Weather
Average temperatures range from −4°C in winter to 24°C in summer. Due to its warm continental climate, it neither gets too too warm in summer nor too cold in winter. The East Asian monsoon brings rain in summer but winters tend to be windy and dry.
Language
Mandarin is the main language. The local dialect, known as Dalian-hua, is related to the Shandong dialect, and can sometimes be hard to understand for those unfamiliar with it.
Time Difference
GMT +8 hours
Visa
China’s 72-hour visa-free transit policy allows air passengers from 53 countries to transit and stay for up to 72 hours (3 days) in 18 cities in China, including Dalian, without a visa. Citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan holding ordinary passports do not require a visa if they are staying for no more than 15 days and not visiting for work or study purposes. To find out if you require a visa, check with your consulate or embassy before your travel dates.
Currency
The unit currency is Renminbi (RMB), which comes in denominations of one, two, five, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Credit cards are widely accepted at larger establishments.
VAT
All prices are tax-inclusive when charged and there is no other tax that needs to be levied.
Gratuity: Tipping is not commonly practised in China. Most hotels automatically add a 15% service charge to the total bill.
Business Hours
Banks and government offices:
Mondays to Fridays, 09:00 to 17:00 hours
Saturdays, 09:00 to 13:00 hours
Offices:
Mondays to Fridays, 09:00 to 18:00 hours
Shops and department stores, may vary but mostly:
Mondays to Sundays: 10:00 to 22:00 hours, including public holidays.
Cellular Network
The three biggest mobile telephone service providers are China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom.
Electricity
Voltage is 220V AC.
Public Holidays
New Year's Day, Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and China National Day.