Tracing the origins of Liaohe Civilization: the beginning and dawn of a city

Dalian's cultural spark did not fall accidentally. It is gently surrounded by the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea in southern Liaoning.

At Xiaozhu Mountain in Guanglu Island, Changhai County, the tip of the archaeological shovel has cut open the strata, taking us back to the Neolithic Age, which dates back seven thousand years.

The discovery of Xiaozhushan Culture is like opening the title page of a huge book. Those polished stone axes and pottery shards with sand are not only evidence of ancient people's adaptation to the survival of nature, but also the most primitive explanation of the relationship between man and place.

A long time ago, our ancestors chose to live in the hills along the seaside. They not only benefited from fishing and salting, but also benefited from the abundance of mountain and forest products. This model of "relying on the sea for survival and relying on the mountains and forests for survival" as a way of livelihood established the simple and tough underlying genes of Dalian regional culture.

What they faced was a complex environment of intertwined mountains and seas. What they created was a picture of early civilization that coexisted with adaptation and utilization. This laid the initial foundation for this land to become a key node in the Northeast Asia Corridor.

Maritime affairs: a millennium context of multicultural collisions

At that time, the trajectory of time passed through the Qin and Han Dynasties. Dalian was no longer just a place where tribes lived, but instead transformed into a forward stronghold for the Central Plains regime to plan and manage the Northeast.

During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a Maritime Silk Road route started from the Shandong Peninsula, passed through Dalian, and then extended to the Korean Peninsula, turning this place into a crossroads for civilizational exchanges.

There are Muyangcheng ruins in Lushun and Zhangdian Hancheng ruins in Pulandian. Those ruins are already in ruins. However, the unearthed "Heyang Order Seal" sealing mud and horseshoe gold can silently tell the central dynasty's jurisdiction over this land and tell the infiltration of culture.

Time flies to the Tang Honglu Well Engraved Stone. It is a historical monument that witnessed the Tang Dynasty's canonization of the Mohe leader Da Zuorong as the Bohai County King in 713 AD. Although it has been exiled overseas, the content engraved on it is precisely the core position that Dalian occupied at that time as the sea and land hub of Northeast Asia, in the process of ethnic integration and national identity construction.

At the turn of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, this place once again became a coastal defense outpost to resist foreign aggression. From the beacon tower at Lushunkou used to convey military information in the Ming Dynasty to the coastal defense forts in the Qing Dynasty, every brick and stone is full of the blood and sweat of the soldiers guarding the border. It also witnesses the historical changes of this land from a deserted border land to a coastal defense location with important protective significance.

Echoes deep in the streets: the humanistic warmth of old courtyards and diverse buildings

In modern times, Dalian's urban memory has been engraved with more complex and profound imprints.

If the fishing village at Qingniwa Bridge is the infancy of the city, then the colonial rule of Tsarist Russia and Japan started the evolution of urbanization in a humiliating and painful way.

Today, when we wander around the Russian-style street north of Victory Bridge, those gorgeous "spires" and "steep slopes" are not simply exotic, but something solidified by a special history, a legacy of "Dalini's" short-lived dream.

These blocks can not only be regarded as architectural forms, but also the spatial projection of social structures. They have witnessed the agglomeration of the urban population, the emergence of industry and commerce, and the initial formation of civil society.

From here, you can see the texture of this city that has grown through hardships, and you can feel the vitality of the market that is still growing tenaciously in a narrow place. This is what you feel here!

A new chapter in the spirit of mountains and seas and the times: from “No. 1 in China” to “open frontier”

The location of Lushunkou is related to the modern historical process of half of China. The smoke of the Sino-Japanese War and the artillery fire during the Russo-Japanese War once dyed this mountain and sea red.

Even so, such ups and downs have forged the spirit of Dalian people who are tenacious and unyielding and striving towards the sea.

After the founding of New China, Dalian quickly recovered from the trauma of the war. With its strong port and industrial foundation, Dalian became the industrial backbone of the Republic.

"Dalian Locomotive" is traveling across the country, and the reputation of "Dalian Shipbuilding" has shocked overseas countries. In this area, it can fully bear the reputation of "China's No. 1 Development Zone" without any shame.

The spring breeze of reform and opening up has injected unprecedented vitality into this coastal city.

From the collision of wisdom at the Davos Forum to the colorful silhouettes presented at the International Fashion Festival; from the magnificent Xinghai Bay Bridge with its flying bridge to the modern Donggang Business District, Dalian has always embraced the world with an open, inclusive and pioneering attitude.

The coastal road is winding and undulating. It connects not only the beautiful scenery of Bangchui Island and Laohu Beach, but also the city's exploration track of seeking a balance between tradition and modernity, protection and development.

Looking at the thousand-year change process of Dalian, from Xiaozhu Mountain in ancient times, to the changing situation in modern times, and now as a highland of open fields, there is always a clear main line running through it: that is the interaction between people and the sea, the mutual integration and exchanges facing the outside, and the vigorous and enterprising spirit that never bows to difficulties but forges ahead.

The spirit of this city is contained in the bold dialect context with the "flavor of oysters", is recorded in the "ding-dong" sound of century-old trams, and flows in the blood of every citizen who lives towards the sea.

She has characteristics like a heavy book, which records suffering and glory; she is like a soulful song, singing homesickness and dreams; she is a long picture, waiting for us to create a more splendid tomorrow.