Time Period The Event & The Human Element
1927
(Japanese Occupation Era)		 Converted. The Japanese converted the Zhoushuizi Racecourse — originally an insect-infested marsh called "Choushuizi" (臭水子, "Smelly Waters") — into an airport, opening routes to the Korean Peninsula and Japan. A racetrack where horses once galloped now welcomed the roar of engines — a transformation that would echo through a century of turbulence.
1945–1955
(Post-WWII Transition)		 Transferred. After Japan's surrender in 1945, the airport came under Soviet Air Forces control for ten years, before being handed over to the Chinese PLA Air Force in May 1955. Three flags flew over this strip of land in thirty years — a silent witness to the shifting tides of empires.
1973
(Civil Aviation Begins)		 Opened. On April 6, 1973, the military airfield was converted into a small civil airport with a 2,040-meter runway and just 37 employees, serving a mere 1,961 passengers that year. From soldiers to schoolteachers on holiday — the sky was finally opened to ordinary people.
1984–1994
(International Expansion)		 Expanded. The runway was extended to 3,300 meters in 1984. Terminal 1 opened in September 1993. In December 1985, it was approved for international traffic, and in January 1994, it was officially renamed Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. Dalian's window to the world grew wider with each expansion — from a regional strip to a gateway connecting Northeast China to the globe.
2005–2011
(Modern Era)		 Modernized. Terminal 2 (49,000 m²) opened in May 2005, followed by Terminal 3 (71,000 m²) in September 2011. By 2012, the airport served over 13 million passengers, ranking 15th in China. From fewer than 2,000 passengers in 1973 to over 13 million in 2012 — a growth story written in jet fuel and ambition.
2016–Present
(Capacity Reached & New Chapter)		 Succeeded. Surrounded by urban development with no room to expand, the airport reached capacity in 2016. A replacement — Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport, the world's largest offshore artificial-island airport — is under construction in Jinzhou Bay, expected to be fully operational by 2030–2035. When the city outgrew its airport, China did not simply expand — it reclaimed land from the sea to build a new gateway for the next century.
The Takeaway From a smelly marsh to a racetrack, from a military strip to an international hub, and now toward an artificial island in the sea — Dalian's airport tells the story of a city that refuses to be grounded by its limits.

💡 沧海桑田 (Cāng hǎi sāng tián)
"The blue sea turns into mulberry fields." A chengyu describing dramatic changes over time — perfectly capturing how this airport has been reborn again and again, from marsh to runway to sky.

时期 历史事件与人文启示
1927年
(日据时期)		 改建。日本人将周水子赛马场——原是一片蚊虫滋生的沼泽,被附近居民称为"臭水子"——改建为机场,开通了通往朝鲜半岛和日本的航线。 曾经马蹄奔腾的赛道,如今迎来了引擎的轰鸣——这一转变,将在百年的风云变幻中回响。
1945–1955年
(战后过渡期)		 移交。1945年日本投降后,机场由苏联空军控制十年,直至1955年5月移交给中国解放军空军。 三十年间,三面旗帜在这片土地上升起——它是帝国兴衰更替的无声见证者。
1973年
(民航起步)		 启用。1973年4月6日,军用机场正式转为小型民用机场,跑道长2040米,仅有37名员工,当年旅客吞吐量仅1961人次。 从军人到度假的学童——天空终于向普通人敞开了。
1984–1994年
(国际化扩建)		 扩建。1984年跑道延长至3300米。1993年9月一号航站楼投入使用。1985年12月获批对外开放,1994年1月正式更名为大连周水子国际机场。 大连通向世界的窗口,随着每一次扩建而愈发宽广——从一条区域性跑道,成长为连接东北中国与全球的门户。
2005–2011年
(现代化时代)		 升级。2005年5月二号航站楼(4.9万平方米)启用,2011年9月三号航站楼(7.1万平方米)启用。到2012年,机场年旅客吞吐量超过1300万人次,位居中国第15位。 从1973年不足2000人次,到2012年逾1300万人次——一部用航油和雄心写就的增长史。
2016年至今
(容量饱和与新篇)		 更替。由于城市扩张导致机场被建成区包围、再无扩建空间,2016年机场达到容量上限。替代工程——大连金州湾国际机场,全球最大离岸式人工岛机场——正在金州湾海域建设中,预计2030至2035年全面投运。 当城市超越了机场的边界,中国没有选择简单扩建——而是向大海要地,为下一个世纪建造新的门户。
核心启示 从臭水子沼泽到赛马场,从军用跑道到国际枢纽,再到即将矗立于海面之上的人工岛——大连机场讲述的是一座城市拒绝被自身局限所束缚的故事。

💡 沧海桑田
大海变为桑田,形容世事巨变。这个成语完美契合这座机场的命运——从沼泽到跑道,从跑道到天空,一次次涅槃重生。