Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning Province, China. It is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's northernmost warm water port, at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. Dalian is the province's second largest city and has sub-provincial administrative status; only the provincial capital (Shenyang) is larger. The Shandong Peninsula lies southwest across the Bohai Sea; Korea lies across the Yellow Sea to the east.
Today, a financial, shipping and logistics center for Northeast 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 was better known as Port Arthur and Ryojun from the original Port Arthur, now the Lüshunkou district.
In 2015, Dalian ranks 41st in the Global Financial Centres Index published by the Z/Yen Group and Qatar Financial Centre Authority, the other Chinese cities on the list being Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing. In 2012, Dalian ranked 82nd in the Global City Competitiveness Index, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (The Economist Group). In 2006, Dalian was named China's most livable city by China Daily.