Dalian on the right track
Iconic trams manifest how history, progress strike a fine balance as the city moves forward
The first tram of the day sounds its bell at 4:10 am in Dalian, Liaoning province, where the vehicles have been operating for nearly 112 years. More than 19 hours later, at 11:50 pm, the streets of the northeastern port city fall silent as the last tram run is completed.
Jiang Ye, director of the Dalian Museum, who also researches industrial heritage, said, “For Dalian, trams are no longer just a means of transportation, they are also part of the city’s diverse culture and development history.”
Sixteen tramcars manufactured in the 1930s are still operating on one route in the city.
“They are like living sculptures and have witnessed many changes in Dalian during the past 100 years,” Jiang said.
During the five-day May Day holiday, many tourists visited Dalian to take the trams and gain a sense of history.
A group of enthusiasts said in a social media post, “When the setting sun shines on a tram as it makes its way slowly along the tracks surrounded by skyscrapers and heavy traffic, it is as if people are taking a journey through the past and present.”
Dalian and Hong Kong are the only two Chinese cities where trams have operated for more than a century.
Generations of workers at the tram branch of the Dalian Passenger Transport Group Co have maintained and upgraded the city’s tram system.
In addition to 16 old tramcars, the city boasts a total of 55 other new cars manufactured in 1983 and 2000, running on two lines with a total length of 25 kilometers.
They share the same power supply system and tracks, but the new cars are less noisy, more energy-efficient and have different transmission systems and wheels than the older models.
Cui Baojun, a tram depot maintenance department group leader, said: “The 16 old cars were mainstream models used worldwide in the 1930s. They are our treasures.”
The vehicles still have their original main frames, but other parts, including the controls, have gradually been replaced by domestically made components.
Some parts were replaced because the manufacturers no longer produced them, while others made way for new technology, Cui said.
For instance, the original highvoltage motors, which could generate sparks, were replaced by lowervoltage models.
During the upgrading work, a combination of traditional and modern techniques was used to preserve the original exteriors and interiors.
Wood and copper feature heavily in the tramcar designs. “However, wood ages so fast that it has to be refurbished every 10 years,” Cui said.
His father, Cui Changju, also worked for the Dalian Passenger Transport Group Co and was involved in manufacturing China’s first domestically produced streamlined trolley car.
When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, trams were the only form of public transportation in Dalian.
However, some of the vehicles were in such a poor state of repair that they could not be put into service. Many people also had a negative attitude toward the trams, as they were made by the Japanese.
As a result, China had an urgent need to produce its own tramcars.
Cui Changju said, “The factory we worked for didn’t have enough money, so we used our skills to earn more for it, such as by repairing motors for other companies and sharpening kitchen knives for local residents.”
The workers also successfully produced China’s first streamlined trolley car, despite having no drawings to work from. They lacked molds and spare parts, so they made these themselves.
“In this way, we overcame our difficulties and problems one by one. After a year, on the eve of National Day in 1951, we produced the landmark trolley car,” Cui Changju said.
Later, the company produced China’s first electric locomotive for use in mines and its first trackless trolley car.
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 RussoJapanese 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 and more than 5,000 employees. 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.
Zhang Sijun, an avid tram enthusiast, recalls taking his first journey in one when he was a senior university student visiting a friend in Dalian in 1998.
“Through the mist, the early morning sun shone on the near-empty street. Our tramcar trundled along, with passengers ringing the bell to get off. It was so special,” he said.
Five years later, Zhang was assigned by his company to work in Dalian. During a weekend, he arranged to take the tram, rekindling his love for this form of transportation.
Later, he became a keen photographer, with the city’s trams providing the ideal backdrop. He takes photos of them at sunrise and sunset, and in all types of weather.
Yu Hong, 52, operations management director at the tram company, said, “The trams undoubtedly have a unique charm,” adding that she misses the days when she used to drive them.
In 1985, she started work as a tramcar attendant, becoming a driver six years later.
“It was not an easy job. If I worked the early shift, I had to leave home at 2:30 am and walk to the depot. Our tram was the earliest one people could take to get to work. If I was on the late shift, I had to walk home at midnight,” Yu said.
In winter, she had to wear thick clothing, as there was no heating on the trams. “However, the passengers’ greetings and smiles made me feel happy,” Yu said.
At the time, the tram route connecting Xinggong Street, Dalian Railway Station and the seafront area was densely populated and many residents were familiar with the drivers and attendants, she said.
Now, as some residential areas have been relocated, the route is less crowded.
Zou Benhong, a tramcar attendant on the route, said more tourists are taking the trams for sightseeing.
“Young people like taking photos and videos in the tramcars. Such visual records will enable more people to become familiar with the vehicles,” she said.
“I’ve been in this job for 31 years and I’m due to retire in two years, but I will find it hard to leave.
“Maybe when I retire, I’ll volunteer to become a narrator to tell people the stories of our century-old trams.”
Although most Dalian residents wanted to retain the trams, there was some opposition.
Rush-hour congestion led some car owners to suggest that the slowmoving trams be taken off the roads, especially those on Route 202, which overlaps partly with the city’s subway Line 1 that started to operate in 2015.
Wen Wu, deputy general manager of the Dalian Passenger Transport Group Co tram branch, said, “With the rapid development of the subway, light rail and new energy buses, the number of tram passengers has been gradually falling.
“Trams have become part of my life, my blood and my soul,” said Wen, 50, who has worked for the company for 30 years. “With our experience, it is the responsibility of employees such as myself to think about what’s next for the city’s trams.”
Wen believes passenger transportation and the culture of trams hold the key to the future.
“The tram is becoming a cultural brand in Dalian. We need more joint efforts on a number of fronts to make the city more influential.”
Wen hopes that one day, people around the country will be aware that they can take trams in Dalian to trace the city’s history and discover its present-day charm.