Dalian is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city and the fourth-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the southern tip of Liaodong peninsula, it is the southernmost city in both Liaoning and the entire Northeast. Dalian borders the prefectural cities of Yingkou and Anshan to the north and Dandong to the northeast, and also shares maritime boundaries with Qinhuangdao and Huludao across the Liaodong Bay to west and northwest, Yantai and Weihai on the Shandong peninsula across the Bohai Strait to the south, and North Korea across the Korea Bay to the east.
Today a financial, shipping, and logistics center for East Asia, Dalian has a significant history of being used by foreign powers for its ports. Dalian was previously known as both "Dalniy" and "Dairen". However, the city used to be better known as "Port Arthur" and "Ryojun" from the original Port Arthur, now the city's Lüshunkou district.
In 2016, Dalian ranked 48th in the Global Financial Centres Index. In 2012, Dalian ranked 82nd in the Global City Competitiveness Index.