Dandong Travel Guide
Population: 2,410,000
Area: 14,981 square kilometers (5,784 square miles)
Nationalities: Han, Manchu
Administrative Division: 3 districts (Zhenxing, Yuanbao, Zhen'an); 1 autonomous county (Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County); 2 county-level cities (Fengcheng, Donggang)
Seat of the city government: No.1, Jinshan Dajie, Zhenxing District, Dandong City
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0415-3147943
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184
Bank of China Dandong Branch: No.108, Jinshan Dajie, Zhenxing District, Dandong City
China Post Dandong Branch: Qijing Street, Zhenxing District, Dandong Road
Location: Dandong lies in the southeast of Liaoning Province, separated from the North Korea by the exotic Yalu River. The Yellow Sea is off its south edge and the modern city Dalian is just adjacent to the city in the northeast.
History: Situated in China's frontier area, Dandong has always been a vital fortress of great military importance since extremely long ago. During the last years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the cutting-off of trade communication with outside areas made it decay, and it was gradually involved in a promising state in early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was until 1965 that Dandong was changed its name from Andong City.
Physical Features: Except the coastal plain, majority of the city's territory is seated in the vast mountainous and hilly area in eastern Liaoning. Medium and low mountains in the north, hilly area in the south and the coastal plain in south fringes of Dandong constitute the main components of the city's landform.
Climatic Features: Enjoying a temperate humid continental monsoon climate, moderate weather, harmonious distribution of rainfall and sunshine make the city a wet land in dry Noth China and a warm area in cold Northeast China. The city's rainstorms mainly concentrate on the period from mid-July to mid-August. Dandong has an annual temperature of 6.8-8.7C (44.2-47.7F), summer is hot but torrid duration during the season is really short.
When to Go: April to October is the best time to visit Dandong.
Local Highlights: Dandong Yalu River International Tourism Festival usually in September
Special Local Products: tussah, shellfish, honey
Scenic Spots:
Dalu (Deer) Island lies in Dagushan Town of Donggang City. It is a vital fortress and port on the sea, and a beautiful island for tourists. The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) broke out on the sea around the island, left tourists endless meditation for the past. This island is also rich in sea product and boasts natural bathing beaches. While having a pleasant time in the soft beach, visitors can also please their palate.
Fenghuang (Phoenix) Mountain, 57 kilometers (35 miles) northwest to the Dandong city proper, is one of the four famous mountains in Liaoning. It features different fascinating sceneries in different seasons. Temples, stone inscriptions and many other humanistic relics surrounded by emerald mountains make up an exquisite piece of Chinese landscape painting.
Other Scenic Spots: Qingshan Gully, Yalu River Bridge, the Great Wall on Hushan (Tiger) Mountain
Tourist Tips:
1. Dandong Airport stands in the southwest outskirt, about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) from downtown Dandong offering flights to Beijing everyday and three flights a week to Shanghai and Shenzhen, two flights to Sanya. In 2007, Dandong-Seoul flight was opened in May.
2. Dandong is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Shenyang and 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Dalian, about three and a half hours' drive to the destinations. For individual visitors, buses to Shenyang and Dalian are easily available from the passenger transport central station of Dandong in No.98, Shiwei Road, Zhenxing District.
3. The Port of Dandong is seated on the west side of the Yalu River outlet. It consists of a sea port and a river port: Dadong in southern Donggang City and Langtou in Langtou Town on the lower reaches of the Yalu River. They are respectively 43 and 12 kilometers (27 and 7.5 miles) from the Dandong city proper. From the Port of Dandong, visitors can go upstream and admire the scenery along the river. Furthermore, there are two passenger transport ships a week running from Dandong to Inchon and Busan of Korea.