Viking Yi Dun

We got on our ship, the Viking Yi Dun, on Friday, September 19th. It was a no hassle, very easy and quick process. Part of the ease, we found out later, the boat is less than half full. Capacity is about 950 and we’re told that only 425 passengers are on this cruise.

Our ship the Yi Dun. Different than other Viking ships from a crew stand point. It has an all Chinese crew rather than a blended crew with members from several different countries.

First port , Dalian. a summer seaside resort city because of its moderate climate. It was 75 degrees when we visited. It is home to China’s largest martial arts museum. Dalian has a population of 8 million. It is located on a peninsula between the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay…. on the map it’s a stones throw to North Korea. In 1898 Russia claimed the area and built a port nearby because it was the closest harbor to Russia that did not freeze over. In 1905 Japan claimed the area and maintained control of the port and city until 1950. China took back the city and port in 1950. The Wushu Martial Arts Museum has the largest collection of Martial arts weapons.

A theater in the Wushu Martial Arts Museum houses a performing arts theater. We got to see a 45 minute performance outlining the history of kung fu.

Next stop heading south was Quingdao, the Green Island. Population 11 million. Human settlement goes back 6000 years. What really stands out and what is stressed by local guides is how much progress has been made in the last 30 years. A common theme for us is how modern and clean these cities all are. High rise buildings with lots of glass dominate the skyline. We get more information about what’s happening currently in China than historical info from many years ago. The Chinese are very proud of their recent progress.