Sunset, seen from the lighthouse on Laotie Hill on the outskirts of Lyushun, Liaoning province, tinges the boundary between the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. [Photo by Chen Liang/China Daily]

Because Lyushun is actually a district of Dalian, the major gateway to Northeast China, it is easy to arrange a weekend trip to the area from not only Beijing, but also major cities along the coast of the Bohai Sea, by air, train or even passenger liners. Surrounded by the Bohai Sea on three sides, Lyushun's geographical importance has historically led the area to be dogged by misfortune.

In 1894, during the War of Jiawu, also known as the first Sino-Japanese War, between Aug 1, 1894 and April 17, 1895, the Japanese army captured Lyushun and massacred many of its people. Lyushun suffered again in 1904 when it became a major battlefield during the Russo-Japanese War (Feb 8, 1904-Sept 5, 1905). It then endured Japanese rule for more than 40 years until 1945.

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