From Wikitravel

Dalian (大连) [1] is the second largest city in Liaoning Province, Dongbei (North East), China and the largest port in northern China as well as a major destination for Chinese tourists. Located at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the main part of the city is located on its own sub-peninsula, with the port to the north of the town centre and natural coastline dotted with beaches to the east and south.

Dalian is less reliant on heavy industry than most Chinese cities, especially in north east China, and what heavy industry there is is mostly located in the development zone far outside the city centre. This, combined with the city's many parks and green hills, wide thoroughfares and army of street cleaners, make Dalian a more pleasant city to visit and live in than most Chinese cities of comparable size. Though most of the tourist industry in the city is targeted at the domestic, rather than international market, overseas tourists should still find plenty to do in the city, and the large number of foreign businesses in the city and foreign students and teachers at the city's many universities ensure that there's plenty of businesses (from upmarket hotels to bars and coffee houses) that cater to the overseas market.

Mandarin is the main language of Dalian, and most Dalianese speak a fairly standard version of the dialect, though the local variety (known as Dalian-hua and related to the Shandong dialect) can sometimes be hard to follow for those unfamiliar with it. As in the rest of China English is increasingly well known but still not understood by most Dalianese, and outside of the more expensive hotels and businesses that cater to overseas customers a grasp of basic Mandarin phrases (at least) is advisable.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 Districts 2 Get in 2.1 By air 2.2 By train 2.3 By bus 2.4 By boat 3 Get around 3.1 By bus 3.2 By tram 3.3 By taxi 3.4 By rail 4 See 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Buy 8 Eat 8.1 Budget 8.2 Mid-range 8.3 Splurge 9 Drink 9.1 Bars 9.2 Coffee shops/Teahouses 10 Sleep 10.1 Budget 10.2 Mid-range 10.3 Splurge 11 Stay safe 12 Cope 13 Get out

Understand

Dalian as a city is young by Chinese standards, dating from 1898, though smaller settlements had long existed in the area. Like Hong Kong, Shanghai and Qingdao Dalian's development stemmed from colonial occupation, in this case by Russia. Under Russian rule Dalian, or Dalny as it was known, became the southern tip of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the main port of the eastern Russian empire. Following the Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5 the city was transferred to Japanese control and renamed Dairen. The Chinese government resumed control following the Second World War (though the city was jointly run with Russia until 1955) and in 1950 was again renamed by the newly formed Communist regime, this time to Luda City. There followed a period of relative stagnation until the city (once again named Dalian) was opened up to foreign investment in 1984. This sparked the first period of redevelopment of the city, the second coming with the appointment of Bo Xilai as major. Under Bo's stewardship the city became a model example of redevelopment, with extensive redevelopment of its infrastructure and open spaces and a new focus on tourism and commerce and away from heavy industry.

The climate in Dalian, like in most of northern China, is generally hot in the summer and very cold in winter. Summer temperatures average about 30°C (86 °F) while in winter the temperature can drop to as low as -17°C (1 °F). The city is best visited in summer or autumn, any time between June and October, though during the summer school holidays (early July-late August) the city attracts large numbers of Chinese tourists making long distance transport tickets and hotel rooms harder to find and some sights more expensive. The Labour Day (one week around May 1), National Day (one week around October 1) and Chinese New Year (four weeks during late January/early February) holidays see similar, though smaller, influxes and so it may be prefeable to schedule visits outside these times.

Districts

Dalian city is divided into 4 main districts:

• Zhongshan District (中山区 zhōngshān qū) at the eastern edge of the city, encompasses the eastern half of the city centre (including Zhongshan Square from which it takes its name), as well as the eastern half of Binhai Road running from Tiger Beach to Donghai Beach
• Xigang District (西岗区 xīgǎng qū), the smallest of the four districts, takes up the western half of the city centre, with People's Square at its heart, the Qinliwa and Victory Square shopping areas at its eastern edge, Dalian Stadium towards its western edge and Fujiazhuang at its southern tip.
• Shahekou District (沙河口区 shāhékǒu qū) lies to the south and east of the city centre, with Xi'an Lu at its heart and Xinghai Square to the south.
• Ganjingzi District (甘井子区 gānjǐngzǐ qū) makes up the rest of Dalian city and is by far the largest district, running from the Heishijiao university and high tech area in the south to the edge of the Dalian development zone in the north and to Yingchenzi in the west. For all its size, however, Dalian International Airport is the only location within the district most travellers are likely to visit.

The wider Dalian administrative area encompasses 6 further districts Jinzhou District, Lushunkou District, Wanfangdian City, Pulandian City, Zhuanghe City and Changhai County (spread over a group of islands to the east of the Liaodong Peninsula). Of these districts only Lushunkou and Jinzhou are likely to be of much interest to visitors.

• Jinzhou District (金州区 jīnzhōu qū) lies immediately north of Dalian city. The main attractions in the district are the Golden Pebble beach (east of the Dalian Development Zone) and Xiangshui Temple.
• Lushunkou District (旅顺口区 lǚshùnkǒu qū) occupies the very southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, with the historically significant city of Lushun (formerly Port Arthur) at its centre.

Get in

By air

Dalian International Airport (连周水子国际机 dàlián zhōushuǐzǐ guójìjīcháng, DLC) +86 411 8665 2071 [2], to the north-west of the town centre, offers daily direct flights to and from most major mainland Chinese cities as well as daily flights to Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong and regular direct flights to Osaka, Hiroshima, Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Toyama. Most other major international destinations can be reached by through flights via Beijing or Shanghai. Air China, Japan Airlines and All Nipon Airlines provide international flights and most major Chinese domestic carriers also serve the airport. A regular airport bus departs after every flight lands and runs to the main train station (it also stops at the smaller Shahekou train station so be careful not to get off too soon). and Renmin Lu. Tickets cost 5 RMB. Public buses #701 and #710 also run from the airport to the train station, #701 terminating at Zhongshan Square and #710 going on to the harbour, Sanba Square and Erqi Square. Both buses cost 1 RMB. Tickets for outward flights can be booked in advance from the airport ticket office on Zhongshan Lu, just opposite Hope Square in the centre of town.

By train

Dalian Central Train Station (大连火车站 dàlián huǒchēzhàn) +86 411 8260 3331 is located next to Victory Square in the town centre. Direct trains serve most cities in Dongbei as well as Beijing and Tianjin, but longer journeys usually involve a change at Beijing. A special daily express train also runs to Shenyang. Tickets can be booked up to 7 days in advance from the station, though this requires a degree of Chinese proficiency (or access to someone with Chinese proficiency) as well as a tolerance for Chinese queuing habits. Local travel agents and major hotels should also be able to book tickets in advance, often further than is possible from the station, for an extra charge. For further details on train travel in China, including details on the various classes available, see the main China article.

By bus

Long distance buses are available, and serve most destinations in the vicinity of Dalian, but are generally not recommended given the relative cheapness of and better comfort provided by train travel. If buses are the only option available (which can be the case during busy periods, especially Chinese New Year) the main long distance bus station is located on Jianshe Jie, outside the northern entrance of the main train station, while smaller stations, serving mainly local cities, are located next to the passenger ferry terminal, to the west of the city centre at the intersection of Anshan Lu and Xinkan Lu (běi gǎng qiáo station (北岗桥汽车站)) and in Heishijiao, next to Xinghai square.

By boat

Ferry services run from the passenger ferry terminal (大连港客运站 dàlián gǎng kèyùn zhàn) in the centre of Dalian to cities along the Bohai Sea as well as to Incheon in South Korea. A fast ferry runs to Yantai and takes around three and a half hours. Previous services to Shanghai and Qingdao no longer operate. Tickets can be purchased either from the ferry terminal or from a kiosk at the train station. On long haul domestic ferries (excluding fast ferries) first class births typically offer a two bed room with a shower, second class offers a four bed room with a wash basin while lower clases may offer only a bunk in a large, shared area, a hard seat or no reserved place at all.

Get around

By bus

Buses [3] are the main form of public transport in Dalian and most services run very frequently; the typical wait between buses is only about 10-15 minutes. Seats are generally hard, however, and even with very frequent services buses on major routes can still get crowded at peak times. There are also no air conditioning or heating systems in the buses which can make for uncomfortable journeys in the height of winter or summer. Services start early in the morning (anywhere from 4:30am-6:30am) and usually finish around 11pm, though some services finish earlier.

The main place to catch buses from the centre of town is at the Qingniwa area (青泥洼桥 qīngníwā qiáo) which has two main stations, one just in front of and slightly west of the train station and the other beside Zhongshan Hotel between Qingniwa pedestrian street and Jiefang Lu. Most buses also pass through People's Square and/or Zhongshan Square, but the stops are more spread out in both places and so finding the right stop can be difficult. Bus routes that may be of use to visitors include #2 (from Qiniwa station to Tiger Beach), #4 (from Olympic Square to Tiger Beach), #5 (from Zhongshan Lu near Qingniwa to Jingsha beach via Fujiazhuang), #13 (from the west side of Victory Square to the ferry terminal), #16 (from Zhongshan Lu near Qingniwa to the Xinghai conference centre) and #22 (from the railway station to Xinghai Square). Tickets prices for all these routes, as with most buses in Dalian, are 1 RMB regardless of distance and exact change must be given.

In addition to the regular public buses there are also three air-conditioned tourist buses. #801 runs a circular route from the railway station and takes in People's Square, Xinghai Square, Fujiazhaung Beach, Tiger Beach, Labour Park and Zhongshan Square along the way. The entire journey takes about an hour and costs 20 RMB, though earlier stops cost less (the minimum being 5 RMB). #801B runs from the ferry terminal to Heishijiao via Zhongshan Square, the railway station, People's Square and Xinghai Square while #901 runs from the Foreign Languages University to the south-western edge of Dalian via Zhongshan Square, the Railway station, Xinghai Square and Heishijiao. Tickets for both buses are 2 RMB.

By tram

Dalian has a number of trams and trolleybuses, a legacy from the years of Japanese occupation, and which add character to the city in addition to being a practical means of transportation; the hilly streets, trams and colonial buildings combine to give Dalian an almost San Franciscan feel in places. There are three tram routes, #201 runs from the central railway station to Shahekou Railway station, #202 runs from the Xi'an Lu shopping area to Heishijiao and beyond via Xinghai Square and #203 runs from the railway station along to Donghai Beach via Russian Street. Tickets for all trams cost 1 RMB, with the exception of the modern trams on route #202 which cost 2 RMB.

By taxi

Taxis are plentiful in Dalian and flagging one down is rarely a problem except in the remotest parts of the city. Rates start at 8 RMB for the first kilometre and 1.8 RMB for each additional kilometre with higher rates at night (after 10pm). Drivers are usually friendly and willing to help out foreigners, and are far less likely to take needless long routes than in other tourist cities in China. Very few understand English, however, so either a knowledge of Mandarin or written directions to the destination is a must.

By rail

Though there are a number of small urban and suburban rail stations in Dalian they are unlikely to be much use as they tend not to be in useful locations for tourists and services are more costly and less frequent than buses. The light rail line is of use to tourists and business travellers, however, as it is by far the most convenient way to get to the Dalian development zone and Golden Pebble beach resort.

See

• Russian Street. (俄羅斯風情街 éluósī chuí qíng jiē). Across Shengli Bridge to the north-east of the train station, Russian Street is one of the few places it's still possible to get a glimpse of Dalian's colonial past. Most of the old Russian and Japanese buildings were razed in the many bursts of redevelopment the city has seen over the years, but the old architecture is "preserved" along Russian Street; "preserved" in the sense that many of the buildings along the road are actually modern facsimiles of old Russian buildings rather than the genuine article. The old buildings that do remain are worth examining, however, and more genuine examples lie along the side roads to the east of the main street. Stalls and shops along the road sell various trinkets and souvenirs, but the same items can generally be found for much less elsewhere in the city. A similar Japanese Street exists in the south of the city centre, near the Children's Park, but is almost wholly fake, with empty shells of buildings lining the road. Those interested in real examples of Japanese houses would be better served exploring the area around Gaoerji Lu (Gorky Road) to the south of People's Square and the football stadium.

• Dalian Art Gallery, +86 411 8254 0584. 9am-4pm. Located at the southern tip of Russian Street in a spectacular old Russian building dating from 1910, the Dalian Art Gallery contains a varied and changing selection of works from local artists, ranging from traditional Chinese styles to works of modern art. The gallery also periodically hosts touring shows from prominent artists both Chinese and foreign.

• Zhongshan Square (中山广场 zhōngshān guǎngchǎng). This square in the heart of the city's financial district is surrounded by some of the best examples of colonial-era architecture in Dalian. Though the square was first laid out by the Russians most of the buildings around the square were built between 1910 and 1920 by the Japanese. The square itself serves as a social hub, with locals gathering during the evening to play hacky-sack or watch football games on the big screen above the Dalian Hotel. On Sundays there's also an English corner from 1pm-7pm which can be a good place for new arrivals to get help and advice from locals eager to practice their English.

• People's Square (人民广场 rénmín guǎngchǎng). The other main square in the centre of Dalian, People's Square is the seat of the city government, housed in old Russian-style buildings around the square. Like Zhongshan Square, People's Square is well worth a visit for the architecture alone, but the kite flyers and fountain at the southern tip of the square which provides regular performances with the water synchronised to music also provide distraction. The best time to see the fountain is probably during the evening show (8pm) when the fountain is illuminated.

• Xinghai Square (星海广场 xīnghǎi guǎngchǎng). Xinghai Square, on the coast south west of the city centre, is the largest square in Asia, a fact frequently mentioned in tourist literature on Dalian. As well as the square itself and there are a number of attractions around the square, including the museums listed below, a bathing beach, a large aquarium (7:00am - 4:00pm, 70RMB), the Xinghai Convention and Exhibition Center, a huge indoor tennis court, an indoor swimming pool, a number of high class restaurants, a bungee tower and a fairly small and uninteresting amuseument park. With the possible exception of the aquarium, museums and restaurants few of the attractions are likely to be that interesting to visitors but it's still worth taking the time to visit the square and have a wander around the area.

• Dalian Modern Museum, +86 411 8480 0188. 9am-4pm, closed Mondays. This museum to the north of Xinghai Square contains a number of high quality, interactive exhibits on Dalian, both historical and current, and is well worth a visit for anyone even slightly interested in the city itself. 30 RMB.

• Xinghai Seashell Museum, +86 411 8480 2938 (extension 115). 8:30am - 4:30pm Housed in an mock European-style castle to the east of Xinghai Square, the seashell museum contains a huge variety of shells and other examples of sealife (including a preserved giant squid). Though very specialised the museum still makes for an interesting diversion, though the climb up to the museum itself can be a trial (those wishing to avoid the stairs can take a taxi up the side road).

• Dalian Natural History Museum, 40 Xicun Jie, +86 411 8469 1290. 8.30am-4.30pm (midseason)/9am-4pm(off-season). The museum mainly focuses on marine life though it also includes a dinosaur fossil exhibit. It can be found some way to the west of Xinghai Square along Zhongshan Lu. 30 RMB.

• Labour Park (劳动公园 láodòng gōngyuán). 6:30am - 6:30pm. Labour Park, to the south of the Qingniwa shoping area, is the largest park in Dalian. The park contains a number of attractions, including a small aviary area, a few man made lakes and an amusement park (which, like the one in Xinghai Square, is overpriced and fairly uninteresting). Off season the park is free and can be a pleasant place to take a stroll, but it's probably not worth paying to get in during the holiday periods. 10-15 RMB during holidays, free the rest of the time..

• The Forest Zoo (森林动物园 sēnlín dòngwùyuán), 60 Nashidao Jie, +86 411 8249 5072 [4]. 8am–5pm. Nestled along the hillside south of the city centre, the Dalian Forest Zoo is a major attraction for Chinese tourists primarily because of its pandas (both red pandas and great pandas live in the zoo) though many other exotic species are also represented. The zoo is essentially split into two parts, with a walking section at the top of the hill and a safari area at the base near Fujiazhuang. The two sections are joined by cable car and a foot path, with the pandas housed in the upper section. While not perhaps up to the quality of western zoos the zoo has passed numerous international inspections and is of high quality by Chinese standards. It can seem somewhat forlorn during outside of peak times, however. 30 RMB for walking section, 60 RMB for walking section + safari section.

• Tiger Beach (虎滩乐园 hǔtān lèyuán). To the south of the city centre this tourist area is somewhat misnamed, as there really isn't any beach to speak of. What there is are a number of tourist attractions, the most prominent of which is the slightly pricey Polar Aquarium (9:00am - 4:30pm, 90 RMB). Though popular with Chinese tourists the area, though pretty, is unlikely to hold the attention of more jaded overseas tourists for long and is perhaps best seen as a starting point for journeys along Binhai Road.

• Donghai Beach/Haizhiyun Square (海之韵广场 hǎizhīyùn guǎngchǎng). Like Tiger Beach, Donghai Beach is not so much a beach as a cluster of tourist sights (there is a stretch of what could be called a beach but it's shingle rather than sand). The sights here are somewhat more interesting than at Tiger Beach, with some nice modern art sculptures and mock fossils along Binhai Road a little way up from the beach (this stretch of road also includes a strange section of sloping road where cars appear to roll up the hill, most taxi drivers will be happy to demonstrate the phenomenon to tourists even if not asked). Again like Tiger Beach Donghai Beach is a convenient place to start journeys along Binhai Road.

Do

• Climb up to the TV Tower. Dalian TV Tower, located on top of a hill south of Labour Park, is a tourist attraction in its own right, with a restaurant at the top and impressive views of Dalian. Better than the tower, however, is the walk up via a little known side path, which offers both peaceful greenery in the centre of the city and spectacular views. To get to the side road either walk down the east side of Labour Park or take buses 2 or 5 from Qingniwa and get off at the Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital stop (中医院 zhōngyī yuàn) and walk back towards the park. The road up to the tower is actually a tiny side road underneath a flyover just south of an old red bricked school next to Labour Park. Though somewhat difficult to find the road is relatively simple to follow, the only junction is about a third of the way up, next to an artifical lake and the Dalian Circus Academy (the lake makes for a nice place to take a break). Keep going straight ahead at the junction then simply follow the road to the peak. The walk should take between half an hour to an hour. Getting back down involves either walking back the same way or taking the cable car or slide down to Labour Park.(the cable car costs 10 RMB while the slide costs 15 RMB).

• Travel along Binhai Road. Running along the southern edge of the Dalian peninsula Binhai Road is a pretty, winding coastal road similar to the corniche of the French Riviera. The road is split into three main sections, Binhai West Road {滨海西路 bīnhǎi xī lù} from Xinghai Square to Fujiazhuang, Binhai Middle Road {滨海中路 bīnhǎi zhōng lù} from Fujiazhuang to Tiger Beach, and Binhai South Road {滨海南路 bīnhǎi nán lù} and Binhai North Road {滨海北路 bīnhǎi běi lù} from Tiger Beach to Donghai Beach. It's possible to walk along the entire 35 km (22 mi) stretch in a day, but for those feeling less adventurous the Fujiazuang-Tiger Beach and Tiger Beach-Donghai Beach stretches also make for a rewarding walk. A taxi ride offers a less taxing means of seeing the road.

• Relax on one of the city's beaches. There's a number of beaches clustered along the southern and eastern sides of the Dalian Peninsula, the largest of which are Xinghai Beach (星海海滨 xīnghǎi hǎibīn), Fujiazhuang Beach (傅家庄海滨 fùjiāzhuāng hǎibīn) and Bangchuidao Beach. (棒棰岛海滨 bàngchuídǎo hǎibīn). Of these beaches Xinghai beach is almost invariably overcrowded and Bangchuidao beach is hard to get to and expensive (located as it is within an exclusive luxury resort) making Fujiazhuang Beach the best bet for anyone wanting to take a dip or simply sunbathe.

• Take a boat trip out to Bangchui Island. Located just off the coast from Bangchuidao beach Bagchui Island (棒棰岛 bàngchuídǎo) is a small, uninhabited islet and a nice place to spend a relaxing few hours exploring or nature watching. You can get to the island by using the tourist ferries that leave from Xinghai Square and Tiger Beach. A simple round trip costs 40 RMB but paying an extra 20 RMB gives the option of getting off the boat and exploring for as long as you want while the boat waits.

• Take in a Dalian Shide game. Among the many things Dalian is famous for amongst the most prominent is football (soccer). Dalian's football side, Dalian Shide FC, are the most successful in China, having won the Chinese league 8 times (most recently in 2005) and having produced a number of Chinese internationals, including Sun Jihai of Manchester City and Dong Fangzuo of Manchester United. Home matches are played at the People's Stadium just next to Olympic Square (奥林匹克 广场 àolínpǐkè guǎngchǎng) on alternate weekends from early March to early November. The 60,000 seater stadium is rarely even half full and even the biggest matches (against the Beijing, Shanghai or Shenyang teams) don't sell out so obtaining tickets is never a problem. Despite this the atmosphere is still pretty unique. Ticket prices vary according to the quality of the opposition, with the biggest games costing around 20 RMB while entry to matches against lesser teams can sometimes be had for nothing if you're willing to wait until just before kick-off.

• Listen to a concert at the People's Cultural Club. The People's Cultural Club, off Zhongshan Square, was built in 1951 and today serves as the main concert hall of the city. A wide variety of orchestral, operatic and ballet performances are held, performed by local and touring companies. Ticket prices are usually around 30-70 RMB.

• See a performance of traditional Chinese opera. For those interested in more localised musical performances Dalian offers a couple of options. The Peking Opera House, a former Japanese Shinto temple located between Labour Park and the Foreign Languages University, offers regular performances of Peking Opera. Ticket prices range from 30 RMB to 80 RMB. For those interested in catching the kinds of opera more associated with north-eastern China there's a theatre just behind the Ramada Hotel, Victory Square, which specialises in local opera forms.

• Catch a film. There's a cluster of cinemas in the centre of town around Youhao Square, but these mainly cater to local audiences and so English language screenings are extremely rare. Those who aren't fluent in Mandarin would be better off going to the Warner-Wanda cinema on the north side of Olympic Square, or the Ownar Cineplex in the He Ping shopping centre north of Xinghai Square.

Learn

Dalian has a large number of universities, a number of which offer undergraduate and graduate courses in a variety of majors for foreign students, as well as Chinese classes of varying levels of proficiency. The universities below all offer course for overseas students, see their websites for details on available courses and requirements.

• Dalian Foreign Languages University (大连外国语学院 dàlián wàiguóyǔ xuéyuàn), 94 Yan'an Lu, +86 411 8280 1297 (scs@dlufl.edu.cn) [5].
• Liaoning Normal University (辽宁师范大学 liáoníng shīfàn dàxué), 850 Huanghe Lu, +86 411 8425 8562 (robertd@mail.dlptt.ln.cn) [6].
• Dalian Maritime University (大连海事大学 dàlián hǎishì dàxué), 1 Linghai Lu, +86 411 8472 9210 (pengxuefei@hotmail.com) [7].
• Dalian University of Technology (大连理工大学 dàlián lǐgōng dàxué), +86 411 8470 8897 (dutsice@dlut.edu.cn) [8].

Buy

There's a large number of souvenir stalls around the main tourist sights in Dalian, however the typical local souvenirs are Russian-themed items and dried seafood, neither of which are particularly of interest to foreign travellers (the first would be a strange thing to bring back from China and the second would violate customs regulations). There's plenty of other shopping areas that would be of more interest, however, either for general Chinese souvenirs (jade sculptures, calligraphy scrolls, Peking Opera masks and so on) or for day to day essentials. As with the rest of China haggling is pretty much mandatory outside of department stores and supermarkets. Below is a list of the main shopping areas, listed from most expensive to cheapest.

• The Friendship Centre (友谊商店 yǒuyì shāngdiàn), 8 Renmin Lu. 9:30am-9pm. Located on the upscale Renmin Lu the Friendship Centre is the most expensive department store in Dalian. A lot of the goods on sale here can be found elsewhere for less, but if you're looking for really exclusive products, both imported and domestically produced, this is the place to go. There's also a number of other high-end shops and shopping areas spread along the rest of the street.

• Qingniwa shopping area This area, between Victory Square and Labour Park, is host to a number of moderately expensive department stores, supermarkets and shopping centres. Designer clothing can be found in abundance here.

• Tianjin Street (天津街 tiānjīn jiē). As with Qingniwa this pedestrianised street, running from Victory Square to near Zhongshan Square, has a number of department stores, supermarkets and shopping centres but unlike Qingniwa Tianjin Jie also offers a large number of stalls selling various goods from underwear to swords that operate along the length of the road.

• Xi'an Road (西安路 xīān lù). This street, west of the city centre, is the largest shopping area outside the centre and boasts a brand new shopping complex on the western side of the junction with Huanghe Lu. There's also a large electronics centre just north of the new shopping mall and a smaller one next to Carrefour.

• Victory square shopping centre. Hidden underneath Victory Square (胜利广场 shènglì guǎngchǎng) this huge mall contains a large food court, tearooms, a video arcade and a bowling alley in addition to a massive number of small stalls selling a wide variety of goods. This can be a good place to come to get decent bargains, however it's incredibly confusingly laid out and maps are nowhere to be seen while the few signs there are are in Chinese. Allow plenty of time when visiting here as simply finding a way out can take far longer than expected.

• Dalian central market. The best place to go for bargains is the central market, north of the train station. There's a huge number of different halls offering pretty much everything under the sun, but the main hall is the most useful to visitors, with foodstuffs on the ground floor, clothes and bags on the next couple of floors and trinkets and souvenirs on the next floor up. If you're willing to haggle hard goods can be gotten here for a fraction of the price you'd be expected to pay elsewhere.

Those living in Dalian for longer than a week or two can buy food and daily necessities from the many supermarkets located around the city. The biggest and best are run by Walmart (沃尔玛 wòěrmǎ) (largest branch located underneath Olympic Square) Carrefour (家乐福 jiālèfú) (largest branch located at the intersection of Xi'an Lu and Huanghe Lu) and Parkson (百盛 bǎishèng) (largest branch north of Olympic Square).

Eat

The local cuisine of Dalian is influenced by Dongbei regional style of cooking (which has a not wholly unjustified reputation for being big on portions and relatively low on flavours, with buns, pancakes and dumplings as staples rather than rice or noodles) and the city has a very good reputation for seafood dishes which are well worth trying. Overseas travellers should be aware, however, that in China seafood has different connotations than elsewhere; in China seafood literally means anything that is edible from the sea. Those unwilling to try sea slugs or fish heads should take care when ordering. Fish dishes invariably contain plenty of small bones that must be navigated aroun or crunched through (the local method).

The range and number of restaurants is huge, and the listing below should be considered as merely scratched the surface of what is on offer. Individual exploration of the restaurants available is recommended. Reservations are generally not necessary in China, so phone numbers have only been provided for those restaurants where tables may need reserving. Those wanting to stick to the familiar will find a large number of western and Japanese and Korean restaurants available, and international fast food chains are well represented with McDonalds and KFC branches liberally scattered throughout the city as well as a branch of Pizza Hut in Victory Square, a Subway on Renmin Lu near Harbour Square and Dairy Queens in the Victory Square shopping centre and the Friendship Centre.

Budget

Travellers on a budget will be spoilt for choice in Dalian, with low cost restaurants on literally every street corner especially in the more residential areas outside of the main city centre. It would be impossible to even begin to list them all, so below are just a couple of options available near the centre. The quality of the restaurants can be highly variable; a good rule of thumb when searching for a decent place to eat is if the decor looks shabby but the place is packed the food is almost always good. Ordering can be tricky for non-Chinese speakers as English menus are incredibly rare in cheaper restaurants, and English speaking staff are even rarer. Those with no Mandarin ability and no access to someone with Mandarin ability can either point at other customers' dishes, or try the roadside snack stalls which offer pancakes, rolls and skewers of barbecued meat for around 1-2RMB.

• Century City food court Shopping centre food courts are a good place to grab a quick, cheap and hassle free lunch in Dalian. The best is on the top floor of the Century City centre on Qingniwa Jie, with individual sections offering specialities from all the main Chinese regions as well as Japanese and Korean dishes. Especially recommended is the mālàtàng (麻辣烫), a kind of soup served in a wide dish with various ingredients cooked inside the soup. The name literally means "hot, spicy and mouth numbing" but don't be put off by the name, the variety served here isn't overpowering. Those wanting spice can add as much chilli sauce (served in a side bowl along with sesame sauce) as they wish. As with most mālàtàng places to order you simply select the ingredients you wish to have (the ingredients are placed on skewers in easy reach) and hand them over to be cooked. 4-12 RMB for a 2 person bowl of malatang depending on ingredients (1-2 RMB per skewer).

• Over the bridge noodles. Over the bridge noodles (过桥米线 guòqiáo mǐxiàn) are a dish native to Yunnan province in south-west China where raw ingredients (typically a variety of meats, vegetables and quail eggs) are dropped along with rice noodles into a large bowl of boiling hot chicken stock at the table. A thin layer of oil on the top of the soup allows the ingredients to cook inside the soup (the name derives from a legend that a scholar's wife found that any food she took to her husband on the other side of a large bridge went cold before she reached him, so she invented a way of keeping it hot). A dish from south-west China may seem a strange thing to seek out in north-east China, but guòqiáo mǐxiàn are incredibly popular in Dalian with restaurants all over town. Probably the best is located on a side road off the eastern edge of Labour Park, near the Peking Opera House. To find the restaurant head east along the road parallel to and south of the street the opera house is on until you find a small restaurant with a couple of seats out the front. A telltale sign you've found the right place (apart from large bowls of noodles everywhere) is a board running along the right hand wall which acts as the restaurant's loyalty scheme; regular customers have tally marks next to their name and after 5 visits the next bowl is free. The various combinations of ingredients are listed on the wall. It's probably a good idea to avoid the restaurant between 1 and 2pm on weekdays during term time as it quickly gets inundated with kids from nearby schools. 6-10 RMB for a 2 person bowl of noodles.

Mid-range

As with budget restaurants there's plenty of mid-range restaurants to choose from in Dalian (differentiated from budget restaurants usually by being larger and having better decor), so experimentation is the key. Below are just a couple of particularly noteworthy examples. The same caveats as budget restaurants apply as regards language, though quality is less variable.

• Qing Dynasty Dumplings restaurant, 5 Wuwu Lu. Dumplings (饺子 jiǎozi) are a common staple in this part of China, and the Qing Dynasty restaurant (大清花饺子 dà qīng huā jiǎozi) on Wuwu Lu between Harbour Square and Sanba Square (part of a Shenyang-based chain) does them better than most. A wide variety of different kinds of jiǎozi are offered, both in terms of cooking style and filling, as well as other dishes in a Qing dynasty themed environment, and though the menu lacks English it does have pictures making ordering easier for the Mandarinally-challenged. The sample plate, offering four different foods from the various parts of China (from mutton skewers from the north-west to lemon chicken from the south-east), is particularly worth trying. 25-50 RMB per person.

• Zhongshan Hotel Dim Sum restaurant. For those after food very late at night the best option in the centre of town is the 24 hour dim sum restaurant on the fifth floor of the Zhongshan Hotel on Jiefang Lu next to the Century City shopping centre. The usual dim sum dishes are on offer (shrimp dumplings, spring rolls, fried squid and so on). To order simply pick the items you want from the display cases as you enter. 6-20 RMB per item.

• Dōng Dōu Tíng, various locations, most central at 65 Jiefang Jie. Dalian's proximity to Korea and significant Korean overseas student population means there's a large number of Korean restaurants, both of the northern and southern variety, in the city. Amongst the best South Korean restaurants are the Dōng Dōu Tíng (东都亭) chain who specialise in Korean barbecue. Raw meat, seafood, vegetables and so on (most liberally marinated in spices) are purchased and then cooked in open pits in the middle of the table. The prawns here are excellent and well worth paying a little extra for. 20-45 RMB per person.

Splurge

The more expensive end of the restaurant market in Dalian is generally occupied by non-Chinese, mainly western, Japanese and Korean, restaurants though there are also a few Chinese restaurants with particularly high reputations in this price bracket. English menus and English speaking staff are more likely in these restaurants, especially western ones, but there's still no guarantees.

• Tian Tian seafood restaurants, main branch 10 Renmin Lu, +86 411 8280 1118. 9am-9pm Of all the many seafood restaurants in Dalian the Tian Tian chain (天天渔港 tiāntiān yúgǎng) have the best reputation, and so the highest prices. Pretty much anything under the sun (and under the sea) is available, for a price. A meal for 2 can be anywhere from 80 to 400 RMB.

• Le Cafe Igosso, 45 Nanshan Lu, +86 411 8265 6453. 11am-2am, 11am-10pm on Sundays. Dalian's premier Western restaurant, Igosso offers a decent range of Italian dishes in a cozy, romantic, bistro-like environment. Check out the seasonal specials and daily deserts for variety. The wine list offers pretty much the only chance to get a decent bottle of Chianti in Dalian. Main courses 40-120 RMB.

• Tapas, 35-3 Shengli Jie, +86 411 8254 0996 [9]. Dalian's only Spanish restaurant, and possibly the only Spanish restaurant in the province, Tapas specialises in, unsurprisingly enough, tapas, but also offers a range of individual main courses, with the paella well worth a try. The restaurant itself is large, well decorated, and split over two floors, the upper floor being the more comfortable. Tapas cost 6-40 RMB, main courses cost around 100 RMB and paella costs 160 RMB for two people.

• Ademain, 8 Wuwu Lu. Dalian has plenty of Japanese restaurants due to the large number of Japanese businesses, and businessmen, in the city, almost all of them pricey (the only really cheap option is the sushi bar in the Olympic Square shopping complex which has an all you can eat, and all you can drink, deal after 6pm). One of the best is Ademain (阿都曼日本现代创作料理 ādōumàn rìběn xiàndài chuàngzuò liàolǐ) on Wuwu Lu, opposite and slightly south of the Qing Dynasty dumpling restaurant, which offers a wide range of dishes (from sushi to tepanyaki) for relatively reasonable prices (compared to other Japanese restaurants in the centre). 60-150 RMB per person.

• Xinghai Square restaurants. On the east side of Xinghai square are a row of restaurants featuring a range of cuisines, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Western. All are high quality, though high priced. Prices vary but expect to pay at least 100 RMB per person.

Drink

Dalian offers a wide selection of bars and nightclubs catering to a mixture of locals and foreign businessmen, teachers and students. Most of them, especially in the centre are aimed at the Japanese businessman market and are so perhaps best avoided unless overpriced drinks, karaoke and women of dubious virtue are your thing. Dalian lacks a bonafide bar street along the lines of Beijing's Sanlitun or Shanghai's Maoming Lu with bars fairly liberally scattered across the city centre (as well as near major universities). There are three main clusters of bars that those wishing to bar hop could concentrate on, however, the first and most centralised along a side street off Wuwu Lu near Sanba Square, the second along Changjiang Lu behind the Shagri-la Hotel and the third along Gaoerji Lu behind People's Square.

Another good place to go for drinks are the night markets that spring up during the summer, which offer very cheap draught beer (1-3 RMB for a large glass) and barbecued meat, tofu vegetables and breads in an informal outdoor setting. Those looking for non-alcoholic drinks, meanwhile, can check out the many coffee shops and teahouses around the city.

The Dalian beer festival (a product of Dalian's long running semi-feud with Qingdao), held in Xinghai Square every year around late July/early August, is worth checking out if you're in the city at the time.

Bars

• Noah's Ark Bar. Noah's Ark (挪亚方舟酒吧 nuóyà fāngzhōu jiǔba), on the south side of People's Square, is a good place to go for a relaxing drink, especially in summer when the large beer garden is open. The main bar downstairs, with its live music and eclectic themed décor is also worth staying for a few Asahis in. 20 RMB for a large bottle of Asahi.

• Dave's Bar, +86 411 8282 2345. Formerly the expat bar in Dalian Dave's Bar (玛克威酒吧 mǎkèwēi jiǔba), just north of Zhongshan Square, has suffered a little under recent competition. It's still a popular bar, but has something of a seedy air nowadays. It's still worth a visit, though, if for no other reason than the fact that it offers the cheapest draught beer in Dalian at 10 RMB a pint.

• JD's. The new most popular place for expats, JD's, located inside the east stand of the Dalian Shide Stadium, is a lively, noisy place with a busy dance floor and regular DJs playing a mix of hip-hop, European dance and Russian pop tunes until late into the night. Drinks cost 30-50 RMB.

• Jazz bar. Probably the best bar on the Sanba bar street, Jazz bar features a live band (who fall somewhat short of true jazz but are entertaining nonetheless), a large central area spanned by balconeys and decked out in fake greenery, and draught German beer. 40-50 RMB for a pint of German beer.

• Tin whistle/Hole in the wall. These two bars are virtually next door, on the Changjiang Lu bar stretch, so are listed together. The Tin Whistle is Dalian's main Irish bar, which means draught Guinness and Carlsberg, and live sporting events on the big screen. The Hole in the Wall (双子座酒吧 shuāngzǐzuò jiǔba), meanwhile, is a cosy, pub-like bar with a wider range of drinks than is found in most Dalian bars.

• Paulaner Brauhaus, 92 Jiefang Lu, +86 411 8259 8888 [10]. Recent years have seen a plethora of microbrewery bar/restaurants which brew their own beer on premises in Dalian, the best of which is the Paulaner Brauhaus inside the Kempinski Hotel (凯宾斯基饭店 kǎibīnsījī fàndiàn[11]) near the north-east corner of Labour Park. Though technically a restaurant (the only German restaurant in Dalian) the beer, as close to the authentic Munich experience as you're likely to find in Dongbei, is worth the visit alone.

Coffee shops/Teahouses

• I-55, 67 Gaoerji Lu, +86 411 8369 5755. Open every day until midnight. I-55 a little way south of People's Square, has long been Dalian's top meeting place for expats who want to remember what they did the next morning. Its comfortable position means that it's slightly pricier than its competitors but the coffee and food are top quality and the decor's not too bad either.

• All's Well, various locations, main branch at 13 Wuyi Lu, +86 411 8464 1419. I-55's main competitor is the All's Well chain which offers slightly cheaper coffee (including free refills of the coffee of the day) and all you can eat buffets at dinner time. The main branch also boasts excellent views over Labour Park. Perhaps the main attraction is the 15 RMB breakfast buffet, which runs until 11am and has pretty much everything a homesick westerner could wish for.

• Be For Time, various locations, main branch on Huanghe Lu just west of the Xi'an Lu intersection. The Be For Time chain are teahouses, but rather than going the traditionalist route with wooden, Qing-style furniture and sliding doors, have opted to cater to a young crowd with modern furnishings and milkshakes and ice creams alongside the usual varieties of green tea. This, combined with the 16 RMB all you can drink deal, makes Be For Time branches very popular with students and decent places to spend a couple of hours.

Sleep

Budget

Budget options in Dalian, as in the rest of China, are fairly limited for overseas travellers as most of the really cheap hotels are unable to accept foreigners. The best bet for non-Chinese looking for a bargain is to try youth hostels or university guest houses.

• Haiyun International Youth Hostel (海韵国际青年旅舍 hǎiyùn guójì qīngnián lǚshě), 104 warship 667 Zhongshan District, +86 411 239 40 26. This hostel boasts the fairly unique distinction of being housed inside an old Chinese warship, moored at Tiger Beach. The whole hostel, from staff uniforms to rooms, is decked out in a nautical theme. Rooms vary from doubles to multi-person dorms. Part of Hostelling International, so YHA members get discounted accommodation. 20-100 RMB

• Huanan International Youth Hostel (华南国际青年旅舍 huánán guójì qīngnián lǚshě), 1 Yingchun Lu, +86 411 8249 6830. Located near the north entrance of the Forest Zoo this hostel, also part of Hostelling International, offers more facilities than the Haiyun hostel, including restaurants, coffee bars and a bike rental service, and so is slightly more expensive. Rooms range from singles to six person dorms. The location makes it easy to get to the centre, Xinghai Square or Fujiazhuang beach. 50-200 RMB

• Universities Other than the youth hostels the only real budget option available for non-Chinese are the many universities around Dalian, which offer foreign student dormitories to travellers during school holidays. Some (for example Liaoning Normal University and the Dalian University of Technology) also have hotels on campus which offer rooms all year round. See the Learn section for contact details.

Mid-range

The mid-range market in Dalian mainly consists of 3 or 4 star Chinese-run hotels which typically offer clean, decent sized rooms, good quality restaurants and possibly the odd English-speaking member of staff. There's an abundance of such hotels around the city, with a handful standing out from the rest of the pack.

• Ramada (华美达饭店 huáměidá fàndiàn), 18 Victory Square, +86 411 8280 8888 [12]. While most of the international chain hotels in Dalian fall well into the "splurge" category, the Ramada is fairly reasonably priced considering its convenient location (just next to the main train station) and facilities, which include a gym, swimming pool, free internet access in rooms and English speaking staff. 400-680 RMB

• Regent (丽景大酒店 líjǐng dàjiǔdiàn), 12 Hutan Jie, +86 411 8289 2811. Located right next to Tiger Beach, the Dalian Regent Hotel offers great views and a convenient location for exploring the southern seafront of Dalian. Amenities are decent (Chinese and Japanese restaurants, French café, gym, sauna) if nothing spectacular. 270-880 RMB

• Sea Horizon (海天白云大酒店 hǎitiān báiyún dàjiǔdiàn), 81 Binhai Lu, +86 411 8240 3399, The best thing about the Sea Horizon is undoubtedly its location, on the coast very close to Fujiazhuang Beach and within walking distance of Xinghai Square with some excellent views, as its facilities, lobby bar, seedy nightclub and a few run down tennis courts, are nothing to write home about. The hotel does boast a very good restaurant, however. 325-1,355 RMB

• Dalian Hotel (大连宾馆 dàlián bīnguǎn), 4 Zhongshan Square, +86 411 8263 3111. The Dalian Hotel is the place to stay for anyone interested in exploring the history of Dalian. Built in 1914 by the Japanese, though designed by a Frenchman, the hotel is pretty much the only place to stay in Dalian that's older than 15 years old and frequently plays host to visiting dignitaries when they're not staying at Bangchuidao (Bo Xilai usually stays here when he's back in town). Its age means its facilities (a small business centre and gym) can't compete with its more modern rivals but its character is unmatched. The Japanese restaurant in the hotel is one of the best in the city, though its prices reflect this fact. 400-640 RMB

• Grand Hotel (博览大酒店 bólǎn dàjiǔdiàn), 1 Jiefang Jie, +86 411 8280 6161. Probably the pick of the mid-range hotels in the eastern half of the city centre, the Grand Hotel offers good sized rooms, decent facilities (sauna, gym, optional broadband internet access in rooms) and a decent variety of restaurants and bars in a very central location just off Zhongshan Square. In addition the hotel has drawn praise for its attentive and friendly staff. 300-645 RMB

Splurge

The top end of the hotel market in Dalian is dominated by large hotels run by larger international chains. As a result these hotels tend to be very well run and offer all the amenities that could possibly be expected. On the downside the prices tend to be set to an international, rather than national, benchmark and so the jump in price from 4 star to 5 star can be dramatic.

• Shagri-la (香格里拉大饭店 xiānggélǐlā dàfàndiàn), 66 Renmin Lu, +86 411 8252 5000 [13]. The Shangri-la, part of the Hong-Kong based chain, has long been one of Dalian's premier luxury hotels. The "has long been" part means that the decor and faci1ities may not always be as up to date as its competitors, and the quality of service has received mixed reviews in the past, but generally the hotel offers everything you'd expect from a 5 star hotel. 880-1,900 RMB

• Furama (富丽华大酒店 fùlíhuá dàjiǔdiàn), 60 Renmin Lu, +86 411 8263 0888 [14]. Part of a Japanese chain, the Furama has been the Shangri-la's main competitor ever since it was first built (the fact that they are next door to each other may have something to do with this). Slightly more modern and slightly more sleek than the Shangri-la the Furama is correspondingly slightly more expensive. 1,125-2,500 RMB

• Hotel Nikko (日航飯店 rìháng fàndiàn), 123 Changjiang Jie, +86 411 8252 9999 [15] [16]. A hotel that's been through almost as many name changes as Dalian itself, the Nikko was originally a Hilton before being taken over by Japan Airlines and renamed the Oriental Palace for a while before finally taking on its current moniker. An impressive building to look at the Nikko contains all the facilities that could be expected, with a particularly good western restaurant, and its post-takeover (slight) remodelling makes it amongst the most up-to-date of the 5 star options in Dalian. Its location, along the slightly seedy Changjiang Lu, might not be the ideal for those not interested in bar hopping, however. 885-1,285 RMB.

• Swissötel (瑞士酒店 ruìshì jiǔdiàn), 21 Wuhui Lu, +86 411 8230 3388. Yet another hotel that's part of an international chain (no prizes for guessing where it's based) the Swissötel is housed in a sleek, modern tower at the southern tip of the Qingniwa shopping area and offers splendid views over Labour Park. The facilities are typically up to scratch, with the western buffet particularly noteworthy. On Sundays the hotel is also the location for the main expatriate community church service. 880-1,355 RMB

• Harbour View Hotel (海景酒店 hǎijǐng jiǔdiàn) 2 Gangwan Jie, +86 411 8272 8888 [17]. This Best Western-run hotel is a little older than its competitors, as is evidenced by its blue-glassed 80s chic tower, but still offers the usual facilities and the most convenient location for those arriving or departing from the harbour or interested in exploring the Sanba bar area. 885-1,390 RMB

Stay safe

Crime, especially street crime, is low in Dalian as it is in most of China. Muggings and assaults, for instance, are incredibly rare. Pickpockets do operate, however, so care should be taken with valuables especially in busy shopping areas or on crowded buses or trains.

Probably the greatest safety risk you'll face in Dalian is from the traffic which can be chaotic at the best of times. China has the highest rate of road fatalities in the world and allowances made for pedestrians are practically nonexistent. Marked crossings seem to serve little purpose other than as target ranges. Dalian's many wide avenues may be good for congestion but by creating more fast flowing traffic than in, say, Beijing they make life harder for pedestrians. The best way to cross the road other than over bridges, through tunnels or at traffic lights is to wait for a gap in the traffic and run. Don't under any circumstances expect cars to stop for you.

Health-wise Dalian's relatively low levels of pollution (comparable to London or Paris and better than Los Angeles) mean health problems from bad air are less of an issue than in other Chinese cities. The water, while technically drinkable, is made drinkable via the addition of hefty amounts of chemicals and pipes are seldom kept in the best condition so boiling is pretty much mandatory, and bottled water is usually a safer bet. Tap water should be fine for brushing teeth and washing with, however. The complete lack of any health inspection mechanism means food poisoning is a constant danger, but most restaurants should be OK. Avoid any restaurants that seem strangely quiet (customers tend not to return to places that leave them on the toilet for a week). It's always a good idea to pack a few diarrhoea tablets before leaving, just in case. Hospitals are liberally scattered throughout the city with the Friendship Hospital on Wuwu Lu (+86 411 8271 8822) the most likely to have English speaking staff. China's hyper-capitalist healthcare system means that payment in cash is required before any treatment is dished out, so make sure to bring a few hundred RMB with you should you need medical attention.

Cope

Though credit and debit cards are gradually becoming more widely accepted at department stores and supermarkets most stores and all attractions still operate on a cash-only basis and only the very largest or most expensive shops accept foreign credit cards. It's best to ensure that you have a decent amount of cash on hand when going out, then. ATMs are located at virtually all bank branches, and most (though not all) of the large banks now accept foreign debit or credit cards. Bank of China branches all have the ability to take cards from foreign banks, and most offer English instructions. For more advanced financial transactions (converting currency or travellers checks, for instance) the best places to go are the Bank of China branch on the north side of Zhongshan Square and the HSBC branch on Renmin Lu just east of the Shangri-la hotel.

Get out

There's a number of attractions around the city that, though technically within the Dalian administrative area, are far enough away from the centre to warrant devoting a full day to.

• Golden Pebble Beach Located in Jinzhou district east of the Dalian development zone and around 50 km (30 mi) from the centre of Dalian, Golden Pebble Beach (金石滩 jīnshítān), named after the unique rock formations of the area, is a major tourist destination which has at its heart Dalian's best beach (courtesy of specially imported sand). Surrounded by tourist attractions that could perhaps be best described as traps rather than attractions, it's the beach that's most likely to reward visitors, though the kung fu museum, which doubles as a school for aspiring Jet Lis, might be worth checking out for those interested in the subject. Outside of the main tourist periods a lot of the beach-side shops and stalls shut down, and it's best to check the forecast before you venture out as travelling 50 kilometres to sit under a parasol in the rain or be buffeted by gale force winds isn't the best of fun. The best way to get to Golden Pebble Beach is to take the light rail from the central station, located between the central train station and the market. . A round trip takes about 25 minutes each way and costs 8 RMB. A tourist shuttle is available to get from the light rail station to the beach.

• Xiangshui Temple +86 411 8764 7565. 8:30am-5pm. One of the few truly ancient sites in and around Dalian, the Daoist Xiangshui Temple (响水寺 xiǎngshuǐ sì) was first constructed during the Tang Dynasty around a thousand years ago, though much of the current temple stems from renovations during the Qing Dynasty. The temple is built around a large cavern, the waterfalls inside of which give the temple its name ("Water-sounds Temple") and is part of a wider network of temples in the Big Black Mountain (大黑山 dàhēishān) area. To get there take the train (from the central train station) or bus (from the běi gǎng qiáo long distance bus station) to Jinzhou then take a taxi to the temple.

• Bingyu Valley Billed as "Dalian's Guilin" Bingyu Valley (冰峪沟 bīngyù gōu) is a twisting river valley, winding though steep cliffs, in relatively unspoilt countryside just outside Zhuanghe City and about 250km (155 mi) north of Dalian city. Entry costs 100 RMB but is well worth it since as well as hiking, boat rides (which cost extra) and enjoying a bit of nature there's also a number of Buddhist and Taoist temples to explore along the river. It's theoretically possible to visit the valley in a day, but it's perhaps better to stay overnight. The local hotel costs 300 RMB for a double room, or you can stay in a local farmer's house for as little as 10 RMB (definitely an experience worth having, provided you have someone in your party with a good level of Mandarin). To get to Bingyu Valley on weekends or holidays simply catch the direct bus that leaves from Victory Square at 7:30am. Tickets cost 45 RMB and the journey takes about 2 hours. The rest of the time you'll need to get a bus (2 hours, 34 RMB) or train to Zhuanghe City then transfer to a local bus to the valley (1 hour, 8 RMB).

• Lushun, located on the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, about 40 km (25 mi) south west of the city center. While it's possible to visit the various sites on your own (plenty of buses run from Dalian to Lushun and a taxi ride would also be feasible) the risk of straying into the forbidden areas means that a guided tour is a more sensible option. Most hotels will be able to offer either tours or advice on agencies who could provide them.

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