Pulandian Aston

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Pulandian lies near the coast in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. Although legally part of Dalian, Pulandian is 72 km north of that metropolis and is easily accessible by an excellent transportation system. Here is a prosperous Chinese city with small town atmosphere, proximity to the ocean, and clean air and blue skies.

The train trip from Dalian into Pulandian is a pleasant one hour journey and the trains travel frequently. As you arrive and walk out onto the main city square there is no doubt that you have entered a place with a much different energy the coastal hub to the south. You will be greeted by dozens of people as you wander the outdoor markets all around you. The hectic bustle of the marketplace, the frantic bargaining for goods, the chaos of the bus and train stations all combine to give the city it’s own personality distinct from the major metropolitan centers of the province.

Pulandian is a modern city with an excellent infrastructure. Businesses are family run and include numerous shops, department stores, markets, book stores, restaurants, art galleries, and enormous flower markets. There is a modern hospital with excellent services.

Pulandian is famous in Liaoning for its lotus ponds, clean air, and peaceful lifestyle. In the early morning joggers take to the streets and the old folks gather in the parks for a bit of Tai Chi. Traditional arts are alive and well and there is opportunity to engage in the study of anything from Mandarin and calligraphy to kung fu and tai chi.

Outside of town, the city is surrounded by groves of apple trees for which this area is famous. During the autumn colorful corn fields can be seen everywhere in the countryside. There are small vegetable farms and farmers regularly bring green vegetables, turnips, cabbages and other produce into the many markets that abound in the city. This is a mountainous region and there is good transportation enabling the intrepid to get out and do some hiking and explore village life.

One of the economic drivers of this small city is the large malt plant which brings barley from all over the world for making malt, which is the heart of the brewery industry. The modern state of the art plant produces malt for many companies including Budweiser, Tsingdao, and many other local Chinese beers.

Pulandian offers seafood aficionados a chance to partake in some of China’s most delicious cuisine. Fishing fleets pull up daily in the local bays and the resulting fresh food in the town’s restaurants is fantastic. This is family style Manchurian cooking at its finest with emphasis on hearty, filling recipes. There are places around town to sample the other styles of Chinese food including Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Hunan cooking. Western and international options are limited in Pulandian, although Dalian is only an hour away.

Pulandian is in the main north-south rail line in Liaoning making travel to other places in the province convenient. Shenyang is less than 3 hours to the north and there are frequent departures. Dandong is a little over 4 hours away. All trains departing Dalian for destinations throughout China must pass Pulandian enabling overnight travel to a number of locations. There is a fleet of busses servicing the rural areas of the region.

School

Pulandian Aston opened in spring of 2006 and is the newest edition of the Dalian family of schools. Bringing a decade’s experience of ESL education in Dalian has enabled us to establish ourselves quickly in our new location. We offer Pulandian’s residents, many of who previously commuted to our other schools, an opportunity to study in a professional and proven environment.

We are located about 10 minutes walk north of the train station and city center. We occupy two floors in a spacious building. The first floor has reception and office areas, while the majority of classrooms and teacher’s facilities are on the second floor. The Teachers’ Lounge has computers and a number of resources available.

We are a small and new school with a few hundred students. Our staff currently includes two Western teachers, three Chinese teachers, and a number of office staff. Our proximity to Dalian allows us to benefit from their training and staff support.

Apartments

Pulandian Aston provides accommodation for Western teaching staff in an apartment located about 10 minutes walk from the school. The apartment is 2 bedroom and spacious, set among a residential community. It is easy to walk around town from there and there are hundreds of shops and restaurants nearby. Alternatively, there may be an option to stay in one of our downtown apartments and commute to work on the weekends, so you can enjoy the benefits of living in the big city and working in a rural setting.

Resources

"Pulandian" on Flickr "Pulandian" on YouTube "Pulandian" on Picasa Dalian City Guide