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Trams keep Dalian on right track

By ZHANG XIAOMIN in Dalian, Liaoning | China Daily Global | Updated: 2021-05-11 07:54

Witnessing history

In 1898, the Czar of Russia "rented" Lyuda, an area of Dalian, from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) government. The following year, the Russians started to build a city called Dalny, which means "remote "in Russian, in what is now downtown Dalian.

When the Japanese took over the city in 1905 after winning the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), they changed its name to Dalian and began electric railway construction on a large scale.

On Sept 25, 1909, the first tramcar in Northeast China trundled slowly through the streets of the city.

After launching its first tram route, which was 2.45 kilometers long, the city opened 10 lines in the next 30 years, with a total length of 32.7 km. More than 100 tramcars were in operation.

When the Japanese were driven out of China, they destroyed some of the tramcars and lines. Only three lines and 38 cars could be used.

The main task for the city's transportation company at the time was to step up tramcar repairs and recovery operations. Such work grew rapidly.

In the 1950s and '60s, when Dalian had its largest number of trams, it boasted 11 lines with a total length of 48.9 km. There were 144 tramcars, more than 5,000 employees and daily passenger volume exceeded 450,000.

Jiang, from the Dalian Museum, said, "Trams were the main means of transportation for local residents at the time."

However, in the 1970s, as the population grew, and with more vehicles on the roads, the trams were criticized for their slow speed, noise and for taking up too much of the city's streets.

Trams no longer operate in many Chinese cities, as residents have turned increasingly to buses for transportation.

In 1977, Dalian, which was eager to transform itself into a more beautiful modern city, decided to retain three tram routes.

"It was a wise move and shows decision-makers' consideration for history," Jiang said, adding that after a century of ups and downs, trams have "entered the emotional world "of Dalian people.

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