Dalian

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Dalian Sightseeing Tower (3), Dalian, Liaoning, China

Donggang Dalian, Dalian, Liaoning, China

Xigang, Dalian, Liaoning, China panoramio (18), Dalian, Liaoning, China

About Dalian

Sea air, wide squares and a long coastline of cliffs and coves set Dalian apart from most big Chinese cities. Sitting at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula between the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, it is one of northern China's most important ports and a favourite summer escape for people from cooler inland provinces.

The city's modern story began at the end of the 19th century, when Russia leased the area and laid out a European-style port, followed by decades of Japanese administration. That history survives in the circular Zhongshan Square, ringed by early 20th-century bank and hotel buildings, and along Russian Style Street. Lüshun, at the peninsula's tip and now part of Dalian, was the famous Port Arthur.

Today visitors come for the coast: Binhai Road winds past cliffs and beaches, Xinghai Square opens onto the sea and the lit-up Xinghai Bay Bridge crosses the water at night. Fresh seafood, from sea urchin to clams and fish, is a highlight of any visit.

Best seasonMay-October, especially early summer and early autumn

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingDalian Zhoushuizi International Airport; high-speed trains to Dalian North; ferries across the Bohai Sea

12 Ways to Experience Dalian

Landmarks 3

Xinghai Square

Often described as one of the largest city squares in Asia, Xinghai Square opens onto the sea in the south of the city with lawns,...

Zhongshan Square Dalian

Laid out during the Russian period and completed under Japanese administration, this round plaza is ringed by grand early 20th-cen...

Xinghai Bay Bridge

This double-deck suspension bridge sweeps across Xinghai Bay, linking the southern districts of the city over the sea and creating...

Scenic Drives 1

Binhai Road

This winding road follows Dalian's southern coastline over cliffs and through woods, linking viewpoints, beaches and parks between...

Family 2

Laohutan Ocean Park

Set on the coast at Tiger Beach, this large marine park combines a polar aquarium with penguins, seals and polar bears, a coral ha...

Dalian Forest Zoo

Spread across wooded hills in the south of the city, this large zoo is divided into a walking area with enclosures for big cats, b...

Neighborhoods 2

Russian Style Street Dalian

North of the main railway station, this short street preserves buildings from the years when Russia controlled the port, with orna...

Donggang Venice Water City

In the new Donggang waterfront district, this development imitates Venice with a canal lined by colourful European-style buildings...

Parks 1

Labor Park Dalian

In the heart of the city, Labor Park is a hilly green space of lakes, gardens and shaded paths, recognisable from the giant footba...

Beaches 2

Fujiazhuang Beach

Tucked into a curved bay framed by green hills and small islands, Fujiazhuang is one of the most popular beaches in Dalian. In sum...

Jinshitan

About an hour's drive northeast of the centre, the Golden Pebble Beach area combines sandy shores with dramatic sea-carved rock fo...

Museums 1

Lushun Museum

Housed in an elegant early 20th-century building in Lüshun, the former Port Arthur at the tip of the peninsula, this is one of the...

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Photo: Michael Saechang, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

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