Dalian sits at the tip of the Liaodong peninsula and is home to over five million people. Because it sits right on the sea, the city is free from the heavy pollution facing other Chinese cities. But its advantageous geographical position has led to its occupation over the years by a host of foreign invaders. Russia set up a trading center here, before losing it to Japan in their war in 1905. Over the years, Western Europeans came to trade in Dalian, and their influence, combined with that of the Russians, Japanese, and Chinese, continues to set Dalian apart from most other Chinese cities.

Foreign companies continue to be drawn to Dalian because of a favorable tax status here that encourages local investment. In the summer, Dalian transforms into a resort town, with Chinese families from the inland making the trek out to the beaches on the outskirts of the city. The twenty mile stretch of beach here is among the finest in all of China. Dalian is also home to an annual International Fashion Festival, along with a Spring Festival to ring in the Chinese New Year.