Lüshunkou, Dalian

Lüshunkou is a district of Dalian in the Liaoning province of China.

It sits at the extreme southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. This location makes it a very important maritime area. To the southeast lies the Yellow Sea. To the east is the Korea Bay. The Bohai Sea sits to the west of the peninsula. If you look across the Bohai Gulf, you will find Beijing to the west-northwest. The district is famous for its natural harbor. This harbor is very well-sheltered and easy to defend.

The geography of the harbor is a key reason for its history. The inner natural harbor looks like a lake from above. This sheltered shape made it a perfect spot for 19th-century fortifications. In the late 1880s, the Qing dynasty hired the German company Krupp to build defenses. They did this after local contractors failed to do the job correctly. These fortifications were meant to protect the port from enemies. Because the harbor controls the northern Yellow Sea routes, it is a vital strategic point. It also sits near the passage to Tianjin.

Lüshunkou has held many different names throughout history. In 1371, the name Lüshunkou was used. It means "port of smooth journeys." This name honored a successful Ming expedition into Liaodong. In English, the area was often called Port Arthur. This name came from William Arthur, a British Royal Navy Lieutenant. He surveyed the harbor in 1860 while on the HMS Algerine. When the Japanese Empire controlled the peninsula, they called it Ryojun. This is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters.

The area became a center of conflict during the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. Japanese forces wanted to control the Liaodong Peninsula and its strategic port. On November 20, 1894, 15,000 Japanese troops defeated 13,000 Qing soldiers. This battle led to the Port Arthur massacre. During this event, between 2,600 civilians and 20,000 people died. Japan eventually took control of the whole peninsula. However, France, Germany, and Russia intervened. This group was called the Triple Intervention. They forced Japan to give the territory back in 1895.

Later, the Russian Empire gained control of the area. In 1898, they coerced a lease from China for the Liaodong Peninsula. Russia created the territory of Russian Dalian. They built a railroad to connect Port Arthur to Harbin. Tsar Nicholas II wanted this Pacific port to improve Russian security. He also wanted to grow Russian economic influence. He founded the city of Dalny near Port Arthur. These Russian actions caused great resentment in Japan. This tension eventually led to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.

The Russo-Japanese War was a major conflict centered on this port. Japan attacked Port Arthur and the Russian fleet in February 1904. This was the opening battle of the war. One famous moment was a night attack using torpedoes.

The Japanese navy also fought a battle in the Yellow Sea. By July 1904, the Japanese army reached the outer defenses. The Siege of Port Arthur lasted from June until January 1905. The port finally fell to Japan on January 2, 1905.

After World War II, the administration of the area changed again. The Soviet Union initially administered the port after Japan's defeat. They rented the port from China until 1950. In 1950, the Soviets presented the port to the People's Republic of China. However, Soviet troops stayed in the city until 1955. Lüshun was later redesignated as a district of Dalian in 1960. Today, the district has a permanent population of 398,579 people. It is a modern area with many growing features. Some parts of the naval zone remain off-limits to foreigners. However, the district is very modernized. You can visit the World Peace Park on the western coast. Many universities are also moving to the area. For example, Dalian Medical University is moving to the eastern slope of Baiying Mountain. You can even use the Bohai Train Ferry to travel between Lüshun, Dalian, and Yantai.