A friend once told me heâd love to live in a city by the sea where the winters are as cold and snowy as in Germany and a summers are as hot as AndalucĂa in Spain. An international city where he could find a good job related to the field of Biology and also stay in touch with his Russian routes would be ideal. I laughed at him back then, but now I have to say, I think Iâve actually found it! Dalian is a city full of many opportunities for everyone, especially for foreigners. Not only that, but itâs also really beautiful.
I this blog I thought I would explain the main transport links in and out of Dalian. Itâs a pretty well connected with several different means of transport running form the city centre depending where it is your coming from and which exciting destination youâre heading to next.
Most people arrive her by air. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport has more than 30 international flight routes, including Munich, Frankfurt, Paris, Singapore and London. As well as more than 68 domestic flights, (including flights to the other 3 InternChina destinations Qingdao, Chengdu and Zhuhai)! With the airport just 16km from the city centre, getting to this awesome city couldnât be any easier.
Airport â getting there
- Taxi:
Itâs a mere 10 minutes by taxi to the city centre, costing roughly 20 CNY. The official taxi rank can be found on the east side of the airport. - Buses:
- Airport shuttle bus: Regular shuttle buses run after every flight, taking passenger to the main train station as well as Renmin Road (city centre). Full route: Airport- Shahekou Railway Station – Wuyi Square-Civil Aviation Building – Shengli Square (Victory Square) – Renmin Lu. You can booked in advance from the airport ticket office on Zhongshan Lu, just opposite Xiwang Square. (5 Yuan per person)
- Public buses: There are two options: 701 Bus â terminates at Zhongshan Square, or 710 bus â terminates at the Harbor; Sanba Square and Erqui Square. (1 Yuan per person)
Already in China travelling? Trains and long distance buses to Dalian are also very convenient.
- Train: Dalian is well connected to the rail networks in China, trains from the city can reach any city in northeast China. Dalian has two stations: Dalian Central train Station has direct trains to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It is located in the bustling commercial centre near Qingniwaqiao in the downtown area. Dalian North Train Station is located 30 minutes away from downtown and provides all High Speed Rail services to and from the city.
- Long distance buses: The city is situated at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsular and has two main highways that extend northeast to cover the peninsular. This makes the connections between Dalian and four other major cities, namely Shenyang, Liaoyang, Dandong, Qinhuangdao, very convenient. There are five long distance passenger bus stations across city.
- Boat: The Passenger Port is located at the northern end of Wuwu Lu in the eastern end of the Liaodong Peninsular. Passenger ships leave for Yantai, Weihai, Tianjin and Penglai Changhai County daily. Ships also sail for Incheon, Korea every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Daein Ferry leaves at 18:00 and the Seacost Ferry at 15:30, the journey takes roughly 17 hours. Best get to the passenger port at least half an hour before your departure time to check in!
Come and join the fun, apply now!
When you are in an Asian city and come from the Ruhrarea in Germany like I do, you will quickly realize that the transport system is different. Whereas in Germany the buses seem to be modern, some of the buses that run in Chengdu are a little bit older. At least Iâm not afraid to use them but luckily I donât need to get a bus to my office. I use the subway. But even though the subway is very modern, every time it is an adventure to use it. Apart from the masses of people who enter the subway, the adventure begins when you enter the subway.
Firstly a giant metal detector waits for your bag, and a metal detector gate nearby for you. Most importantly, if you are in a hurry be prepared to hand over your cups of tea, bottles of water or every drink you have in your bag. The nice security guards behind the metal detector gate will check it, because you are not allowed to have inflammable liquids with you. Sorry for everybody who enters the subway with a bottle of deodorant, it will be collected by the security and the next day could be a little bit smelly. Or you just take a taxi, because the taxi is still cheaper than a new bottle of deodorant in China.
By the way donât worry if the metal detector makes some noise at the time you enter it, that isnât a sign that you will get controlled by the security. After this procedure you can enter the subway.
The right time will allow you to have some privacy. Not every time will you get a seat but thereâs still some space to stand on your own. But to catch the right time means 11 oâclock.
The office times in China are from eight/nine to five/six. The subway is full around these times. Consequently I am travelling with tens of thousands others every morning and every evening apart from Saturday and Sunday. While changing from line 2 to line 1 some of Chengduâs citizens will run upstairs to be the first row in front of the door.
I forgot to mention that you will stand in front of a safety glass which prevent people to get pushed down to the rails. I am already used to the pushing and pulling around me in the subway and I totally lost my feeling for my comfort zone or better say distance zone. You will not find it in the subway.
Using the subway at the rush hour in Chengdu is exactly what was in my mind when I think about Asian super cities and their subways.
It is part of the life here and I am not here to experience a life like in Germany. In the end you will get used to it very fast and it is worthy experience.
Important policy changes in China for 2015
Climbing towards the top of the world is a long and difficult journey. There are many issues that follow a rapid growth such as environmental issues, the widening gap between rich and poor and many legal challenges. We would like to share with you some of the important changes that will take place in China from this year.
End of the one child policy
At first this change was only implemented in some locations in China but from the end of 2014 its official for the whole country. The new policy allows couples to have two children if both parents come from a family of one child. This means that most of the Chinese can have more than one child because of the one child policy being in effect from 1981. It comes right on time to battle the slight decline in the labor force due to aging of the general population.
A finalized residence permits system
Until now people were characterized by a dual-household system that made a person either an urban or an agricultural household owner. That meant that those Chinese people that wanted to migrate to another place, were not entitled to education, employment support, care for senior citizen or social welfare. The new system will help qualified migrants to change their provided benefits if they live in one place for more than 6 month.
Reform in the pension system
The idea behind the reform is to combine the government staff, Party bodies and public institutions with the pension rules for enterprises and bring the 2 systems together. This was implemented because the previous public pension system used different methods of payment, accounting and management from the others and that led to many disputes.
Deposit insurance
The Peopleâs Bank of China ruled that all bank accounts with up to 500,000 Yuan (or 81,500$) will be insured. This move reassures people holding their money in the bank and protects them from loss if the bank suffers bankruptcy. It also shows that China has strong resolve to rebalance its financial system with more market oriented measures.
Transport â Changes to railway ticket sales
Travelers can now buy tickets online, on their mobile phones or by phone 60 days before the departure of the train. These tickets can be fully refunded 15 days in advance of the travel. This makes it easier for travelers especially for the Spring Festival around Chinese New Year.
Rules on overseas shows
Many foreign things are banned or delayed in China. These restrictions are usually not very straightforward and there was never a rule about the timeframe in which these foreign materials must be processed. From this year many of the US TV shows are likely to run on Chinese video websites at least 6 months later than their premiere in the US. In general the number of foreign TV series to be licensed in 2015 will probably drop to about 30% of the content.
Some of more recent and popular TV shows that were banned from China are The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife and more.
Stay updated with all the latest news from China on our Blog page!
Chinese Traffic â especially for me as a German â is an unimaginable mess. Germans love their rules so much, they even try to reprimand strangers, if they think they did something wrong. But once you get used to the Chinese way, you will quickly find out there are some rules too. If you abide by these you should be able to keep yourself out of harmâs way. Here I present to you the …
*~Guide to Survive in Chinese Traffic~*
#1 Keep calm
You need to be relaxed! Donât panic and donât get angry or frustrated. Put your mind at ease, balance your yin and yang and go with the flow. Actually it might help if you did some Taijiquan practice before you set out.
#2 Only you count
Be selfish! Donât wait until someone will let you go first, because they wonât. Just set yourself a goal you want to reach and walk straight to it. Only evade or stop when your life might be in danger.
#3 Wheels before legs
As a pedestrian you are of the lowest rank. Even a zebra crossing or a green traffic light wonât mean that youâre safe. People on motorbikes will drive on the pavement and honk you out of the way. Sometimes there is no pavement, so just walk on the road.
#4 Look out 360°
Be prepared that there will be people, bicycles, motorbikes, cars and buses coming from every direction at all times. And also forget about the rule that left turning vehicles have to wait for the ones going straight.
#5 Honk
If you drive a vehicle that is able to do so, honk! Honking is very appropriate at all times: to make people move out of the way, to let everyone know you are coming, to greet people, or just for no reason at all.
Public Transport:
These are some special rules for using public transport.
#1 Buy a travel card
If you are in a city that provides a public transport card, buy it! It will save you so much time and Chinese people wonât try to squeeze in next to you while you are rummaging through your bag in search of the bus fare. If there is none, make sure to have the right amount of money (usually 2 Yuan) ready.
#2 Donât wait in line
Never try to wait in line, because there is no line. As soon as the door opens try to get in, even if there are still people coming out. (I must admit Germans in bigger cities are also very bad at this)
#3 The exit
If the vehicle is crowded get ready to exit at least one stop before you want to get off, because no one will really make room for you. When getting off the bus look out for bicycles or motorbikes or they might drive right into you.
#4 Squeeze in
The bus or metro look full to you? You can always give it a try. Just imagine you are very thin, hold your stomach in and maybe it fits.
#5 Have Faith
Always trust the bus driver. The experience can be close to Harry Potterâs ride on the Nightbus. Also, remember the first rule. đ
In this kind of environment it is natural that you will be pushed and get some elbows here and there but remember not to get aggressive. The people donât mean to be bad, itâs just what they are used to do. If you grew up in a country with so many people youâd have to be a little selfish and fight for your spot. In the beginning I had to get used to it, but now Iâve found it quite fun to be a little reckless.
Do you think youâre ready for this adventure? Then come to China and jump into the fray. Do an internship and apply now!