Situated in the southern tip of Liaodong Peninsula in China, Dalian, the second largest city in Liaoning Province, has the Yellow Sea to its East, Bohai Sea to its west, and Northeast China on its back. The climate is neither very cold in winter nor very hot in summer, known as the Window of Northeast China, the Pearl of North China and the City of Romance. It is the first city in China that was honored one of Top 500 Most Environmental-Friendly Cities in the World by UNEP in 2001; in 2006, it was acknowledged as one of the Best Tourism Cities in China together with Hangzhou and Chengdu; in 2009, it won the first prize in the top level contest of International Garden Cities. Dalian is one of China’s five municipalities with independent planning status, one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities and one of the fourteen overseas cities opening up to the outside world; it is a window of Northeast China opening up to the world, the International Shipping and Logistics Center in Northeast Asia, and regional financial center. In 2011 when NPC and CPPCC were held, it was positioned by the state as the leading city to rejuvenate Northeast China Old Industrial Base and the core city in the national strategic overseas economic belt. Dalian is also the host city of Davos World Economic Forum in Summer. 

As one of the best tourism cities in China, Dalian boasts plentiful historical and cultural tourism resources as well as picturesque natural resources. Southern Overseas Landscape, Lvshunkou Landscape, Jinshitan Landscape and Bingyu Landscape are the major four scenic spots in Dalian. The world-renowned annual Dalian International Fashion Festival, New Year Fireworks and Firecrackers Festival, Acacia Appreciating Festival and International Marathon Games are the fruits of economic integration with culture and tourism, bringing enormous business opportunities and vigor to urban development. Tourism has become an emerging sector in Dalian, receiving 520,000 overseas tourists in 2004, and gaining tourism revenues of RMB 17 billion, including US $ 350 million foreign exchange. One hundred years ago, a group of Russian engineers who were very fond of the French culture came to Dalian with the urban planning drawings of Paris in the hope of building another Paris in the East, thus defining the characteristics of Dalian that is taking the city plaza as its center while the streets are spreading in all directions. 

Dalian, just like Brazil, is crazy about football. Since 1994 when China’s football turned professional, the football team of Dalian has won eight championships. It is a famous city of sports in China, known as the City of Football, Track and Field and Swimming. Dalian is famous for its football and football has become popular nationwide owing to the efforts by Dalian. Its people are very proud of their football and passionate about it. That football is deep rooted and very popular in Dalian has become a distinctive cultural phenomenon. 

Dalian has won many domestic and international awards. It is the only city that was inscribed by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin as the Pearl of North China, China’s First Top 500 Environment-Friendly City, the Most Beautiful City of Romance in China, one of the Best Tourism Cities (first batch) in China, the Most Beautiful Garden City in China, the City with the Largest Amount of Plaza in China, the City with Most Convenient Urban Transportation, the Most Civilized Taxi Team in China, the Largest City Plaza in Asia—Xinghai Plaza, the Most Influential International Fashion Festival and the Most Boisterous Parade in China, the Earliest Featured Tourism Activities in China—Dalian Acacia Appreciating Festival, the Longest Ocean Aquarium in Asia---SunAsia Ocean World in Asia, the Largest Forest Zoo---Dalian Forest Zoo in China, the Ocean Park with Most Marine Animals in China---Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park, China’s Largest Tropical Rain Forest Pavilion, China’s Largest 4D Cinema---Hutan 4D Cinema and the Largest Tourism Souvenir Store in North China---Dalian China Craftsmanship Souvenir Fair.