Travel—Give Dalian a Chance

Dalian—its beauty is different from other coastal cities.

The unique geographical location creates Dalian's uniqueness.

Day 1—Xinghai Square → Xinghai Park → Fuguo Park

When in Dalian, you must visit Xinghai Square. It can be said that Xinghai Square is synonymous with Dalian.

Xinghai Square is the largest city square in Asia, built to commemorate the return of Hong Kong. The white marble ornamental column (Huabiao) is carved with nine dragons, symbolizing the nine provinces of China; the center of the square imitates the Circular Mound Altar (Huanqiu) of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, paved with 999 pieces of red marble from Sichuan (removed in August 2016). From the center point of the central avenue, 500 meters north is the Convention and Exhibition Center; to the south is the Centennial City Sculpture Square, and 500 meters away is the blue sea. Xinghai Convention and Exhibition Center is a landmark building in Dalian. Major festivals such as Dalian International Fashion Festival, Fireworks and Firecrackers Festival, and Commodity Trade Fair are held here, making it lively all year round.

A major feature of Dalian is the No. 202 tram. It feels similar to riding a light rail, but it can weave through the middle of the road.

Taken at the seaside of Xinghai Square, the sunlight is very dazzling. Xinghai Square is also a place to watch the sunset. Walking west along the seaside from Xinghai Square, less than 1000 meters, you will reach Xinghai Park. Xinghai Park is an open park where Dalian locals relax, stroll, and exercise. Here you can understand the lifestyle of Dalian people.

The children's entertainment area by the seaside at Xinghai Square is quite high-end compared to many places. Real excavators, operated on site—who knows, a talent might reveal itself!

The Ferris wheel at Xinghai Park is quite beautiful. From Xinghai Park, you can walk to Fuguo Park. It is a themed park built by the Dalian government as part of the "International Healthy City" initiative to promote national fitness, offering mountain climbing, fitness, sightseeing, and leisure.

Fuguo Park has very few people. Here you can quietly watch the flow of cars and people across Dalian.

Day 2: Binhai Road (Fisherman's Wharf, Tiger Beach, Coastal Boardwalk, Bangchuidao)

Here I recommend the best way to explore this coastal route: take Dalian's tourist loop bus. The bus starts from the square in front of Dalian Railway Station, with a prominent sign: Tiger Beach Fisherman's Wharf.

Dalian Tiger Beach Fisherman's Wharf is located within the Tiger Beach Fishing Port in Zhongshan District, east of Tiger Beach Ocean Park, north of Binhai Road, south of the Yellow Sea, with natural hills on both east and west sides, mountains and sea embracing, excellent geographical conditions, and beautiful natural scenery. It covers an area of nearly 60,000 square meters. It is 480 meters long from east to west, 500 meters from north to south, with a coastline of 1,768 meters. There are natural beaches on the west and southeast sides, and a 280-meter-long pier on the south side. It is a comprehensive themed commercial area integrating sightseeing, entertainment, culture, dining, shopping, and vacation. The concept of Fisherman's Wharf originates from Europe and America, representing a kind of nostalgic European leisure, a unique street culture of ports, a commoner's entertainment, and a humanistic charm with a touch of memory. In Europe and America, there are many famous Fisherman's Wharves, such as San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, Montreal's Fisherman's Wharf, and Liverpool's Fisherman's Wharf.

Because Fisherman's Wharf is built to mimic a European town, there aren't many people usually, but often people come here for wedding photos.

Exiting Fisherman's Wharf, continue east along Binhai Road. From here to Bangchuidao is the most beautiful section of Binhai Road, all along mountains and sea with blue sky and blue sea.

There are wooden boardwalks throughout, many hikers. It's about 6 kilometers from Fisherman's Wharf to Bangchuidao. The air is fresh, the scenery is especially good.

Bangchuidao is a very small island named for its shape like a club (bangchui). You cannot go onto Bangchuidao itself, but you can take a speedboat to see it from the sea. The Bangchuidao Scenic Area we visited is actually just a beach. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea on one side. Inside, there is a state guesthouse used by national leaders for summer retreat. The scenery at Bangchuidao Scenic Area is particularly beautiful. The sand is not very fine, more like pebbles. The seawater is extremely blue, and the air is also very good.

Mao Zedong's inscription at Bangchuidao.

The seawater at Bangchuidao is especially blue, and there are many reefs.

There are many hermit crabs on the reefs. Many people catch crabs here for fun.

The small island opposite is Bangchuidao. Although it's a seaside area, there are basically no water sports here. The main activity is enjoying the scenery.

Devote time to Dalian. Come find yourself here when you have time.