DalianDalian.com

Late spring means its time to start thinking about next school year. Over the past few weeks, I've been getting emails from people in and out of China asking whether they should move to Dalian. What are the highlights? What was your biggest frustration? Can I do something besides teach?

The short answer to all this is, yes, Dalian's a fine city to live in. For most people.

• The Clean City

  Dalian is one of the cleanest cities in China. That might not mean much to our Canadian friends from the pristine north (proud and free), but spend a week in Beijing, and you'll appreciate the almost-blueness of the sky.
  
  In the 1990s, Dalian shifted from industrial to high-tech, and its environment benefited tremendously. Bo Xilai, the mayor at the time, had a thing for tree-lined streets, and the major thoroughfares are richer for it. Add in a coastal breeze, and it's a downright pleasant place, most of the time.

• The Windy City

  Those pleasant coastal breezes only really stay pleasant in the spring and fall. In Winter, they turn into icy Siberian gusts: face-numbing, finger-throbbing, downright horrid.
  
  Buy warm clothes.

• The Tech City

  Several emailers asked about jobs other than teaching. Because who wouldn't want to spend the rest of their time in China trying to manage a group of 20-somethings who really need to pass a mysterious test much more than they need to learn a language, or better yet, a pile of toddlers whose parents insist being near a foreigner will make them instantly bilingual? So, yes, there are other jobs out there.
  
  As I said above, Dalian went high-tech in the '90s. Specifically, it's an outsourcing hub. What Bangalore is to the United States, Dalian is to Japan. There's a host of companies based in the city, mostly in the Dalian Software Park, the High Tech Zone and the Development Zone. Intel is also building a fabrication plant north of the city proper.
  
  If you have skills in IT, business, communications, or something remotely related, you just may be qualified to join the ranks of former English teachers now gainfully employed in real jobs.

Did I miss anything?

Probably. But I'm just getting things started here. Add your own questions or answers in the comments..

Graemetric 發表相片：  read more »

Just got this message from the American consulate in Shenyang:

Any large-scale public event such as the upcoming Olympic Games may present an attractive target for terrorists. There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within China in the near future. In light of these security concerns, U.S. citizens traveling in China are advised to use caution and to be alert to their surroundings at all times, including at hotels, in restaurants, on public transportation and where there are demonstrations and other large-scale public gatherings. Consistent with our standard advice, American citizens are urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations.

In accordance with these security concerns, Chinese authorities have increased security in China’s airports during recent months. For example, Chinese airport authorities recently implemented tighter restrictions on taking liquids, aerosols, or gels aboard flights in carry-on baggage. Such restrictions may apply to food, cosmetics, toiletries and medicine. Travelers should contact their air carrier before their flight to determine the precise regulation in place.

American citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad found at travel.state.gov.

Enjoy those Olympics.

Edit by Alex:

An message was received (comment below) claiming that this is a somewhat exaggerated account (commenter was emailed but no reply received), Global Voices account (translation on Shanghaiist) that some people (possibly, this is the Internet) from the school claim the teacher's classes were cancelled).  Further Shanghaiist have received word from the individual involved, read here, asking to calm the coverage down.  read more »

Or as straight as they can be at the moment. Seemingly as a precaution for the Olympics there is a toughening and tightening of visas over the summer period, which may be relaxed from October.

• No more multi-entry F visas.
• Tighter regulations on applying for single-entry F and tourist visas. A hotel must be specified, among other things. See text in red on the link.
• A very loosely worded article stating all foreign students must leave. Yet according to chinese-forums no notice has been received by any students of Chinese, in Beijing or outside. In addition, it's likely that the original article, referencing a spokesman from Beida, was referring to Beida dormitories being used by Olympic volunteers as accomodation.

The situation seems quite fluid, any more updates will be posted here. In the meantime, no public notice has been given to any embassies let alone individuals.

The 22nd Dalian marathon will kick off on Sunday. It is not too late to register and there's a website, in both Chinese and English, explaining the procedures and registration formaliies in detail. A quick summary:

The race will start at 7:30am at the Xinghai Sculpture Square, Xinghai Park (near the number 2 hospital). Amusingly enough, the official site details the route not just by road, but also by hospital:

(1) Full Marathon, Marathon Relay and Wheelchair Half Marathon: ：
Start (Xinghai Sculpture Square): →Zhongshan Road→Luxun Road→Wuwu Road→Renmin Road→Zhongshan Road→Wuyi Road→Xi’an Road→Huabei Road→turning at 28．433 KMS (Dalian Automobile Comprehensive Performances Testing Center)→Huabei Road→Xi’an Road→Wuyi Road→Baishan Road→Wusi Road→Finish(People’s Stadium).

(2) Half Marathon and Wheelchair Half Marathon：
Start (Xinghai Sculpture Square): →Zhongshan Road→Luxun Road→Wuwu Road→Renmin Road→Zhongshan Road→Wuyi Road→Xi’an Road→turning at 18.025 KMS(Jinhui Shopping Plaza Station)→Xi’an Road→Wuyi Road→Baishan Road→Wusi Road→Finish(People’s Stadium).

（三）5KM：
Start (Xinghai Sculpture Square): →Zhongshan Road→Minyun Street→Finish(People’s Stadium) .

Or, by hospital:

Start: Number 2 hospital
5km: Number 1 Hospital
10km: Dalian Friendship Hospital
20km: Dalian Railway Hospital
22.5km: Dalian Central Hospital
30km: Dalian Number 3 Hospital
Finish Olympic Square (refered to as People's Stadium).

Should be a nice day for it.