DalianDalian.com

A while back, I tried to answer a simple question people often asked me about Dalian: How many people live there?

Simple question, tough answer. Alex found a good dataset, which we put on DalianDalian. Well, the question has come back.

I’m writing a cover story on real estate in China’s second-tier cities for an investment newsletter, and as part of the project, I’ve decided to compile a database of locales, most of which people outside of China have likely never heard (admittedly, there are some I couldn’t have put on a map before starting this piece).

I have a spreadsheet defining cities, provinces, regions, population, major industries, notable real estate and other notes. Most of that information is widely available, especially since these cities are now making a major push for investment. But population has proven tricky. For the map I’ll eventually build off this database, I think I’m going to attach the following disclaimer/explainer:

Counting how many people live in any Chinese city is an imperfect science. For this dataset, we’ve relied on a variety of sources, including government websites, published reports and other online resources.

Part of the problem is the population itself. Chinese cities have been undergoing a massive growth spurt since 1978, when the government first began letting people move to urban areas en masse. Most of this movement is legal, and counted in official surveys. Residents register with local authorities in order to receive government services, such as health and education. But unofficial migration is also widespread, and most cities have large segments that remain uncounted (and unserved).

Further blurring statistics is the way a city is defined. In Dalian, for example, the urban center–what might be called the city proper–is home to about 2 million people. Add in the surrounding “towns” such as Zhuanghe (pop. 700,000) or Pulandian (pop. 900,000)–both of which are a mix of city and countryside–and the total is above 6 million. Different sources count different areas, making a definitive number hard to come by.

This is a long way of saying: Take these numbers with a grain of salt, and please, forgive us if you’ve seen a different number elsewhere.

How’s it sound?

Many in Dalian may not read The Beijinger.  You should.  They have some advice on the current visa situation.  Key points:

What we know for sure:

Since mid-April, additional documents need to be provided to obtain L and F visas:

L (tourist) visa: Outbound and return flight booking and stamped (chopped) hotel reservation for the complete duration of stay. If staying at a relative's house, proof of kinship (marriage / birth certificate) and copies of his/her passport, visa, residence permit and police registration need to be provided.

F (business) visa: Flight booking, stamped (chopped) hotel reservation and original invitation letter from a relevant department of the Chinese government, company or institution, under the authorization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

L and F visas are issued for a standard duration of 30 days, single entry, unless flight bookings (e.g. to Hong Kong) are provided to prove double entry is needed. To obtain a visa for a longer duration, a full travel itinerary needs to be provided. The visa application form has been changed to a much more detailed version.

Extensions of F visa in China are only possible until June 30th, 2008. Interns and short-term project workers are required to apply for a Z visa if an uninterrupted stay in China is required.

The possibility of visa applications in Hong Kong has been severely reduced. Although some 30 days L and F and some Z visas still seem to be issued, the Visa office in Hong Kong requests all foreign passport holders that do not have a Hong Kong residence permit to apply for visas in their respective home country. Expect longer queues and processing times of up to five days. Visa applications in other Asian countries seem to be just as difficult. A list of 33 countries (a list can be found here) whose nationals need to apply for visa in their respective home country has been published; however, restrictions also seem to apply to other nationals.

Z visa extensions, new Z visas and spouse visas have not been affected by the new policies. However, dependent visa that were previously also issued to non-married couples with children now require the provision of a marriage certificate.

Student (X) visas for the summer are only issued by a very limited number of universities and language schools.

The authorities are increasingly tracking down foreigners without valid visas and Registrations of Temporary Residence. Foreigners overstaying their visas are charged any where between RMB 500 to RMB 5,000/day. According to multiple reports, foreigners without a valid visa must expect to be awarded the red “has to leave China within ten days” stamp in their passport, which will make it nearly impossible to apply for a new visa.

Additional Links:

Dalian PSB http://www.ga.dl.gov.cn/english/ 

The China Visa Blog www.thechinavisa.blogspot.com
Shanghai Expat: Guide to Getting your Z-Visa / Work & Residence Permit
Danwei: China visa confusion (May 6)
Shanghaiist: China visa updates (May 6)
Chinatravel.net: New Chinese Visa Rules: Please Read (Apr 30)
China Daily: Beijing sees marked drop in overseas tourists in April (May 20)
China Daily: China says visa policy in line with Olympics practice (May 6)
AFP: Australia warns China over visa restrictions (May 6)
CNN: Visa rules tightened for tourists ahead of Beijing Olympics (May 6)
New York Times: Bracing for Games, China Sets Rules That Complicate Life for Foreigners (Apr 24)
MSNBC: China steps up security ahead of Olympics (Apr 24)
Shanghaiist: More updates on the Chinese visa situation (Apr 18)

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.

"I was a little uncertain in 2003, but now I'm more confident," a tired-looking Xia, who has spent the past five years struggling to inject economic life into his city, said at his offices in Liaoning province's richest city. "We're embarking on a new era, and the pressures remain enormous,"

The International Club of Dalian is a new community-based club for the ever-growing international community living in Dalian.

Launching later this week, the not-for-profit club will provide a social and business network to enrich the living experiences of expatriates and their families living in and around the city. Whether your goal is to expand your business contacts, share common experiences and concerns, or simply meet new friends, The ICD will be organizing a range of social, business networking, & family events to meet your needs.

Organized by volunteers from the international community, the ICD launch will be held in the ballroom of the Swissotel at 6.30pm on Friday 29th February.  read more »

For months Dalian's business gossip has been about Dalian hosting the 2009 Summer Davos, having already hosted in first 2007 meeting and this year's meeting in nearby Tianjin.

Xinhua reports:

The northeast China port city of Dalian is hoping to cement its place in the World Economic Forum (WEF) schedules by winning the third "Annual Meeting of the New Champions" in September next year, said Dalian Mayor Xia Deren

He said Dalian's selection for the third annual meeting of the New Champions indicated "a continuation of the cooperation between Dalian and the WEF and marked a new level of cooperation".  read more »

+graemetric- 發表相片：

Two women check their appearance in the one-way glass facade of a downtown skyscraper before returning to the office from their lunch break.

Dalian, China, June 2007.

+graemetric- posted a photo:  read more »

A lot of people come here planning to study Chinese while teaching English, but that can be a tough balancing act. Some people use private tutors. Others, like me, enroll in regular classes a few hours a week. I've met a few people who study full time at universities and work their teaching schedule around that. Two of the biggest issues are getting pronunciation right and finding people to practice with. John Pasden of Sinosplice recently wrote about his own learning process. Here's part of that post:  read more »