Dalian is a beautiful city and a popular destination for Chinese tourists. It is the northern-most warm water port of China. Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company is the largest shipbuilder in China, which means the vast expanse of the shoreline is dotted with shipbuilding machinery, dry docks, cranes and skeletal structures of marine travel. Shipbuilding began in China back in the 19th century, when Russia found the port of Dalian. Over the years, DSIC split into two then merged back into one, after decades of building military ships such as submarines and aircraft carriers.
These pictures were taken on the way to the Golden Pebble beach, during a rainstorm that was intermittent during the day.
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| I thought the machinery looked like large King crabs :) |
By the time we had arrived at Golden Pebble Beach, about 30 minutes outside of Dalian, the rain had stopped and we were blessed with warm but overcast weather.
This is the Yellow Sea. It's not pristine waters by any stretch. The beaches were littered, clotted, with trash of bottle caps and various plastic detritus. I had tried to warn the kids not to submerge themselves in the water, to keep their eyes, ears and mouths free of seawater. That lasted approximately 4 minutes.
The beach was short and the sand was very fine pebbles (doh), not the smoothest silky sand we'd hoped for. There were a few striped umbrella'd tables that were for rent, but they were about $50 US for the day, and we had only planned on being there for a few hours.
There was a private helicopter that could be hired to buzz the beach.
I'd never seen a patient of acupuncture cupping therapy before...
I demanded the children rinse out their eyes ears and mouths after swimming.
We all still got very sick with sinus and nasal congestion by the time we left for the States...
Here is a horse-drawn carriage we could rent for beachside touring.
This is where I bring up our lovely tour guide. Her name was Wu Yao, Wu being her family name and Yao, which means 'beautiful jade' . She WAS truly lovely. She was a student of Lian's and had been 'volunteered' to take us around to the various sites of the city. I get the sense from having been around foreign professors and hearing stories from campus that hiring grad students for slave labor is basically de rigeur in foreign cultures. She would not accept any money from us, I fear another Western cultural faux pas, we possibly offended her. Giving favors is a huge compliment in Asian culture, and to try and reciprocate financially is considered an insult. I totally get it.
Anyway I digress....she welcomed us at the hotel, and spoke ad nauseum with our driver, who spoke not a lick of English and was about 40 years older than her. She was charming and engaging, and she made the man, a complete stranger to her, laugh at her jokes.
At the beach she sat and watched our belongings as the kids scampered in the surf. I did not get in the water, rather I scouted the beach back and forth for sea glass and cool shells. I asked her repeatedly if she would like to get into the water, and she politely declined.
Maybe she knew something we did not? Yao was very very sweet and had loads of energy and patience. A perfect guide for our first full day :)
After we left the beach, we decided to get lunch. Seeing as Kentucky Fried Chicken is *everywhere* in China....I mean EVERYwhere, we thought we'd give it a shot. Her English was fair to middling,and her KFC-speak was spare, so we struggled in describing what we wanted to eat. She was gracious and patient with us, even as other patrons were pressing up against us impatiently. We ate the chicken in the car as the rain progressed again around us, with the driver driving a maddening 60+mph in flood conditions and at one point hydroplaning across a lane of traffic.
Our next stop was the Castle Hotel, the famed five-star hotel perched on a hillside near the city center of Dalian. I had initially found it because of a Pinterest search for tourist stops (again, thanks Pinterest!) but was disappointed to find out that you cannot tour the hotel, and the drive up to the hotel grounds is blocked by a locked iron gate.
My pictures don't really give it justice so here is a few Google images :)
So since we were NOT allowed entrance into the castle, we chose to dance...
Here is a link if you feel so compelled to check in to the Starwood Castle Hotel Dalian...www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/
IF you are so fortunate, please message or reply with pictures of the interior. Our curiosity was definitely piqued.
We had about 20 minutes before our driver was to return and taken us back to Dalian, so we thought we would take a short riverwalk along the Malan River. Dalian is located on the Laiodong Peninsula, with city ending in the Yellow Sea.
I loved Dalian. It had a definite European charm, reminiscent of kitschy German and Swiss architecture.
European architecture and Chinese fishing boats :)
This is the Dalian Shell Museum. It was again another Pinterest find for me. Again, since we saw most everything in the downtown on an overcast gloomy day, my pictures do not give it justice. So we go
Our guide had told us that the museum was closed for remodeling, we could not tour it, which broke my heart. I have a love affair, nay, obsession, with all things of the sea. Sea glass, sea shells, sea horses....if it is comes from climes alkaline I am so inclined ;)
After trying to capture the structural and architectural genius which was the museum, we decided to cross over the bridge and walk around on the other side of the river.
the parking lot was flooded. We gave up our anxiety about walking in sandals in puddles and gutters very soon after our entry into a nascent monsoon season in China...
ha cha cha...sweet Doe....
to be continued....
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