Dalian Local Life Style

Dalian was rated No 1 of the most livable city in China in 2006 according to China Daily. Dalian is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities of China, and it is often compared with San Francisco.

Among the Dalianites, the Dalian dialect is used, which belongs to the Jiao Liao Mandarin subgroup spoken from Shandong Province to Liaoning Province. The majority of the original Dalianites were the poor farmers and fishermen who had come from Shandong Province in a large population move called "Chuang Guandong".

Sports play a big role in the local culture. The city's mayor encouraged a top league football team with foreign aid and a lot of city cash to increase the city's image in the country and bring local fame. They have been caught out several times though and the heyday of the Super Team has passed. The city's football team has dominated the sport in China and Asia by winning 7 titles out of the past 9 years of Chinese professional football league. The city is also a powerhouse producing numerous track and field champions.

Xinghai Square, the Xinghai Conference Center, the Dalian World Expo Center and the hotels on Renmin Rd. are the places where Dalian's major annual events are held: Fireworks Displays (Chinese New Year, May 1 and October 1), Dalian International Walking Festival (May), Dalian Locust Flower Festival (May), Dalian International Marathon (June), China International Software & Information Service Fair (June), Dalian International Beer Festival (July-August), Dalian International Auto Show (August) and Dalian Internat
ional Fashion Week (September).

Every September Dalian hosts the Dalian International Fashion Festival. This festival is a chance for many major foreign companies to showcase their new products and sign up buyers. Before the festival, the city holds an opening ceremony attended by government officials as well as famous stars of the entertainment world. The local cuisine heavily depends on variety of fresh seafood and fruits, both of which are abundant in the area. The computer game Battlefield 2 has a single-player/multiplayer map labeled as the "Dalian Plant", wherein the United States Marine Corps engages the People's Liberation Army to take control over an nuclear power plant. However, in reality, there aren't any nuclear power plants in or near Dalian.