The China Modern Dalian Museum has been opened to the public in Dalian, a coastal and port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The museum, which was built at a cost of 200 million yuan, is located on the north of Star Bay Square, the largest seaside plaza in Asia.

Covering 21,600 square meters and with a floor space of 30,400 square meters, the museum highlights the history of the city, which came into being in 1899 and witnessed a number of major historical events including the 1894 Sino-Japanese War and the 1904 Russo-Japanese War.

Dalian, a major tourism destination, hopes to attract more tourists from home and abroad, with the opening of the new museum, according to local officials.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2002)