Dalian, China - Spires and Olympic Circles

We left the community center and continued on our way to the next stop.  I spotted a tall spire on a unique building.  Still searching to figure out what this building is for, called, etc.

Dalian, China - Fun Ideas on Retirement

The original tour was scheduled to attend a school, complete with a performance by the children.  Since it was Saturday, the school was closed and we were rescheduled to go to a local community center for a performance.  The guide said that the retirement age was in the mid to late 50s and that the older adults they took time to learn art skills.  The center members put on dance and musical routines, as well as sold crafts.  Enjoy the photos and have fun. The participants surely enjoyed themselves and the interaction with the visitors.  This man was my favorite.

Dalian, China - Looking for Work

The workers lined the blue wall around a construction site, showing that they have the tools to do the work.  The guide explained that this is a regular practice.  I see this in Phoenix also, but the workers do not bring their tools with them.

Dalian, China - Saturday in the City

The streets are very busy as we ride along on a Saturday morning. A few cars and motorcycles make their way.

Dalian, China - Mix of the Old and the New

This is another section of the Dalian that appears to be under renovation.  There were sections with high rise buildings and trees recently planted in one block and older buildings in the next.

Dalian, China - Apartments and Lower Level Businesses

This residential area had a lot of multi-story apartments.  There were large sections of housing only.

Dalian, China - First City Views (Part 2)

Dalian city taxis zipped along the streets, looking for passengers.

Dalian, China - First City Views (Part 1)

We left Tianjin port and sailed the Bohai Sea, and arrived the next morning in another Chinese coastal city, Dalian.  Dalian has a long history as a small fishing village to the bustling city that exists today.  Our tour guide started telling us all about the city and we were off on our day long tour.

Dalian, China - City Tour

We had a full day in Dalian.  The original agenda included a stop at the kindergarten for a school performance, but because we were in town on a weekend, the stop was switched to a local retirement community center. I was pleasantly surprised with the show that the center presented for us. Everyone was happy to take photos.  We also stopped at a large public gathering  plaza.  The big activity here was kite flying.  We then went to a huge Farmer’s Market and as a grand finale visited the home of a local.  She graciously provided tea and snacks, and answered questions about her life (through an interpreter).   I enjoyed the day and have a lot of photos to show of the street scenes and more details of the stops.

China - Apartment Building Construction

Farmland is replaced by high rises, banks and banks and banks of high rises, in anticipation of the migration to the city.  This is one photo of a segment of the apartments for Kevin. This is truly incredible to see. The cranes are becoming the national bird of China.