Dalian Tourist Attractions

Dalian lies at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong peninsula. It is linked with Shenyang by rail and a expressway, with Shanghai by regular service ships, and with Beijing and Hong Kong by regular flights taking one and three and a half hours respectively.

Xinghai Gongyuan Park

Covering some 15ha/37.5acres), Xinghai Gongyuan Park lies in the southwest of the town with the sea on three sides. There are facilities for bathing.

Cave of Marine Exploration

From Xinghai Gongyuan Park the sea can be reached by climbing down into the Cave of Marine Exploration (Tanhai Dong), the entrance to which is concealed on the side of a hill in the southeast of the park. There is a large rocky cliff near the cave.

Sea View Observation Tower

On a rocky ledge stands the Sea View Observation Tower (Wanghai Lou), a favorite spot with naturalists.

Modern Satellite Town

This curious architectural conglomeration is to be found on the coast, in the northeast of the industrial area of Dalian. Covering 10.5ha/26.25acres, the suburb is divided into six different quarters designated A, B, C, D, E and F. The buildings in quarters A and B are typically Chinese, while those in B reflect West European styles and those of C that of Asia Minor. Quarter D is dominated by numerous skyscrapers, while E is a mix of western and eastern tastes in dwellings. In quarter F skyscrapers alternate with smaller houses.

Tiger Beach Park

Covered in lush vegetation, this park is situated on a rocky promontory in the southeast of the town. Against the skyline are silhouetted pretty pavilions in the classical Chinese style, their roofs covered in multi-colored enameled tiles. The name of the beach is based on the legend that this region was once ravaged by a wild tiger which was then slain by a young man called Shi Cao.

Two hills nearby serve to remind us of this legend: one is called Hill of the Cleft Tiger's Head (Bania Ling), the other Hill of Shi Cao (Shi Cao Ling).

Tiger Cave

On a hillside in the west of Xinghai Gongyuan Park can be seen Tiger Cave (Laohu Dong), with its entrance guarded by a sculpture of a tiger.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum, to the north of the railroad station, exhibits mammals and marine creatures, plants and minerals. There is also the opportunity to visit a glassworks.

Surroundings

There are numerous attractions in the Dalian Surrounding area.

Lüshun Port (Port Arthur)

The port of Lüshun, known to the western world by its earlier name of Port Arthur, lies some 60km/37mi southwest of Dalian at the southern tip of the Liaodong peninsula. On its north and east sides it opens out into a bay on the Yellow Sea; the bay is always free of ice and is surrounded by a line of rocky hills at least 5km/3mi long and more than 200m/660ft high. Well-protected, and accessible from the sea only via a waterway some 350m/1050ft wide, the harbor is still an important naval base and therefore public access is restricted.

Fortified Harbor

The Fortified Harbor was the location for the Russo-Japanese war, which allowed Japan to recapture the harbor for their own. Thousands of soldiers lost their lives in the conflict.

Han Tomb

The Han tomb in Yingchengzi (Yingchenzi Hanmu), which dates from the Eastern Han period (25-220), was discovered in 1931 to the south of the village of Shagang in the Ganglinzi region, 25km/15.5mi north of Dalian. It consists of a main chamber, two anterooms, one room at the rear and a side-chamber. Note in particular the frescos on the east, south and north walls of the main chamber. They show the deceased ascending into Heaven.