Top 10 Things to Do in Dalian

Binhai Road is over 30km (18.6mi) long and famous for beautiful sea views. On the north side, tourists can appreciate the stretching lush mountains. On the south side, the blue ocean and reefs of various shapes are waiting for you to discover. Another reason for listing Binhai Road as a top thing to do in Dalian is that, it links numerous scenic spots from east to west, including Bangchuidao Scenic Area, Tiger Beach Ocean Park, Dalian Forest Zoo and Xinghai Square. You can visit this road by sightseeing bus or by foot, and the latter may take you three to four hours.

Surrounded on three sides by sea, Jinshitan Scenic Area enjoys a vast gold beach. The clear water and soft sand are suitable for taking a walk. Jinshitan also includes many other attractions. The hottest one is Binhai National Geological Park. Here you can see the karst landform and sea erosion landform through numerous residual hills, caves and plant fossils, whose shapes can remind you of monkey, gigantic dinosaur, etc! Discovery Theme Park and Wax Museum are also good options. Besides, there are spa center, golf course, flight experience center and safari club in Jinshitan Scenic Area, which can definitely meet different people’s demands.

Xinghai Park is a coastal park with many leisure facilities but no entrance fee. It contains two parts, onshore park and bathing beach. The beach here is one of the best beaches in Dalian. It is a great place to take a stroll by the sea and feed cute seagulls. In addition, trying the bungee jumping in the onshore park can be the most thrilling thing to do in Dalian. It is the highest bungee above sea in Asia. The height of 55m (180ft) will bring you an unforgettable experience.

Zhongshan Square is one of the most famous squares in Dalian. This round square is at the junction of ten roads and encircled with many European style architectures. These Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architectures were built by Russians and Japanese in the late 19th and early 20th century. Nowadays, these buildings are used by local financial institutions, so the square is also the financial center of the city. The green space and promenade in Zhongshan Square are open to tourists. What’s more, this square is equipped with hi-fi audio player, thus you can enjoy the classical melodies while going for a walk.

In Tiger Beach Ocean Park, tourists can get close to polar animals, including beluga, polar bear, penguin, sea lion, dolphin and walrus. Then you can take the long cableway going across the sea to feast your eyes with rare birds such as peacock, red-crowned crane and egret in “Birds’ Woods”. What’s more, you can experience an underwater tour in Tiger Beach Ocean Park to see the coral reefs and colorful tropical fish. Apart from the animals and plants, tourists can readily enjoy many water recreations such as cruising yacht and speedboat. No wonder it is a favored thing to do in Dalian by both locals and tourists.

SunAsia Ocean World is most famous for its underwater tunnel and sea animal performances. When roaming in the underwater tunnel of 118m (129yd), tourists can take photos with cute jellyfish, sharks, various tropical fish and ray. Besides, watching sea animal performances is the most visit-worthy activity here. Two dancers and two belugas will show you their perfect collaboration. Let alone the amazing stage play performed by sea lions and walruses. It is said that the walrus here can imitate Michael Jackson’s dance! Tourists can also try delicious foods, have a drink in the ice bar or play VR board games with your friends in SunAsia Ocean World.

Bangchuidao Scenic Area features a diverse landscape combining mountain, sea, island and beach. The beach in Bangchuidao is very clean with crystal-clear water. Besides, the beach is facing east, thus tourists can enjoy a breath-taking view of it in the pink light of dawn every day. Here you can collect shells and pebbles, or catch sea crabs, sea snails and sea cucumbers in the eastern area. Compared with other seaside scenic spots, Bachuidao enjoys a relatively tranquil environment.

Visiting Lvshun is an unmissable thing to do in Dalian for those history enthusiasts. Lvshun is near the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, and acts as the marine gateway to Beijing and Tianjin. No wonder it was listed as one of the five important naval ports in the world in the late 19th century. Nowadays, the well-preserved war relics, such as the ammunition depot, the former site of the prison and the fort, can still let people know more about the Sino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese Wars. Other famous attractions are Lvshun Museum, Jungang Park and Cemetery of Soviet Martyrs.

Russian Folklore Street is popular for its exotic architecture style. This street is of 500m (547yd), and has 38 buildings constructed by Russians more than a hundred years ago. Now, these buildings have become fancy stores selling Russian dolls, cigarettes and telescopes, etc. It is also recommended to have a Russian feast here. By the way, this street is very close to the Zhongshan Square, thus you can visit these two attractions together.

Dalian Fisherman’s Wharf is another attraction with beautiful coastal scenery. It is said to be built on the model of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. This wharf also features numerous European buildings. After taking a walk along the coastline, you can have a cup of coffee here. The sound of the bell and tidewater will help tourists become relaxed.