Dalian Jinshitan: A 'Natural History Book' Written on Rocks Over Hundreds of Millions of Years, A Marvel of the Ages

When it comes to China's mainland coastline, the beautiful coastal city of Dalian must be mentioned. After all, Dalian boasts 1,371 kilometers of continuous mainland coastline, ranking first in the country. If you add the approximately 840 kilometers of island coastline, then Dalian's total coastline length is about 2,211 kilometers, making it truly the city with the longest coastline in China!

Dalian, known as the 'Pearl of the North,' is of course a beautiful coastal city bordered by the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west, surrounded by numerous islands, embraced by vast seas, and adorned with奇特的海蚀地貌 (unique marine erosion landforms). But the most unique and attractive coastline, considered the finest, I believe must be Jinshitan. The Jinshitan National Tourist Resort is hailed as a golden coastline of Dalian.

Located in Jinzhou District, at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the Jinshitan National Tourist Resort has a scenic area coastline of up to 30 kilometers. What's even more astonishing is that the unique mountain landforms along the coastline and the extraordinary shapes of the reefs on the beach make it an important part of the Dalian Coastal National Geopark. These rocks, born in the Sinian Period 600 million years ago, present themselves in lifelike and ingeniously natural forms, creating a distinctive and highly recognizable coastal landscape unique to Dalian.

The epithets 'Natural Geological Museum,' 'Frozen Animal World,' and 'Divine Force Sculpture Park' have become well-deserved and appropriate synonyms for describing this place! If the hand of God held a magic brush and, in a moment of carelessness, painted a 'Natural History Wonder Book' on the rocks along a 13-li stretch of coastline at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, then the Coastal Geopark within the Jinshitan National Tourist Resort is the finishing touch of that 'Wonder Book'!

And the most brilliant chapter in that finishing touch is the core attraction of the Jinshitan National Geopark: 'Dinosaur Exploring the Sea'! The brilliance of this landscape lies in its complete natural formation and lifelike resemblance; it is so vivid that one cannot help but marvel at the divine power of nature that has created such an ingenious masterpiece!

This natural wonder, geologically known as a 'sea erosion arch bridge,' known as 'Dinosaur Exploring the Sea,' was selected by CNN as one of the 40 'Most Beautiful' scenic spots in China back in 2012! This 'Dinosaur Exploring the Sea' landscape, standing 40 meters high with an awe-inspiring and majestic presence, is the representative landscape of the Dinosaur Park scenic group, one of the five zones within the scenic area. Throughout the other zones of the entire scenic area, there are numerous marine erosion landforms such as sedimentary rocks, paleontological fossils, sea cliffs, sea caves, sea pillars, and stone forests, all gradually formed over hundreds of millions of years by wind erosion and seawater erosion.

In addition, the scenic area is filled with a variety of strangely shaped, personified or objectified marine erosion landscape features emerging endlessly. Not far from the 'Dinosaur Exploring the Sea' is another famous spot, 'General Stone.' Viewed from a specific angle in the distance, it resembles a solemn and slightly dignified general, as if guarding the border, leaning on a railing and gazing into the distance across the sea...

If these strange rocks leave you dumbfounded, then the sea here will soothe your eyes and please your heart! After all, the lush vegetation, fresh air, clustered reefs, and the interweaving of mountains and sea create a more beautiful scenery. Walking along the wooden boardwalk to a high point and looking into the distance, you can take in the magnificent view where the sea and sky merge. If you lift a drone to survey the sea from a god's perspective, the deep blue water suddenly turns clear and turquoise. Near the shore, the seawater is so clear you can see the bottom, while the deeper sea looks like a boundless piece of jadeite left on earth, so emerald green that you can't believe your eyes. Small fishing boats drift on the sea, creating an indescribable sense of peace and leisure.

So engrossed was I in photographing famous landscapes like 'Dinosaur Exploring the Sea' and 'General Stone' that I lost track of time and had to leave for my next stop without seeing all the sights in the geopark—a small regret! Although I didn't get to see Jinshitan's 'Treasure of the Beach,' the turtle-back stone—a unique wonder in China—I still saw mountains and encountered the sea in this northeastern coastal city that feels the least like the Northeast. I marveled at the breathtaking marine erosion geological wonders and also felt the warmth of this 'Romantic City' and the unique charm the ocean bestows upon it. Leaving with a small regret also means that I will come here again to experience the hot, trendy, and glamorous allure of this fashionable capital!