Dalian, on China’s far northeast coast, is popular with domestic travelers but is yet to be discovered by international tourists. This refreshing coastal city is the perfect antidote for those aching to get away from the congestion and pollution of China’s big cities.

Dalian is a relatively new city by Chinese standards and has grown rapidly by virtue of having an excellent natural harbor – which made it prime real-estate for the imperialist ambitions of Russia and Japan. Much of Dalian’s recent history reflects the 20th century conflicts of China. Today Dalian is a major center for shipping, logistics and fishing. The proximity to good transportation and its special economic stimulus policies have attracted a rapidly growing pool of high-tech industries. Prosperous, clean, jolly, and vibrant, it offers a stark contrast to the often-gritty realities of other northeastern cities. Even in a country where local pride runs strong, the people of Dalian stand out with a fierce pride in their city.

There are some worthwhile things to do here. Some of the beaches are nice, and its high latitude and ocean breezes help it escape some of the worst of steamy Chinese summers – that’s why the Chinese come here. There are some fine examples of classic Russian and Japanese architecture here, the seafood is excellent. Moreover, it’s just a pleasant place to be.

Beneath the hardhats-and-forklifts, workday exterior of the people of Dalian is a surprising fondness for fashion and Dalian is a major center of the fashion industry in China. The Dalian International Fashion Exhibition, held in mid-September, ranks as one of the largest fashion shows in Asia. High fashion is a large part of the daily lives of the ordinary people. Small shows are held year-round in shopping centers and parks, and they attract huge and enthusiastic crowds.

A SUMMER HAVEN

Dalian’s greatest appeal to domestic tourists comes from its beach parks and relatively mild summers. Most famous of these is Tiger Beach (lǎohǔ tān老虎滩), which offers stunning views of the seaside cliffs. Inside the Tiger Beach area are hundreds of birds at the Niaoyu Lin (niǎoyǔlín 鸟语林), just be careful at the bird show – the birds like to pluck money from your hands. The Golden Pebble Beach National Resort (jīnshí tān guójiā lǚyóu dùjiàqū 金石滩国家旅游度假区) has an eclectic selection of activities ranging from golf to paintballing. Scuba diving is also a popular pastime; the clear waters off Dalian make for a good excursion during the summers. Dolphins are also a local resident in the waters; you might be able to catch a glimpse of them if you’re lucky. Both beaches are located northeast of the city near the booming Economic Development Zone. Swimming and other typical touristy entertainments during the warm seasons are on offer, but due to the crowds, the parks may actually be most pleasant during the off-season when you can spend some time beside the ocean without the jostling.

Other oceanfront areas can be hard to find for non-locals. They don’t have the lovely sands and the facilities of the better-developed beaches, but they can also be a pleasant experience and provide opportunities for fishing. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to get to the ocean anywhere near downtown Dalian – the harbor areas are very tightly secured – so is Lü Shun to the south, which is a naval base.

There is an interesting time to be had at the Sun-Asia Ocean World (shèngyà hǎiyáng shìjiè 圣亚海洋世界), it’s one of China’s larger aquariums with a see-through walkway built under the ocean. Another choice is the Forest Zoo (sēnlín gōngyuán森林公园). Located in the thickly wooded hills around the city, the main zoo section is pretty small and mundane. They do have some pandas, but be warned that pandas in Chinese zoos prefer to sleep rather than frolicking about. More interesting are the raccoon-like Lesser Pandas, Siberian White Tigers and other tiger species, Père David’s Deer and a few other truly unusual zoo offerings. On the other side of the zoo is a safari ride. The best part of the Forest Zoo is the enormous cable car system that offers a bedazzling view of Dalian and the natural setting in which the zoo is built. Perhaps better called the “Mountain Zoo,” traversing the zoo is a moderately arduous hike through some striking forests and hills. The Forest Zoo also has an aquarium, but in this seafood-loving city restaurants and markets offer a better assortment of live ocean life than the commercial aquariums.

Some nice places to hang out include Xinghai Park (xīnghǎi gōngyuán星海公园), located seaside and on the edge of the city and Zhongshan Square (zhōngshān guǎngchǎng中山广场), located in the heart of downtown. Zhongshan Square has a Jumbotron TV often playing movies or soccer matches or, for a really surreal experience, old Woody Woodpecker or Tom and Jerry cartoons dubbed into Mandarin. It’s not uncommon to see folk musicians, dancers, fashion shows or other entertainers here. It’s a very pleasant place to chill out and people watch, which is precisely what the locals do here. Also look out for the mounted police, Dalian’s the only city in China that has police that serve and protect on horseback, and they’re all women.

Making Your Trip Easy

Area Code: 0411

Practical Tips

The best time to visit Dalian is from Spetmber to October. The weather is wonderful, the local fruit harvests are coming in, and the city seems particularly invigorated. Springtime is also a nice season to visit Dalian although it’s a little more prone to rain. The ocean tends to moderate Dalian’s extreme seasonal weather somewhat. Summers are usually uncomfortably hot during the days in July and August. Fortunately, there are frequent ocean breezes that cool the city around sundown. Winters can be very cold and wet here, but not nearly as bad as those seen in nearby cities further inland such as in Shenyang. Summers are great for swimming; the best beaches are at Golden Pebble Beach, Fujiazhuang (fùjiāzhuāng付家庄) and Xinghai Park. These beaches are great for some sunbathing and swimming, just be careful though, the water becomes very deep rapidly. Every September there’s an International Fashion Festival that features fashion shows and exhibitions. You’ll be hard pressed to miss any of it, models sashay down the runway on every street. Hotel prices will rise during this time and rooms will be hard to find.

Transportation

Airport – Dalian has a small international airport that’s located to the northwest of the city. The airport has international flights to Japan and the Republic of Korea. Domestic direct flights to most major cities in China are readily available. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes from the airport to the city center by shuttle bus or taxi.

Ship – There are passenger boats available for connection to Inchon in the Republic of Korea as well as to other Chinese ports. There are numerous daily ferries to Yantai in Shandong Province. Landlubbers beware – choppy seas, big crowds and locked passenger compartments can make for an uncomfortable trip.

Streetcar – One of the things that make Dalian so livable is its excellent and quaint streetcar line. It’s line is limited from Xinggong Jie to Heshi Jiao, but they’re very convenient. The fare is RMB 1 to RMB 2 depending on the distance traveled. The streetcars run from 6am to 8pm.

Taxi – Taxis are RMB 8 at flag-fall. Within downtown Dalian most places can be reached for under RMB 30; however, be advised that taxi travel to the Economic Development Zone or the public beaches can be lengthy and expensive.

The Best of Dalian

Golden Pebble Beach National Resort 金石滩国家旅游度假区 jīnshí tān guójiā lǚyóu dùjiàqū

Address: inside the Golden Pebble Beach National Resort 金石滩国家旅游度假区内

Phone: 790 0241

Opening hours: 24 hours

￥: 66

Polar Aquarium 极地馆 jídì guǎn

Address: inside the Tiger Beach Ocean Park 老虎滩海洋公园内

Phone: 289 3111

Opening hours: 8am to 6pm, peak-season; 9am to 4pm, off-season

￥:90

Sun-Asia Ocean World 圣亚海洋世界 shèngyà hǎiyáng shìjiè

Address: Xinghai Park, Shahekou District沙河口区星海公园内

Phone: 468 5136

Opening hours: 9am to 4pm,peak-season; 8am to 5pm,off-season

￥: 70

Hotels

Furama Hotel富丽华大酒店 fùlìhuá dàjiǔdiàn ★★★★★

Address: 60 Renmin Lu, Zhongshan District 中山区人民路60号

Phone: 263 0888

￥: 1730 – double room

Website: www.furama.com.cn

Shangri-La Hotel 香格里拉大饭店 xiānggélǐlā dàfàndiàn ★★★★★

Address: 66 Renmin Lu, Zhongshan District 中山区人民路66号

Phone: 252 5000

￥: 822 – double room, peak-season; 681 – double room, off-season

Website: www.shangri-La.com

Swiss Ôtel Dalian 瑞士酒店 ruìshì jiǔdiàn ★★★★★

Address:21 Wuhui Lu, Zhongshan District 中山区五惠路21号

Phone: 230 3388

￥: 711 – double room, peak-season; 638 – double room, off-season

Website: www.swissotel-dalian.com

Ramada Hotel Dalian 九州华美达酒店 jiǔzhōu huáměidá jiǔdiàn ★★★★

Address: 18 Shengli Square, Zhongshan District 中山区胜利广场18号

Phone: 280 8888

￥: 423 – double room

Website: www.ramada.com

Dalian Hotel 大连宾馆 dàlián bīnguǎn ★★★

Address: 4 Zhongshan Square, Zhongshan District 中山区中山广场4号

Phone: 263 3111

￥: 450 – double room, peak-season; 400 – double room, off-season

Food & Restaurants

Seafood dominates Dalian’s local cuisine. There’s a bewildering profusion of saltwater fish, as well as fresh shrimp, lobster, crabs, scallops, squid, abalone, and much more. An interesting local seafood favorite is the sea slug or the very slug-like sea cucumber; to most Western palates these foods are about as appealing as they sound. Seafood prices are good and the quality is unparalleled. It’s hard to find a bad seafood restaurant here – find a place with lots of aquariums. Freshness is important and it doesn’t get any better than from the water tank to the wok. Walk in, point to some specimens you fancy, then wait – you won’t be disappointed. One standout restaurant is the local TTYG chain. It stands for tiantian yugang (天天渔港), which translates to something like the “every day fish company.” They work in partnership with the local fisheries and are renowned for their seafood in a town where seafood is a cherished way of life. Otherwise, Dalian’s food is very much in the northeastern mode: hearty meals featuring strong flavors, wheat noodles, cabbage, potatoes, and dumplings. Dalian is also famous for fresh fruit – the surrounding areas produce peaches, strawberries and apples.

RESTAURANTS

Dalian Seafood Restaurant 大连海味馆

Specializes in seaweed pancakes (hǎicài hézi海菜盒子), a rumor goes that all of Dalian’s seafood creations have originated from here.

Address: 4/F, Bohai Mingzhu Hotel渤海明珠大酒店4层

Phone: 265 0888 ext 8408

Opening hours: 10am to 2pm, 4:30pm to 9pm

Shuangsheng Yuan Restaurant 双盛园饭店

Very good salted fish.

Address: 1 Anle Jie, Zhongshan District 中山区安乐街1号

Phone: 264 7800

Opening hours: 9am to 10pm

Tiantian Yugang 天天渔港

Famous for local seafood, dinner will go from RMB 50 to 200 per person, shrimp with spicy cabbage (xiārén làbáicài 虾仁辣白菜) is a must.

Address: 72 Tianjin Jie, Zhongshan District 中山区天津街72号

Phone: 263 3898

Opening hours: 10:30am to 10pm

Wangzi Fandian 王子饭店

RMB 48 seafood buffet that includes beer and soft drinks.

Address: 72 Tianjin Jie, Zhongshan District 中山区天津街72号

Phone: 263 3898

Opening hours: 10:30am to 10pm

Xiaopingdao Jiari Restaurant小平岛假日酒店

One of Dalian’s most famous seafood restaurants.

Address: Xiaopingdao Village, Lingshui Town 凌水镇小平岛村

Phone: 477 9443

Opening hours: 11am to 10:30pm

Xindongfang Meishi Cheng 新东方美食城

Specializes in seafood and Cantonese cuisine.

Address: 3 Gangwan Jie Zhongshan District 中山区港湾街3号

Phone: 270 6999

Opening hours: 11am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 9:30

Zhuangjiayuan Restaurant 庄稼院食府

Specializes in northeast home-style cooking, known for pickled vegetables with clam in a claypot (suāncài hǎilìguō 酸菜海蛎锅), pork and noodle stew (zhūròu dùn fěntiáo猪肉炖粉条) and chicken and mushroom stew (xiǎojī dùn mógu小鸡炖蘑菇 ).

Address: 1-2/F, Jingmaowei Dalou, Huanghe Lu 黄河路外经贸委大楼1-2F

Phone: 378 0016

Opening hours: 10am to 10:30pm

Souvenirs

Sculptures and other works utilizing local seashells abound in this seaside town. There’s a local arts community, however, many of the same crafts and souvenirs are available throughout China. Cuiyan douhua (崔岩豆画) is a kind of drawing made from colorful beans. Subjects include folklore legends and modern landscapes. One popular subject is the “Eight Immortals Crossing the Ocean” (bāxiān guòhǎi 八仙过海), a well-known legend of the eight Taoist Immortals. These pieces of bean art cost about RMB 20. Shells with intricate carvings on them (bèidiāo贝雕) go for RMB 5 to over RMB 10.

Dalian has some excellent shopping for a city of its size. Qingniwa (qīngníwā shāngquān青泥洼商圈) is a popular shopping area with clusters of stores and small vendors. Shengli Square (shènglì guǎngchǎng胜利广场) is a modern mall with good restaurants. Tianjin Jie Shangquan (天津街商圈) is a pedestrian street lined with shops, it’s a good place go for a window-shopping stroll. The Friendship Store (yǒuyì shāngchéng 友谊商城) stocks all kinds of name brand products, it stands beside Zhongshan Square . Most stores are open from 9am to 9pm.

Other Information

POST OFFICES

Zhanqian Post Office 站前邮政局

Address: west side of the train station火车站前西侧

Phone: 364 2116

HOSPITALS

The First Chinese Medical University Hospital 中国医科大学附属第一医院

Address: Zhongshan Lu, Xigang District 中山路西岗区

Phone: 363 5963

Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital 中医院

Address: Jiefang Lu Zhongshan District 中山区解放路

Phone: 268 1738

CONSULATES

Japan

Address: 3/F, Senmao Dasha, Xigang District 西岗区森茂大厦3楼

Phone: 370 4077

COMPLAINT HOTLINES

General: 362 7127

Taxi: 363 8119