Dalian Travel Guide

  Destination Overview   Destination sketch It is the southernmost city of the Liaodong Peninsula. Dalian is the province’s second largest city and has sub-provincial administrative status. The Shandong Peninsula lies southwest across the Bohai Strait and Korea lies across […]

 

Destination Overview

 

Destination sketch

It is the southernmost city of the Liaodong Peninsula. Dalian is the province’s second largest city and has sub-provincial administrative status. The Shandong Peninsula lies southwest across the Bohai Strait and Korea lies across the Yellow Sea to the east.
Today, a financial, shipping and logistics centre for Northeast Asia, Dalian has a significant history of being used by foreign powers for its ports. Dalian was previously known as both Dalniy.

Local Festival

Dalian Beer Festival late-July and early Aug

Thousands of visitors. Day-time folks tend to go for the food and music acts, night-time goers for the beer and music acts. Domestic and regional vendors, some selling brew from as far away as Germany and the U.S. ¥10 admission, ¥30 food, ¥50 beer.

Best Travel season

From July to October is the best tourist season in Dalian.

Currency and Consumption

 

Consumption level

Dalian has a higher level of consumption than other cities. The main part of the travel budget will be accommodation fees and attractions tickets. If you want to eat seafood, it will also be a large expenditure. The overall budget is about 200 yuan per day.

Intercity traffic

 

Aircraft

Dalian International Airport
Address: No. 100, Yingke Road, Ganjingzi District, Dalian (Near Nanlin Road)
Tel: 0411-83886699
Www.dlairport.com
The taxis at the airport are all waiting in line at the right side of the airport gate. A taxi to the center of Dalian will cost about 25 yuan.
bus
Bus Nos. 9, 532, 701, 710, and 717 can be taken off at the airport station. The fare is 1 yuan. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the city.
subway
Subway Line 2 can reach the city directly, and the terminal station is Dalian North Railway Station.

Train

Dalian Railway Station
Address: 260 Changjiang Road, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take Bus 201, Metro Free Zone Line, and Metro Line 3 to reach it.
Tel: 0411-82830024

Long distance bus

Jianshe Street Bus Station (Send to major cities in Northeast China and outside Dalian City)
Address: 36 Jianshe Street, Xigang District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take the 526, 527, 538 and other buses to arrive. Tel: 0411-83763369

Beigangqiao Bus Station (sent to major cities in the province)
Address: No. 20, Anshan Road, Xigang District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take Bus No.1, No.40, No.526, No.528 and so on.

Harbour Bridge Bus Station (Outbound to Dalian City)
Address: No. 14, Changjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take Bus No.13, Bus No.15, Bus No.201, etc.

Liujiaqiao Bus Station (towards Lushun)
Address: Near No. 492 Huabei Road, Shahekou District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take bus No. 6, 414, 512, 524, etc. to arrive.

Heishijiao Bus Station (towards Lushun)
Address: No. 700 Zhongshan Road, Shahekou District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take the 16th, 23rd, 28th, 901st, 528th and other buses to reach
Tel: 0411-84662430

Water transport

Dalian Port Bus Terminal Departs
Address: No. 1, Gangwan Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take the 11th, 13th and 708th bus to arrive. Tel: 0411-82625612, 0411-82636061

Lushunkou West Station Outbound
Address: 1020 Haiyun Road, Lushunkou District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take the Lushunkou 1 Road, Lushunkou 19 Road and other buses can arrive. Tel:0411-62986566

Bus

Buses are convenient, fast, and on time. The general fare is 1 yuan and the air-conditioned car is 2 yuan.

Tram

Dalian is the only city in Mainland China where history of trams has not been interrupted
Tour route: Dalian Railway Station – Shengli Bridge – Minsheng Street – Sanba Square – Erqi Square – Temple Ergou – Haizhiyun Square
Tickets: 2 yuan

Subway

Currently, there are four lines in the subway. The fare is 2 yuan, and the fare increases by stations. The total is 6 yuan.

Tourist Sightseeing Vehicle

Operating time: 8:00-16:30 (mid-April to the end of October each year)
Directions: Dalian Railway Station – People’s Square – Convention Center – Dalian Seashell Museum – Forest Zoo South Gate – Fujiazhuang – Xiaofujiazhuang – Yanwoling Wedding Park – North Bridge – Bird Yulin – Hutan Beach – Fisherman’s Wharf – Shiku – Stick Yeouido – Gangbang Island – Reporter Lin – Gangwan Plaza – Zhongshan Square – Dalian Railway Station
Ticket price: 20 yuan

Taxi

Dalian taxi prices starting at 10 yuan / 3 km, followed by 2 yuan per kilometer; 22:00 to 5:00 the next day starting price of 13 yuan / 3 km, then 2.8 yuan per kilometer; In addition, many Dalian taxi also supports Alipay .

Attractions

 

Tiger Beach (Laohutan) Ocean Park

In the Park, many attractive natural sceneries and magnificent man-made sights can be seen, especially the Tigers Sculpture Square and Tiger Beach Polar Region Marine Animals World. As a modern ocean park, Tiger Beach Ocean Park is one specializing in tourism, recreation, shopping and so on and is regarded as the Dalian people’s favorite park. you can view the biggest aquarium in Asia-oral Aquarium mainly exhibiting the coral reef community, the biggest half-natural man-made birdcage in China-Sing Birds Woods with more than 2,000 birds, the longest aerial rope across the ocean in China, four-dimensional cinema and so on.
Address: No. 9, Binhai Middle Road, Zhongshan District, Dalian (near Jiefang Road)
Arrival method: Take Bus No. 2, 4, 30, 47, 404 to Tiger Beach Station and walk to walk
Opening hours: 7:30-17:00
Tickets: 198 yuan (peak season: April 10 – October 31), 180 yuan (low season: November 1 – April 9)
Tel: 0411-82359398; 0411-82678616

Jinshitan Scenic Area (Golden Pebble Beach National Resort)

It comprises two peninsulas with a spacious beach in-between, with a land area of 62 square kilometers (15,321 acres) and a water surface of 58 square kilometers (14,322 acres). Encircled by sea all around, the beach enjoys a coastline of 30 kilometers (19 miles). The most splendid view is focused on the eastern peninsula, where geological wonders that formed 600,000 to 300,000 years ago extended along the 8-kilometers-long coast line. The vast structure came into shape as early as the Sinian and Cambrian Periods. One can see hundreds of grotesque rocks in various shapes and postures. Some resemble rocks spreading their wings or monkeys watching the sea. Others resemble camels, turtles, dinosaurs, tigers, etc. No wonder it is called the solidified animal world. The Longevous Rock found in it is the biggest sediment rock with the clearest structure in the world, formed 600,000 years ago. One just cannot help marveling the power of nature.
Address:60 meters east of the waterfront at the intersection of Fengyang Street and Danfeng Road, Jinzhou District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take the bus No. 807 Changhh, Jinshitan No. 3 and get off at Mystery Oriental Station.
Opening hours: The resort is open throughout the day and all attractions within the scenic spot are open at different times
Tickets: Jinshitan Geopark joint ticket 100 yuan / person; Jinshitan Culture Expo ticket 185 yuan / person; Jinshitan deep tour ticket 185 yuan / person.
Tel: 0411-87915807
Www.jinshitan.com

Xinghai Park

The park attracts many visitors as it is a haven of tranquility as well as offering excellent facilities for bathing from its safe beach where the water is neither too deep nor subject to other than moderate waves. As well as the natural beauty of the park the visitors will be drawn to the architectural delights of the Qile Pavilion, Wanghai Pavilion and Yingchao Pavilion that are connected by cobblestone footpaths. Cliffs tower above the sea at the eastern and western ends of the park and the cliff tops present stunning views across the bay where sea and sky blend together on the distant horizon. The Tanhai Cave can be seen in the eastern cliffs. The name of the cave means ‘exploring the sea’ and as you descend the steps within it you will find the sea-spray rising at your feet, a truly amazing sight!
Address: No. 572 Zhongshan Road, Shahekou District (Southwest intersection)
Arrival method: Take the 49th and 808th buses to get off at Xingyu Street East Station. Opening hours: All day
Tickets: Free
Tel: 0411-84377400

Bingyu Valley Scenic Area

The Bingyu Valley Scenic Area consists of the Longhua Mountain, the Xiaoyu (small) Valley and the Yingna River. The mountain gives visitors a sense of both loftiness and elegance, imbuing the visitor with both boldness and tranquility. Amongst the numerous scattered peaks you can discern many phantasms and figures, such as a gnarling tiger, a tiercel spreading its wings, or a long sharp sword.
Address: 40 kilometers north of Zhuanghe City, Dalian (near the Xianrendong Town)
Arrival method: From Dalian Beigang Bridge to Zhuanghe, then transfer to the ordinary CMB in Bingyugou, about half an hour
Opening hours: 8:30-16:00
Tickets: 60 yuan/person for the first phase, 100 yuan/person for the 1st and 2nd-phase pass, 70 yuan for the 70-year-old or older with the senior citizen pass, and no ticket below 1.3 meters
Tel: 0411-89844180
Www.dlbingyu.cn

Zhongshan Square

Dalian is renowned for its squares and green places, with a large number scattered throughout the city, each with its own distinct character. Zhongshan Square (Zhongshan District) hosts the city’s financial centre and some fine old Japanese buildings.
Address: Zhongshan Square, Zhongshan District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take Bus No.15, No.16, No.30, No.403, Bus No.710 and get off at Zhongshan Square Station.
Opening hours: All day tickets: Free

Binhai road

Running along the southern edge of the Dalian peninsula Binhai Road is a pretty, winding coastal road similar to the corniche of the French Riviera. The road is split into three main sections, Binhai West Road from Xinghai Square to Fujiazhuang, Binhai Middle Road from Fujiazhuang to Tiger Beach, and Binhai South Road and Binhai North Road from Tiger Beach to Donghai Beach. It’s possible to walk along the entire 35 km (22 mi) stretch in a day, but for those feeling less adventurous the Fujiazuang-Tiger Beach and Tiger Beach-Donghai Beach stretches also make for a rewarding walk. A taxi ride offers a less taxing means of seeing the road.

Fujiazhuang Beach

The Fujiazhuang Scenic Spot is one of the ten famous spots in Dalian. The natural landscape of this area is unique, with the high-slope platform from the east to the west and the open beach in the middle. The east and west islands of Dalian and the sea face each other across the sea, forming a multidimensional space combining sea, mountains, reefs, and beaches. The western part of the scenic spot is the Fujiazhuang Park. There is a 550-meter-long bathing beach and it is one of the four seas beach in Dalian.
Address: 53 Binhai West Road, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take bus No. 5, No. 47, No. 501, and No. 702 until you get off at Jiazhuang station.
Opening hours: All day tickets: Free
Tel: 0411-82400574

Swallow’s Nest Hill

Swallow’s Nest Hill Scenic Spot is located in the east of the middle section of Dalian Binhai Road, with an area of 800,000 square meters. The scenic mountain ranges from east to west, forming a mountain about 1 km long. Due to the frequent arrival of the black swallow, it is called “Swallow’s Nest Hill”. The mountains and the coast are parallel, and the sea is in the south. A tens of meters high cliffs fall straight to the bottom of the sea.
Address: 101 Binhai Middle Road, Dalian City
Arrival method: Walk along Binhai Road Open: All day
Tickets: 10 yuan
Tel: 0411-82401304

Dalian Forest Zoo

It is one of the few that does stand up to international expectations, with large exhibits and a good variety of species. The zoo, set in the hillsides south of the city centre, is split into two sections on opposite sides of a mountain as well as offering an indoor rainforest (plant species only) and various performances showcasing animal talent. The zoo’s pandas, both great and red, are probably its main attraction.
Address: 60 Yingchun Road, Nanshidao Street, Xigang District, Dalian City
Arrival method: Take 525, 529, 715 bus to get off at Forest Zoo Station
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
Tickets: 120 yuan; half-price tickets 60 yuan (60-69 years old, full-time undergraduate and undergraduate students, can be certificate of half-vote); children under 1.3 meters in height, 70-year-old or older free
Tel: 0411-82476970; 0411-82472535
Www.dlzoo.com

Xinghai Bay Beach

The beach is located in the Shahekou District of Dalian Xinghai international business center zone of south coast, adjacent to the square and park, is China’s largest artificial seawater baths.

Labor Park

You can walk up or use a seat-lift to reach the peak of the mountain. When you arrive there, you have the possibility to go up the Reach Sightseeing Tower to have a even higher panoramic view. On a beautiful Day it is worthy a trip and the gorgeous view will pay off. To get back down you can take the “First Land Sled” which is a really fun experience. Besides looking at probably one of the biggest Footballs in the World, you can do skiing or ice-skating in winter-time. Especially for children a lots of fun rides are offered. Please watch out! The operators are sometimes cheating their way to get daylight robbery. If you get in such situations please call the police (110) to put an end to their scheming.

Food

The local cuisine of Dalian is influenced by Dongbei regional style of cooking (which has a not wholly unjustified reputation for being big on portions and relatively low on flavors) and the city’s proximity to the sea. Buns, pancakes and dumplings are staples rather than rice or noodles.

Accommodation

Budget accommodation options in Dalian, as in the rest of China, are fairly limited for overseas travelers as most of the really inexpensive hotels do not accept foreigners. The best bet for non-Chinese visitors looking for a bargain are youth hostels or university guest houses.

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