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Although our Qingdao guide accompanied us throughout the trip, we were met off the ferry in Dalian by another guide - Ying, an expert on the local attractions, although she quickly learned, as had her Qingdao colleague before her, that she was surrounded by a bit more expertise than she found in the average tour group.
Ying and Jack, the driver, very quickly learned that her new brood had another difference. She greeted us at the ferry pier by saying: "I suppose you would all like to go to lunch now?" This was met by a resounding answer in the negative. Having been jolted about on the boat we were not immediately interested in food.
Dalian city tour
Instead we asked for the bus to go round some of the streets in the old Russian quarter. Specifically, we pointed out the photographs in "Far from Home" and said that we would like to see those and see them we did.
The People's Theatre looks a bit more garish these days, and has been turned into a Blackpool-like amusement hall. However, the majority of what we had come to see was there waiting for us, looking as splendid and impressive as we had hoped. Zhongshan Square (the former Great Square of the original Russian plan) still contains all the solid bank buildings from many years ago. All are now Chinese banks, but clearly recognisable are the buildings from all the old photographs. The square also includes one of Dalian's three former Yamato Hotels, now glorying in the name of the Dalian Guest House. Do not be put off by this name, however it is far from being a bed and breakfast in Bognor. The wrought iron canopy leads you into one of the most impressive marble lobbies of any hotel I have seen. Our experience in Yantai leads me to believe that the term "guest house" is reserved for the grandest of available accommodation, reserved for the party's great and good.
For me one of the most distinctly Russian buildings, and one that features prominently in "Far from Home", is located just on the far side of the Victory Bridge (rather a practical name - not sure who's victory over whom), on the road leading north-west from Zhongshan Square.
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