page_title: Dalian
section_title: Sports
hierarchical_section_title: Dalian / Culture / Sports
caption_attribution_description: English: China Martial Arts Hall at Jinshitan National Holiday Resort, Dalian, China
context_page_description: 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 centre 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. In 2006, Dalian was named China's most livable city by China Daily.
context_section_description: Sports play a big role in the local culture. Dalian's former association football club, Dalian Shide (formerly known as Dalian Wanda as the club was originally sponsored by the Dalian Wanda Group), achieved a total of eight titles from China's top-tier football league, the Chinese Jia-A League and the later rebranded Chinese Super League, and was widely considered one of the most successful clubs in Chinese football history. In the Asian Football Confederation, the club reached the 1997–98 Asian Club Championship and 2000–01 Asian Cup Winners' Cup finals. Several of China's greatest players, including Sun Jihai, Hao Haidong and Li Ming, made their names with Dalian Shide. Dalian also produced many top Chinese football players thanks to its youth training system and grassroots football culture. As of the 2014 season of the Chinese Super League, out of the 448 registered Chinese players, a total of 71 players are from Dalian. Therefore, Dalian earned its nickname of China's "Football City" (足球城), and a giant football statue was placed in the Labor Park near downtown Dalian in its honor. Current football clubs in the city are Dalian Yifang playing in the Chinese Super League and Dalian Chanjoy playing in the country's 3rd-tier league, the China League Two. Their home stadiums are Dalian Sports Center Stadium and Jinzhou Stadium, respectively.
  The 60,663-capacity Dalian Sports Centre Stadium, the 30,777-capacity Jinzhou Stadium, the 30,000-capacity Puwan New District Stadium and the 8,000-capacity Dalian Medical University Stadium are located in Dalian.
  Some other popular sports played in Dalian are swimming, skiing, golf, cycling, bowling and billiards. The government hold various events every year in Dalian, like marathon, tennis and so on.
  As part of the 2013 National Games of China in Liaoning in 2013, Dalian was a host city for 12 events, including synchronized swimming, field hockey, gymnastics, sailing and canoeing.
  In Feb 2018, Dalian Wanda Group decided to take over Dalian Yifang F.C. football club, after lapse of 20 years Wanda Group come back to reinvest Dalian football club. Wanda Group announced long-term investment plan to help Dalian build football infrastructure, and concentrate on youth training and revitalize Dalian football and Chinese football.
caption: China Martial Arts Hall, at Jinshitan National Holiday Resort
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