Squares – Within China, Dalian is renowned for its squares and green places, with a large number scattered throughout the city, each with its own distinct character. Zhongshan Square (Zhongshan District) hosts the city's financial centre and some fine old Japanese buildings, Renmin Square (Xigang District) is the seat of the city government and boasts an impressive fountain while Xinghai Square (Shahekou District) is the largest square in Asia and home to a wide range of tourist attractions.
Old colonial buildings - Though a young city, Dalian's status as a former colony of both Russia and Japan offers an eclectic mix of architectural styles for history buffs. Many of the older buildings in central Dalian were demolished during periodic bouts of renovation, but pockets of history remain with Russian Street (Xigang District) offering perhaps the best concentration of old buildings.
Dalian Forest Zoo - Dalian has a wide range of tourist attractions, but most of them are geared for the local market. To overseas visitors it would seem more of a tourist trap rather than attractions. The Forest Zoo (Xigang District) is one of the few that does stand up to international expectations, with large exhibits and a good variety of species. The zoo, set in the hillsides south of the city centre, is split into two sections on opposite sides of a mountain as well as offering an indoor rainforest (plant species only) and various performances showcasing animal talent. The zoo's pandas, both great and red, are probably its main attraction (as of Sep 2011, Wenwen the panda no longer calls Dalian home and the zoo is building a new exhibition area for the future panda(s) to soak up the sun), but rhinos, tigers, lions, and polar bears are also some of the larger varieties one can see. Several primate species and birds are also found on the premises. The cableway is most popular mode of transport to get to the other section, but zoo buses are also offered, in addition to walking (likely too much for little ones, as the road is winding and hilly) and parking lots at entrances to both sections (¥20 to park near Section 2, ¥10 near Section 1 and fee must be paid separately if wanting to park in both lots). ¥120 admission includes cableway transport. Fast food and BBQ are available from vendors inside the zoo. Can also pay to feed some of the animals from food prepared by zoo keepers (¥4 fruit cup, ¥10 for raw chicken).
Juicy cherries await picking in late spring
Cherry blossoms – Late April is a good time to visit the village of Long Wangtang(龙王塘) (20 min drive from Dalian) to watch its cherry blossoms. The 3,000 cherry trees were planted by Japanese colonists back in 1920s after the completion of Long Wangtang water dam. The nouveau-style dam itself is another interest to visit.
Láodòng (Labor) Park (劳动公园). You can walk up or use a seat-lift to reach the peak of the mountain. When you arrive there, you have the possibility to go up the Reach Sightseeing Tower to have a even higher panoramic view. On a beautiful Day it is worthy a trip and the gorgeous view will pay off. To get back down you can take the "First Land Sled" which is a really fun experience. Besides looking at probably one of the biggest Footballs in the World, you can do skiing or ice-skating in winter-time. Especially for children a lots of fun rides are offered. Please watch out! The operators are sometimes cheating their way to get daylight robbery. If you get in such situations please call the police (110) to put an end to their scheming. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Dalian
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Dalian - updated May 2024
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Dalian Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
