The name Dalian City originates from Dalian Bay, a name first mentioned in modern times. In 1880, Li Hongzhang, Minister of the Northern Warlords, mentioned "Dalian Bay" in a memorial regarding the construction of a military port at Dalian Bay. One theory is that the name Dalian is a transliteration of "Dalini," a Russian word meaning "faraway." The name originated after Dalian became a Russian concession and was named Darini by order of Tsar Nicholas, who also opened it as a free trade port. During the Japanese occupation, the city was renamed Dalian in February 1905, the 31st year of the Guangxu reign.
Dalian boasts a long history, having been developed as early as 6,000 years ago. It was officially named Dalian City in 1899, the 25th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. In 1984, it was approved as a coastal open city. In 1985, it was designated as a separately planned city, enjoying provincial-level economic management authority. In 1994, it was approved as a sub-provincial city.
Dalian is a major coastal central city, a modern marine city, an international integrated transportation hub, an international shipping center in Northeast Asia, an international logistics center, an advanced manufacturing base in Northeast China, and an international coastal tourism destination, designated by the State Council. It is a major port, industrial, trade, financial, and tourist city in China, an international trade center and a regional financial center. It serves as a window to Northeast China's opening up to the outside world and serves as a central city in the Liaoning Coastal Economic Zone. It is also a National Sanitary City, a National Forest City, a National Garden City, a National Civilized City, a National Model City for Intellectual Property Strong Cities, a benchmark city for China's international business environment, and one of the first national model cities for building a law-based government. In 2018 and 2020, it was selected as a GaWC World Second-Tier City.