"Dalian Sucks": My Take on the Issue

Thanks to Ryan who sent me this link of a thread on eslcafe.com bbs where the original poster basically said Dalian sucks. A lot has been written on that BBS about Dalian. It's pretty much an abandoned thread so I'll address the issue on my site.

Coming to China, for many foreigners is a step down in terms of civility and modern conveniences. You have to accept that fact. But China has other things to offer that these 'globalized cities' don't: great Chinese food, friendly local people (for the most part), cheap prices on just about anything and 5000 years of culture.
Coming to live in China is not an easy transition on foreigners. Some people come here, hate it at first and learn to adapt (because China won't adapt to your liking), while others come here, hate it and hate it more the longer they stay. Fair enough. It's not a place for everyone.

I'm probably a rare bird amongst the foreign population in China. I came here and liked it, still like it but dislike what goes on 'behind the scenes' of what most foreigners can see and experience. That's why I don't like many aspects of the country and culture. It must be stressed that overall, I don't hate the country at all, just many aspects of the culture and it's leadership. Most foreigners in China either don't know or understand what goes on or simply don't care as long as they are making enough money and enjoying a comfortable living. They have the right to be this way, of course.

If you're thinking of coming to China, do your research first. You are probably doing your research right now if you've surfed onto this site through google or someone else's link. Sure some people will hate it here, but take everyone's advice and ranting and raving with a grain of salt-mine included.

I think it would be best for you to take advice from people who live in China and have traveled to many parts of it. Most of the foreigners who don't like China I find are ones who haven't traveled around much in China and really only compare it to their hometown or other countries they've been to. They don't bother learning Chinese or making local friends. If they do make local friends, they have no clue what the Chinese are into. Chinese people are into things like going to sing karaoke, playing badminton, going for walks, eating at restaurants, watching movies and cartoons, playing cards, etc. Instead, China-hating foreigners spend most of their time in western style coffee shops, bars and restaurants eating western food and complain about how they are lonely, it's dirty outside, they can't meet Chinese people and it's not as good here as it is back home. Basically, they're not having a good time because they want the same life in China that they enjoyed back home in western countries. As a foreigner living in China, the more you embrace the local culture, language and food, the more likely your enjoyment of life in China will increase. The same thing happens to some Chinese who head to foreign countries to study and/or work. Many don't integrate themselves into the local culture and only band together with other Chinese. Many aren't too happy moving away from China because things are more expensive and the culture is so different from their own.

Of course the China-hating expats are entitled to their opinions, but if it is at the expense of preventing other foreigners from coming here who, with open minds, may appreciate Chinese culture and food, then I don't think that's very good at all.

When it comes to the actual city of Dalian, I have few complaints. I left Toronto and basically the western world in search of a more interesting, livelier and challenging way of life. I found it here in China. When I go back to Toronto later this month, most of my friends will be working in the same job, same office, commute the same distance every workday, go to the same pubs/clubs/restaurants and be thinking the same thing: 'damnit I have to get out of this rut."

Dalian is a city of contrasts, as most other cities in China are. The downtown core is beaming with skyscrapers and well manicured streets and squares. Out near the airport and special economic zone 开发区 it's a bit dirtier and uglier because of the industrial activity. There are pockets of the city that aren't beautiful of course, but the shoreline of Dalian, especially the coastal road I always talk about Binhai Road 滨海路 is very scenic and beautiful. I laughed when the original poster wrote that Dalian has a "very short coastline path and a few green hills". Binhai Road is upwards of 30kms long!!! How long does this guy want it to be? He obviously doesn't know the city very well, out here in the software park where I live there are many green hills and they extend further down towards Lushun. Out in Jinzhou there's a big mountain that I've mentioned a few times, Big Black Mountain which can provide a nice day-long climb and hiking expedition.

The beaches are gravel and small stones, don't come to Dalian expecting Thailand in terms of beaches. The water isn't even warm enough to swim in until early August! Chinese don't like to sun tan (white skin is considered beautiful in China) and lie on the beach anyway, so it's not a big deal for them if there isn't fine white sand.

Chinese rave about Dalian because it IS one of the best cities in China to live. Perhaps not the most modern or happening cities (Shanghai), not as rich in culture or historical as others (Beijing/Xi'an) but in terms of general cleanliness (air/water/ground), scenery, low cost of living and laid back people, it's hard to beat. The top communist party members in Beijing like to vacation on a resort in Dalian and I heard rumours Jiang Zemin was vacationing (read: hiding out) at the resort during the SARS outbreak of 2003!

People speak pretty standard putonghua too, which helps with language study. Dalian feels a lot like my home in China; whenever I traveled around China, returning to Dalian has felt like returning home. Dalian and Chengdu are the only two cities I'd prefer to live in if I had to choose:

Dalian for the cleanliness, climate (a tad windy in the winter but nothing a born/bred Canadian boy can't handle), language (good pronunciation of putonghua), northeastern food (did I mention before I love dumplings?), oh and the pretty girls.

Chengdu for the ancient history, spicy food and close proximity to the most beautiful parts of China (Jiuzhaigou, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc), oh and the pretty girls.

Comparing any Chinese city (excluding Hong Kong/Macau or anywhere in Taiwan) to any city in the west just isn't really fair. No city in China would probably rate up there with London, New York, Singapore, Paris, etc., not yet at least. But if Shanghai is the 'international city' that China is aiming to present to the world, all hope is lost. HAHA I'd rather it be Beijing..thankfully they'll be having the Olympics in 2008 and hopefully Beijing can show the world more Chinese culture and history than Shanghai ever could!