Dalian, China

Situated within the Liaoning Province of North Eastern China, Dalian has the largest port in Northern China and is an incredibly popular tourist location. Recently named as China’s ‘most liveable city’, it is easy to see why Dalian is such an excellent cruise destination. The city offers a selection of terrific beaches, excellent shops and fascinating museums to keep tourists thoroughly entertained throughout their stay.

Sightseeing in Dalian

Visitors to Dalian can access several large beaches located along the Dalian Peninsula including the huge Xinghai Beach, Fujiazhuang Beach and Bangchuidao Beach. Another great excursion idea is to take a trip along the winding coastal Binhair Road, taking in the beautiful scenery on offer along the Dalian Peninsula. The city also offers many forms of entertainment in theatres, concert halls and local bars. Dalian’s charm is not only limited to its natural beauty, as the city is filled with excellent sight-seeing opportunities.

Museums

The city boasts a selection of brilliant and informative museums. The Dalian Natural History Museum is China’s most prominent natural museum. With an area of 15,000m2 and a collection of around 50,000 items and artefacts, this museum is great place to spend a day discovering more about China’s natural history. Other excellent local museums include the Dalian Modern Museum, which houses a wide collection of modern sculptures relating to a range of areas within the city, and the Dalian Shell Museum, which contains the largest collection of shells anywhere in the world.

Dalian Forest Zoo

One of the city’s most popular tourist attractions is the massive and diverse Dalian Forest Zoo. The zoo covers an area of 7.2km2 and houses more than 150 different species of animal. The attraction’s most famous residents are the rare pandas, who draw tourists from all over the world.

Dalian Polar Aquarium

Millions of visitors every year flock to the excellent Dalian Polar Aquarium. The aquarium contains species of 153 polar animals, including polar bears, penguins and beluga whales, and a collection of over 3,000 fish. The attraction also puts on amazing aquatic dolphin shows, spectacular shark feeding showcases and a chance to get up close to other aquatic animals such as seals and sea lions. The Polar Aquarium is one of the largest and best aquariums in the world and is an attraction not to be missed.

Shopping in Dalian

A range of souvenir stalls can be found at the most of the major tourist locations across the city of Dalian. Authentic Chinese souvenirs on offer around the city include popular items such as calligraphy scrolls, jade sculptures and shell mosaics. Haggling with market stall proprietors is encouraged and is a great way to save you some money on gifts and souvenirs by driving the prices down. Supermarkets and department stores containing well known retailers can also be found all over the city.

Eating Out in Dalian

Dalian contains a wide range of restaurants serving popular Chinese cuisine, such as rice, dumplings, pancakes and locally produced seafood. The city also boasts a variety of restaurants and fast food outlets providing Western dishes for people looking for something a little more familiar. The best areas of the city for eating out at excellent local restaurants are the Zhongshan District and Xigang District of Dalian.