is super efficient, the city is clean and people are courteous and friendly. Though addresses may be confusing, Tokyo is divided neatly into 23 wards, each with a certain distinctive characteristic. Visit Asakusa for old-town charm and temples, Ginza for shopping Mecca and Akihabara for electronics galore. Blend old and new to get a taste of Tokyo’s great diversity. Variety is Tokyo’s key. Few other world cities are as wonderfully idiosyncratic. International and local influences intertwine in cuisines, festivals, music, galleries, shopping and even accommodation. Bizarre and fast-moving, yet peaceful and intrinsically religious, Tokyo’s identity is above all, distinctly Japanese, despite existing as a world of its own.

Tokyo has two large airports: Narita for international flights, and Haneda for (mostly) domestic flights.

Narita Airport
Tokyo’s main international gateway is Narita Airport (成田空港) (IATA: NRT) , located in the town of Narita nearly 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo and covered in a separate article. A brief summary of options for getting there and away:

Easiest: Limousine bus direct to major hotels, ~120 minutes (subject to traffic), ¥3000
Fastest: Narita Express to Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama, 55 minutes, ¥2940 (Japan Rail Pass valid)
Cheapest: Keisei Limited Express train to Nippori/Ueno, ~80 minutes, ¥1000
Most expensive: Taxi to the city, more than ¥30,000
Haneda Airport
Haneda Airport (羽田空港 IATA: HND) , officially known as Tokyo International Airport, in Ota is the busiest airport in all Asia despite being (almost) entirely limited to domestic traffic. Terminal 1 houses the JAL group including Skymark and Skynet, while Terminal 2 is home to ANA and affiliate Air Do. Shuttle services to Hong Kong, Seoul-Gimpo and Shanghai-Hongqiao use the small separate International Terminal, which is connected to the main domestic terminals by a free shuttle bus that runs every 5 minutes.

The easiest and most scenic way from Haneda to the city is the Tokyo Monorail [4] with a station in each terminal running to Hamamatsucho (16 min, ¥470), from where you can connect to almost anywhere in Tokyo on the JR Yamanote line. The other, slightly cheaper alternative is the private Keikyu (京急) line, which has a single station between the terminals and runs to Shinagawa (19 min, ¥400) and Yokohama (27 min, ¥470). Keikyu also runs trains to Haneda from the Toei Asakusa subway line, and even a few direct services to Narita. Note that there is no JR service to the airport, and the “Airport Terminal 2″ station that pops up in some route search engines is located in Narita, not Haneda!

Expect to pay anywhere from ¥4,000 to ¥10,000 for a taxi to central Tokyo.

 Chōfu Airfield
Chōfu Airfield (調布飛行場 Chōfu hikōjō) serves only some turboprop flights to the Izu Islands south of Tokyo. The nearest railway station is Nishi-Chōfu on the Keiō Line, a 15-minute walk away. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Chofu or Mitaka stations.

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Amsterdam is one of the coolest cities in Europe. Beautiful, hip, and laid back, with lots to do, lots to see, many pubs, food from all over the world and friendly people. A visit to this very beautiful city is sometimes like taking a walk in the 17th century, as the center of Amsterdam has a lot of charming architecture dating from this period. This is an excellent city to tour on foot or bicycle. However, while Amsterdam may boast a lot of 17th century architecture, that’s about all that’s old fashioned about the place.

In summer one of the best places to go for a relaxing afternoon is the Vondelpark. It is a great park, right in the center of things and very lively. With a bit of luck you can catch a (free) outdoor concert near the water. There are also a few trendy places in the park where you can sit and have a beer, such as the Blauwe Theehuis.

If you like to watch people strolling by, a perfect place is Leidseplein.  Leidseplein(=square) is bustling with activity and terraces in summertime. Another nice square is  Rembrandtplein - nice cafe’s and again terraces If you like spare ribs - visit De Klos just off the Leidsestraat. Beer is everywhere and it is all good.

Amsterdam was originally built on the shores of the saltwater Zuiderzee, but as a result of centuries of land-reclamation projects Zuiderzee was renamed Ijsselmeer after it was separated from the  sea by a dike and became a freshwater lake.  Thus the city now borders the freshwater of IJsselmeer.

The center of Amsterdam is shaped like a horseshoe, surrounded by four famous canals called the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. These are best to walk along if you want to see the city’s beautiful gabled houses.  To get from one place to another quickly, get on a tram.  Lines 1, 2, and 5 go from Centraal Station through the Dam, up the Leidsestraat to the Leidseplein, and this path is a good place to start when learning how to get from here to there.

There are lots of interesting small shops for browsing and there are also bigger shopping centers. Clusters of shops can be found in the pedestrian passages and even in the old post office, which is right behind the central Dam Square (on which you can find the Dam Palace).

And then, of course, there is the world famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Red Light District, which consists of several canals and the side streets between them, south of Central Station and east of Damrak. They are known as ‘De Wallen’ (the walls) in Dutch, because the canals were once part of the city defenses (walls and moats). Despite the area’s reputation, prostitution itself is limited to certain streets, mainly side streets and alleys, and while there are many adult shops and peep show bars, the whole area has a heavy police presence, and many security cameras.

In addition, it is still a residential district, with many bars and restaurants as well as historic buildings and museums; this is, after all the oldest part of the city. An example of the old blending in with the new is the gothic Oude Kerk church on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, the oldest in Amsterdam, which is now surrounded by window prostitution. The Red Light District is certainly worth a visit for the brave and adventurous.

More infomation about Amsterdam: http://wikitravel.org/en/Amsterdam

Best Time to Visit Tibet

Undoubtedly, Tibet is one of the harshest places for human existence. It is cool in summer, but excruciatingly cold in winter. In Lhasa, the relatively humane city in Tibet, although the temperature may exceed 29 degrees C (84 degrees F) in summer, it can also plummet to minus 16 degrees C (3 degrees F) in winter! Solar radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin Tibetan air can neither radiate nor absorb heat, resulting in temperature extremes during both day and night. However it is not impossible to visit the holy snow land. The period from April to October is the best time to visit Tibet, avoiding the coldest months from December to February.

In northern Tibet, the average temperature is subzero and winter lasts from October through May or June. July and August are the best time to visit the area, enjoying warm temperatures, intense sunshine, beautiful scenery, and festive events.

In eastern Tibet, May, June and September are the height of the tourism season. In winter, roads are all blocked by heavy snow. Landslides are frequent occurrences, making travel difficult.

Although southern Tibet is balmy during May through October, most rainfall also comes during this season between June and September. Heavy rains during the nights block roads and make travel difficult. However, during this season, the scenery is at its best and there are also great festive events held. Hence, it is the preferred time to visit Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi. From November through May, strong winds are common occurrences.

Lijiang Travel Guide

It is said there is a fairyland beneath the colorful clouds of southern China. A place blessed with fresh air, clear streams, breathtaking snow-capped mountains, and an undisturbed landscape inhabited by a friendly group of people. Life in this fairyland is so peaceful, a fairyland called Lijiang, located at the hub of Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

While the geographical position of Lijiang City is remote, it has the advantage of ensuring a pleasant year round climate and a wide variety of tourist resources in the 20,600 square kilometers area. The earliest recorded history of Lijiang can be traced back to the Warring States Period (476 BC-221 BC) but with the advent of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the local economy reached a peak with the development of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road which made a great contribution to both commercial and cultural communication between Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

At present, Lijiang City is an attractive tourist destination in Yunnan Province that exercises jurisdiction over four counties and an Old Town District. Lijiang is the main region inhabited by Naxi Group, one of China’s 55 minority ethnic groups. In its long history, the local residents have established their splendid Dongba Culture which has absorbed aspects of the culture of Tibet and the Central Plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The various souvenirs marked with these Dongba hieroglyphs are very popular with visitors from home and abroad.

Lijiang has the best preserved ancient town in China - the Old Town which has been listed in the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 1997. The Old Town was once the center of Lijiang and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local lifestyle, the typical groups of buildings and the profound cultural heritage of the region. When wandering along Square Street or any other streets in the Old Town, you will be struck by the peaceful surroundings. From enjoying the sight of the setting sun from historic hotels to local farmsteads, there are many favorable things here for travelers. Naturally, there are a number of tour destinations to enhance your visit as well. Among them, the most famous is Mufu (Mu’s Palace) which should not be missed during your trip.

Around Lijiang, there are a number of splendid natural beauty spots that will certainly astonish you. If you like to see superlative natural scenery, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which provides a majestic backdrop to the Moon-Embracing Pavilion at Black Dragon Pond will fulfill your desire. For those seeking an exotic experience in Lijiang, a visit to the Mosuo People beside Lugu Lake is a must. They are called the last ‘Kingdom of Women’ on earth. If you would like to experience the local lifestyle, then come and participate in one or more of their various festivals that are held throughout the year.

Lijiang does not have a direct rail link and is reached by travelers by air or by coach. However, having got to Lijiang, visiting round and about is easy with the help of the city buses, taxis or for the more energetic by bicycle. However, please don’t forget to save some time to walk in Lijiang. Along your way, you must visit some of the souvenir shops and taste some local dishes and snacks. At night, the famous bar street in the Old Town is really worth a visit. No matter where you go, you will find a harmonious combination of tradition and fashion in Lijiang City.

Africa TRAVEL INSURANCE

If you need medical care whilst in Africa, it is best to be aware that medical providers may not accept payment through your insurance company. In these circumstances you will have to pay in full after your treatment and file a claim with your insurance company for reimbursement. Therefore you should have access to cash, either from a credit card or by wire transfer. If you need assistance contact the country’s local embassy or representative.

To be compensated you must be treated by licensed medical personnel and provide your insurance company with proper documentation and receipts.

It is advisable to always ensure you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy which covers you for repatriation to your home country.

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Northern Yucatán is arid, and the interior has no above-ground rivers. There are two large, natural sink holes, called cenotes, that could have provided plentiful water year round at Chichen, making it attractive for settlement. Of the two cenotes, the “Cenote Sagrado” or Sacred Cenote, is the more famous. According to post-Conquest sources (Maya and Spanish), pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac. American Consul Edward Herbert Thompson dredged the Cenote Sagrado from 1904 to 1910, and recovered artifacts of gold, jade, pottery, and incense, as well as human remains.[5] A recent study of human remains taken from the Cenote Sagrado found that they had wounds consistent with human sacrifice.[6]

 
Kukulcan’s Jaguar Throne, interior temple of “El Castillo”
Ascendancy
Chichen Itza rose to regional prominence towards the end of the Early Classic period (or, roughly 600 AD). It was, however, towards the end of the Late Classic and into the early part of the Terminal Classic that the site became a major regional capitol, centralizing and dominating political, sociocultural, economic, and ideological life in the northern Maya lowlands. The ascension of Chichen Itza roughly correlates with the decline and fragmentation of the major centers of the southern Maya lowlands, such as Tikal.

Some ethnohistoric sources claim that in about 987 a Toltec king named Quetzalcoatl arrived here with an army from central Mexico, and (with local Maya allies) made Chichen Itza his capital, and a second Tula. The art and architecture from this period shows an interesting mix of Maya and Toltec styles. However, the recent re-dating of Chichen Itza’s decline (see below) indicates that Chichen Itza is largely a Late/Terminal Classic site, while Tula remains an Early Postclassic site (thus reversing the direction of possible influence).
Political organization
 
Columns in the Temple of a Thousand WarriorsUnlike previous Maya polities of the Early Classic, Chichen Itza was not governed by an individual ruler or a single dynastic lineage. Instead, according to Sharer and Traxler (2006:581), the city’s political organization was structured by a “multepal” system, which is characterized as rulership through council. The council was composed of members of elite ruling lineages.
Economy
Chichen Itza was a major economic power in the northern Maya lowlands during its apogee. Participating in the water-borne circum-peninsular trade route through its port site of Isla Cerritos, Chichen Itza was able to obtain locally unavailable resources from distant areas such as central Mexico (obsidian) and southern Central America (gold).
Decline of Chichen Itza
See also: Spanish conquest of Yucatán
The Maya chronicles record that in 1221 a revolt and civil war broke out, and archaeological evidence seemed to confirm that the wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warriors were burned at about this date. Chichen Itza went into decline as rulership over Yucatán shifted to Mayapan.

This long-held chronology, however, has been drastically revised in recent years. As archaeologists improve their knowledge of changes in regional ceramics, and more radiocarbon dates arise out of ongoing work at Chichen Itza, the end of this Maya capital is now being pushed back over 200 years. Archaeological data now indicates that Chichen Itza fell by around AD 1000.[7] This leaves an enigmatic gap between the fall of Chichen Itza and its successor, Mayapan. Ongoing research at the site of Mayapan may help resolve this chronological conundrum.

While the site itself was never completely abandoned, the population declined and no major new constructions were built following its political collapse. The Sacred Cenote, however, remained a place of pilgrimage.

In 1531 Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo claimed Chichén Itzá and intended to make it the capital of Spanish Yucatán, but after a few months a native Maya revolt drove Montejo and his forces from the land.
The site
 
East side of El Castillo
 
Great Ballcourt (interior)
 
Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors)
 
 
High Priest’s Temple.
 
“El Caracol” observatory temple.
 
“La Iglesia” in Las Monjas complex of buildings.
The site contains many fine stone buildings in various states of preservation; the buildings were formerly used as temples, palaces, stages, markets, baths, and ballcourts.
El Castillo
Main article: El Castillo, Chichen Itza
Dominating the center of Chichén is the Temple of Kukulkan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as “El Castillo” (the castle). This step pyramid has a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top. On the Spring and Autumn equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent - Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl - along the side of the North staircase. On these two days, the shadows from the corner tiers slither down the northern side of the pyramid with the sun’s movement.

Mesoamerican cultures periodically built larger pyramids atop older ones, and this is one such example. In the mid 1930s, the Mexican government sponsored an excavation into El Castillo. After several false starts, they discovered a staircase under the north side of the pyramid. By digging from the top, they found another temple buried below the current one. Inside the temple chamber was a Chac Mool statue and a throne in the shape of jaguar, painted red with spots made of inlaid jade.

The Mexican government excavated a tunnel from the base of the north staircase, up the earlier pyramid’s stairway to the hidden temple, and opened it to tourists. In 2006, INAH closed the throne room to the public.
Temple of the Warriors
The Temple of the Warriors complex consists of a large stepped pyramid fronted and flanked by rows of carved columns depicting warriors. This complex is analogous to Temple B at the Toltec capital of Tula, and indicates some form of cultural contact between the two regions. The one at Chichen Itza, however, was constructed on a larger scale. At the top of the stairway on the pyramid’s summit (and leading towards the entrance of the pyramid’s temple) is a Chac Mool.

Near the Warriors’ Temple is a large plaza surrounded by pillars called “The Great Market.”
The Great Ball Court
Archaeologists have identified seven courts[citation needed] for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame in Chichén, but the Great Ball Court about 150 meters to the north-west of the Castillo is by far the most impressive. It is the largest ball court in ancient Mesoamerica. It measures 166 by 68 meters (545 by 232 feet). The imposing walls are 12 meters high, and in the center, high up on each of the long walls, are rings carved with intertwining serpents.[8]

At the base of the high interior walls are slanted benches with sculpted panels of teams of ball players. In one panel, one of the players has been decapitated and from the wound emits seven streams of blood; six become wriggling serpents and the center becomes a winding plant.

At one end of the Great Ball Court is the North Temple, popularly called the Temple of the Bearded Man. This small masonry building has detailed bas relief carving on the inner walls, including a center figure that has carving under his chin that resembles facial hair.[9] At the south end is another, much bigger temple, but in ruins.

Built into the east wall are the Temples of the Jaguar. The Upper Temple of the Jaguar overlooks the ball court and has an entrance guarded by two, large columns carved in the familiar feathered serpent motif. Inside there is a large mural, much destroyed, which depicts a battle scene.

In the entrance to the Lower Temple of the Jaguar, which opens behind the ball court, is another jaguar throne, similar to the one in the inner temple of El Castillo, except that it is well worn and missing paint or other decoration. The outer columns and the walls inside the temple are covered with elaborate bas-relief carvings.

Behind this platform is a walled inscription which depicts a tzompantli (rack of impaled human skulls) in relief.
High Priest’s Temple
This step-pyramid temple is a smaller version of El Castillo; the name comes from an elite burial discovered by early excavator E. H. Thompson.
Las Monjas
One of the more notable structures at Chichen Itza is a complex of Terminal Classic buildings constructed in the Puuc architectural style. The Spanish nicknamed this complex Las Monjas (”The Nuns” or “The Nunnery”) but was actually a governmental palace. Just to the east is a small temple (nicknamed La Iglesia, “The Church”) decorated with elaborate masks of the rain god Chaac.

A number of other structures are near the “Monjas” complex. These include:

“The Red House”
“The House of the Deer”

El Caracol
To the north of Las Monjas is a round building on a large square platform nicknamed El Caracol or “the snail” for the stone spiral staircase inside. This structure was an observatory with its doors aligned to view the vernal equinox, the Moon’s greatest northern and southern declinations, and other astronomical events sacred to Kukulcan, the feathered-serpent god of the wind and learning. The Maya used the shadows inside the room cast from the angle of the sun hitting the doorway to tell when the solstices would occur. Placed around the edge of El Caracol are large rock cups that they filled with water and would watch the reflection of the stars in the water to help determine their complex, but extremely accurate calendar system.[citation needed]
Akab Dzib
Located to the east of the Caracol, Akab Dzib means, in Maya, “The House of Mysterious Writing.” An earlier name of the building, according to a translation of glyphs in the Casa Colorada, is Wa(k)wak Puh Ak Na, “the flat house with the excessive number of chambers,” and it was the home of the administrator of Chichén Itzá, kokom Yahawal Cho’ K’ak’.[10] INAH completed a restoration of the building in 2007. It is relatively short, only 6 meters high, and is 50 meters in length and 15 meters wide. The long, western-facing facade has seven doorways. The eastern facade has only four doorways, broken by a large staircase that leads to the roof. This apparently was the front of the structure, and looks out over what is today a steep, but dry, cenote. The southern end of the building has one entrance. The door opens into a small chamber and on the opposite wall is another doorway, above which on the lintel are intricately carved glyphs—the “mysterious” or “obscure” writing that gives the building its name today. Under the lintel in the door jamb is another carved panel of a seated figure surrounded by more glyphs. Inside one of the chambers, near the ceiling, is a painted hand print.
Old Chichen
“Old Chichen” is the nickname for a group of structures to the south of the central site. It includes the Initial Series Group, the Phallic Temple, the Platform of the Great Turtle, the Temple of the Owls, and the Temple of the Monkeys.
Other structures
Chichen Itza also has a variety of other structures densely packed in the ceremonial center of about 5 km² (2 mile²) and several outlying subsidiary sites.

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza

Dalian (大连; Dàlián) [1] is the second largest city in Liaoning Province, Dongbei (North East), China and the largest port in northern China as well as a major destination for Chinese tourists. Located at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the main part of the city is located on its own sub-peninsula, with the port to the north of the town centre and natural coastline dotted with beaches to the east and south

Dalian, compared to ancient capital cities such as Beijing, Xian, Nanjing or Luoyang, is a young city with only a 100-year history. Situated at the tip of China’s Liaodong Peninsular, it is a trading and financial center in northeastern Asia and has gained the name the ‘Hong Kong of Northern China’.

The old name of Dalian was first used by an official in his memorial to Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) referring to the present Dalian Gulf. In the early 20th century, the gulf area developed quickly and Dalian expanded into a city of significant size and importance.

After the Opium War in 1840, Dalian was plunged into warfare. At the end of the 1800s, Japanese and Russian invaders successively set their feet on the Chinese mainland here. In 1894, Japan invaded the Peninsular and in 1897 Russian troops occupied Lushun Port (Port Arthur) and imposed upon the Qing government an unfair contract, in which they ceded Lushun as a colony to Russia. Seven years later, Lushun was again transferred to Japanese rule, when the Russians lost in the Japanese-Russian War. From then on Dalian suffered from the colonial rule of Russia and Japan for decades. It was as recently as 1955 that the Chinese government took over sovereignty of Lushun and the hardest times in this city’s history ended.

Both the Russian and Japanese colonists dreamed of establishing a city of their own on this land in those colonial periods. A group of Russian architects fascinated with French culture came to Dalian with their construction blueprint of Paris and built all sorts of elegant squares with artistic sculptures, lush lawns and western-style fountains. These formed the architectural basis of the present city - taking squares as the center and radiating outwards. Today, the stylish women troopers patrolling the squares have become a feature of the city.

Zhongshan District, originally the colonial residential area of the Russians and containing Nicholas Square, (Zhongshan Square) is a bustling downtown area of the city. The square (Zhongshan Square) has ten avenues radiating from it and is one of the most famous squares in the city. Renmin Square, originally called Stalin Square and marked out to be the administrative center of the Russian colonists, now houses the government’s financial institutions in Euro-style buildings. The old tramlines built by Japanese colonists and left behind through the ages tell the history of the city.

The impression Dalian gives to the world is of a city of lawns, squares, fountains and gardens. This is all thanks to the former mayor of the city, Bo Xilai, who initiated a ‘Green Storm’ - a widespread environmental campaign which brought numerous green squares, forest parks and seaside scenic spots to the city. Of Dalian, people say it is ‘A City Built in Gardens’.

There are two things that have earned the city a great reputation. One is Football and the other is Fashion. Given the name of ‘Oriental Brazil’, it hosts many Chinese football matches and has the most successful football teams in China. The enthusiastic fans in the football club of the four-star Wanda International Hotel tell everyone how much the Chinese like this game.

Another carnival event in the city is Dalian International Fashion Festival, during which thousands of dazzling celebrities, designers, pop stars and clothing merchants from both home and abroad get together to present an In-Fashion feast to the world. Consequently, Dalian stirs shopping lovers’ blood with all sorts of skyscraper shopping malls and markets.If you are lucky enough to come to the city around September, a sea of world-class fashion brands will delight you.

Running from downtown Dalian there is a 40-kilometer (25-mile) road known as Binhai Lu winding along the coastline, northeast to southwest. This coastal area is a paradise for beach vacationers. The famous scenic spots of Bangchuidao Scenic Area, Laohutan Scenic Area, Jinshitan Scenic Area and Xinghai Square are scattered around this region. In addition to the stunning cliffs and scenic parks, numerous places along the coastline are good for beach resort visitors and water sports lovers. Meanwhile, you can sample the authentic Dalian-style seafood in a fisherman’s house at an incredibly low price.

Located to the southwest of Dalian is Lushun, the former military and strategic port colonized by Russia. Today it is a place with museums and historical sites for tourists to learn the history of the city. Bingyu Valley, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Dalian is home to an astonishing array of rock formations amidst limpid waters, similar to those found in Guilin.

Surrounded by the Yellow Sea and inland Bohai Sea, Dalian has rich marine resources. The seafood in Dalian is equal to its southern counterpart in Guangzhong Province and there are numerous restaurants in the city providing a wide variety of top-quality seafood at very reasonable prices.

Numerous bathing places and beaches in the city are popular venues for Dalian’s locals to relax from everyday work and stress. Young people, like those in many other metropolitan cities in China are trend pursuers who spend their evenings in bars and pubs throughout the city.