Dalian Lushun: The Past and Present of China's First Naval Port

My first stop in Dalian was the famous Lushun. When I visited Dalian more than 20 years ago, Lushun was still an independent city. Now, it has become Lushunkou District of Dalian. Transportation from Dalian to Lushun is very convenient. There is a direct rail transit line, and the whole journey is on an elevated track along the coast, offering great views. However, the attractions in Lushun are relatively scattered, as it is a city of mountains and sea, so renting a car for a self-drive tour would be more convenient. Lushun is located at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, which is also the southernmost tip of the entire Northeast and the best port in the entire Northeast. In fact, in modern history, Lushun's naval port was the first naval port in the Far East, the station of the Beiyang Fleet, and a treasure coveted by the two great powers of Japan and Russia. More than a century ago, the two empires fought fiercely for Lushun, triggering the Russo-Japanese War on Chinese soil. After the smoke of gunpowder dissipated, Lushun has been peaceful for nearly 80 years. With the spring breeze of reform and opening up, Lushun has become a beautiful tourist city. Of course, the perfect port conditions here still make it an important naval port for the People's Navy, still bearing the important task of defending the vast sea frontier. The attractions in Lushun are scattered between the mountains and the sea. Lushun Port is surrounded by mountains, with the westernmost Laotieshan being the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, located north of the boundary line between the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, with beautiful scenery. The 203 Scenic Area is located in the north of the city, where the fiercest battles between Japan and Russia took place, leaving behind the echoes of Japanese militarism with Nogi Maresuke's human bomb charge. The core area of Lushun City is the Taiyanggou Scenic Area, which was built during the period of Japanese and Russian division of Lushun, with many buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Lushun Museum is also located here. Along Taiyanggou to the harbor, you can see the warships of the People's Navy in the harbor, ready to set sail, with the alarm bell ringing. Crossing Laotieshan to the west, you will reach the new port area of Lushun, which is the new city of Lushun. At the westernmost end of the coast, the World Peace Park has been built. Although we continue to strengthen the construction of the navy, peace is the most important goal of our military. Preparing for war is to avoid war, which is the highest military wisdom of the Chinese people since Sun Tzu. Standing on the embankment of the park is a great place to watch the sunset. In general, Lushun is a pearl of Dalian tourism, with beautiful natural scenery and rich historical and cultural heritage, worth spending a day or two to savor slowly.