"Fine introduction to North Eastern China" Dalian by akikonomu

Dalian was our first stop for the winter trip and on hindsight, it's actually a good way to start the trip at a relatively warmer city than heading right smack into Harbin.

Our tour guide explained that Dalian city was known for its greenery and different flowers and trees could be sighted in the warmer months. The city appears relatively prosperous and build up isn't as terrible as many southern coastal cities.

The prosperity of the city is evident from the luxurious apartments around the Dalian skate park. The park was pristine, huge and a good place to watch the sunset or fishermen.

We were driven along the romantic seaside route which curled around the cliffs and finally ended up at a park and a huge drawbridge which was a collaboration between China and Japan.

We were told that the seaside route was akin to mecca for dating couples in the city. Honestly, the pathway was beautiful with the mountains on one side and the sea on the other, but the spiralling route uphill and downhill looks like a real workout.

Another important suburb of Dalian was Lushun, a port which the Western powers wanted to capture in the late Qing dynasty for its strategic position. There is now a museum at the port area and if you drive by the port area, you can see the military base with high security.

• In a nutshell:Beautiful city of historical importance