Dalian contact · Telecommunication networks in Dalian
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Telecommunication networks in Dalian
Telecommunication networks in Dalian
The area code for Dalian landlines is 0411. The main local telephone operator is China Netcom . Almost all hotels have at least a perfunctory business center offering Internet access (though usually at a far higher price than at an Internet café but most of the splurge hotels offer it for free).
There are a handful of public phones, as in standalone phones. These are few and far between, however, and to use them you need to purchase an IC card which can't be used for anything else. More practical, and cheap, are the phones that can be found at convenience stores or kiosks. To use these simply indicate you wish to use one, dial the number and then hand over the money (usually less than ¥1 for short local calls) to the shop assistant at the end. Not all such phones will allow you to dial outside of Dalian, however, and very few accept international calls (those that do will have the letters IDD on the telephone sign outside the shop/kiosk).
For international calls the best places to go are the phone bars (often labelled 电话吧 (diànhuà ba)), generally found around residential areas. To make a call simply walk in, choose a vacant phone and when finished indicate which phone you used to the cashier (typically the phones have a number written above them). Prices can be highly variable, but a reasonably long call shouldn't come to more than ¥50. A more expensive, and possibly more convenient, option is to ask to use the phone in hotel lobbies.
Calling cards (known as IP cards) are plentiful and, as in the rest of China, offer the cheapest way of calling overseas. Be aware, however, that not all brands of cards offer oral English instructions, so those not fluent in Mandarin would be best sticking to the two main brands (China Netcom and China Telecom).
Mobile phones, and mobile phone stores, are plentiful in Dalian. If you have an international roaming plan then you should be able to use your phone to call within Dalian, though this can be very expensive. For those staying for longer than a week or two it may be cheaper to buy a local SIM card (expect to pay around ¥50-¥100). The two main operators, China Mobile and China Unicom, operate on different standards. Select one of the two operators based on what type of phone you have. China Mobile and China Unicom utilized GSM, China Telecom CDMA.
Internet cafés, as in most Chinese cities, are plentiful and on nearly every street corner, especially in residential areas and around universities. Just look for the characters 网吧 (wǎng ba) on shop fronts. In the town center they're less numerous, though there are a few around the railway station and Victory Square. Expect to pay ¥1-5 for an hour. Wifi is available in coffee shops like Amici and Starbucks scattered throughout the city.
China Post offices are scattered around the city, with the two main branches located just west of the railway station and on Zhongshan Square. These branches, as with most larger post offices in the city, offer Western Union wiring facilities, though the branch next to the railway station is the only one which can receive funds.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Dalian
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Dalian - updated May 2024
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Dalian Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.