History of Dalian

Treaty Ports and Colonialism

Dalian sits on the sight of the former fishing village and transshipment node, which the Manchu Dynasty began fortifying in the 1880s (Yeung and Hu, p. 25) At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russians began developing in the area in Port Arthur, but were soon to be displaced by the Japanese in 1905. The Japanese used their position in the area to extract the resources of then Manchuria and to have access to its fantastic port.

All of this is in the context of other treaty ports that had been opened up by colonial powers, most notably the British, who had gained access to Shanghai, as well as a 100-year lease on Hong Kong. Despite the horrors of colonialism, Dalian inherited a great deal of industrial and infrastructural development from its colonial occupants. During the Russian occupation, 1898-1905, ship repair, iron smelting, brewing, and lumbering industries were developed. The Russians also improved Dalian's infrastructure and connectivity by building the South Manchurian Railway and connecting Dalian by rail to the Trans-Siberian railway. The Russians also further developed the city's port.

The Russians were replaced by the Japanese after their victory in the Russo-Japanese War. Until the 1930s, the city remained mostly a port, with the addition of some light industry. This was soon to change, as Japan began to establish heavy industry in Dalian until their ejection. Thus Dalian owes much of its early development to the colonial powers.

Some Colonial buidings in Dalain:

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