Wafangdian (Chinese: 瓦房店; pinyin: Wǎfángdiàn) is one of the three "Northern Cities" of Dalian, located in the south of Liaoning province in Northeast China. The city is famous for its ball bearing industry. Wafangdian Bearing Factory is the largest bearing manufacturer in Asia and was initially built by the Japanese during World War II. In 2009, it had a registered population (meaning those with hukou permits) of 1,026,189.