Kwantung Peninsula, Peninsula in northeast China
The Kwantung Peninsula is a peninsula in northeast China, forming the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and pointing into the Yellow Sea. Dalian is its main city, sitting at the southernmost end, while the rest of the peninsula is made up of coastal hills and smaller towns.
The peninsula became a focus of rivalry between Japan and Russia at the end of the 19th century, and Japan took control of it after the war of 1904 to 1905. It remained under Japanese administration until 1945, when Soviet forces entered and it was eventually returned to China.
The name Kwantung means 'east of Shanhai Pass,' which refers to the pass in the Great Wall that marked the boundary between China proper and Manchuria. Walking through cities like Dalian today, visitors still notice traces of Japanese urban planning in the layout of streets, roundabouts, and some older buildings.
Dalian is the main entry point and travel hub for the peninsula, with an airport and connections by train and ferry. The coastal areas are easiest to visit in the warmer months, as winters in this part of northeast China can be cold and windy.
The port of Lüshun, known in the West as Port Arthur, sits at the very tip of the peninsula and still has fortifications and bunkers that visitors can walk through today. It was one of the few places where the battles of 1904 left physical traces that have not been removed.
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