Exploring Dalian: You'll Miss Out If You Don't Know These Free Attractions. Falling in Love with a City Is That Simple.

Dalian is a beautiful city, and of course, it's also a place full of delicious food! I remember when I was a child, a friend moved from Dalian to Beijing with his parents, and we became playmates. He once proudly told me about Tiger Beach Square, where vendors sold fried snails for just a few cents per small cup, filled to the brim. Listening to him describe it with such relish, I couldn't help swallowing my saliva from time to time... When I finally visited Dalian for the first time as a tourist, my friend immediately asked me, "Have you tried the bomb fried squid?" Now, squid is still as popular as ever, and there's always a line at the squid stalls, but the variety of food on the table has become increasingly rich and diverse! My friend's question changed to, "Have you been to Bear Cave Street to see Bear Beibei standing up?" How does that relate to food? I wondered...

Indeed, if you haven't been to Bear Cave Street, what a pity! Because in the short time since its opening, Bear Cave Street has been hailed by local young people as "the happy street for locals and the ideal land for the youth"! Actually, it's not just for young people; it's also great for family trips, or as a destination for people of all ages. After all, it offers everything from food, drinks, entertainment, shopping, to sightseeing—so snacks like "bomb fried squid" and "fried snails" are a piece of cake!

As for entertainment, on Bear Cave Street, everything you can think of or can't think of seems to be there: ice rinks, bumper cars, claw machines, and large amusement rides like the Sakura Space Shuttle. Of course, the Bear Cave Street Song and Dance Troupe live show also performs at fixed times every week. The most impressive is the six-meter-tall, 25-ton mechanical bear "Bear Beibei," which also performs the "Beibei Grand Show" at multiple fixed times each day!

Bear Cave Street mainly consists of one "giant bear" and two streets. It adopts a LOFT spatial structure and a steampunk design style, integrating giant beast parade, food and entertainment, trendy art, tech learning, trendy toys, and the night economy. The industrial-style steampunk "Scream Street" and the futuristic cyberpunk "Beibei Street" use high-tech and creativity to carry the "worldly hustle and bustle."

As for the origin of the name "Beibei," there's a story behind it! The first "Bei" stands for "North," and the second "Bei" stands for the "Big Dipper," which is the most famous constellation in the northern sky—part of the Great Bear constellation. It is hoped that through Beibei's interaction with people, it conveys the typical northern traits of honesty, kindness, warmth, and enthusiasm, bringing more strength and sunshine to the local people and tourists who are striving hard no matter the circumstances. Isn't that meaningful?

Bear Cave Street combines tech-cultural creativity, regional cultural experiences, and indoor dining and entertainment to deliver an unprecedented five-sense experience, making it a new urban trend culture block and a cultural, commercial, and tourism landmark. Countless small games and entertainment facilities are scattered throughout the more than 10,000-square-meter Bear Cave Street area. Everywhere you go, screams of excitement and joyful laughter fill the air. That's why it's also called "Scream Street" by local young people in Dalian!

Of course, if you get hungry or tired while playing at Bear Cave Street, the dining area won't lack local or even national specialties, including Dalian's famous bomb fried squid! The screams last from day to night, with various performances, grand shows, and singing continuing until midnight... Before leaving, don't forget to pick up a culturally creative souvenir from Bear Cave Street for friends and family—perfect!

If the lively and hot Bear Cave Street gives you an exciting and dynamic time, then the nearby Haichang Oriental Water City can offer you a leisurely and romantic day! Located just over 20 minutes' drive from Bear Cave Street, Haichang Oriental Water City truly showcases Dalian's reputation as a fashion capital and a romantic city!

It wouldn't be quite right to call this a miniature Venice Water City, because first of all, it's large, and second, it's not purely Venetian in style. Built along the coastline, Haichang Oriental Water City features rows of European-style buildings, with artificial canals winding through them for 4 kilometers. The most delightful activity is taking a water taxi "Gondola," characteristic of Venice, to cruise through the water city and enjoy the scenery. Along the way, the exotic atmosphere on both banks makes you feel like you're in a foreign land!

On the riverbanks, you can see European sculptures, fountains, and flower beds everywhere. Especially at the St. Mark's Square in the center of the water city, pigeons freely soar and seem quite approachable—just a handful of corn kernels will attract a dozen pigeons around you... Sitting on a bench quietly watching passersby and couples taking wedding photos, with the hour bell ringing in your ears; or finding a stylish café to savor the aroma of coffee; or picking a book you like in a bookstore and reading quietly... What's even more surprising is that these two scenic spots have no admission threshold—meaning they are free attractions! And Dalian has many such no-threshold attractions, including some beach areas!

The most famous one is Jinshitan. As one of the best areas for beachcombing in Dalian, Jinshitan covers a land area of 62 square kilometers and a sea area of 58 square kilometers, surrounded by sea on three sides, with warm winters and cool summers. Main attractions include Happy Coast, Coastal Geopark, Jinshi Wax Museum, Mystery of Life Museum, and Discovery Kingdom. The beach area is open to the public for free, while tickets are sold separately for the attractions. The address is at Longgu Street, Jinzhou District, Dalian.

Another free and very good attraction is Dalian's Lianhuashan Scenic Area, which is also open to the public for free. It is the highest mountain within Dalian's urban area, with an altitude of 259.6 meters. From halfway up the mountain, you can enjoy a view of the Dalian Cross-Sea Bridge. If you continue along the boardwalk to the summit, there is a nice café there. Of course, the prices are reasonable for such a high-quality scenic spot—a cup of coffee costs about twenty or thirty yuan, and you can sit by the window of the circular glass house and enjoy the panoramic view of the entire Dalian city!

And more free beautiful scenery might be on the way to a certain scenic spot, hidden in some alleyway or small street, or at a cruise terminal, or the trams running on the road. Of course, there are countless beaches and squares in Dalian. As long as you have a pair of eyes that are good at discovering, the beauty of Dalian is almost everywhere! In Dalian, you can feel various exotic flavors without leaving the country, and the city itself is like a large free scenic area, where you can always take advantage of it and discover different beauty, openness, and inclusiveness. So, falling in love with a city is that simple. If you want to go out and experience simple love in this late autumn, then go to Dalian...