It should not be confused with Dalyan in Turkey. Dalian (大连; Dàlián) is the second largest city in Liaoning Province, Dongbei (North East), China, the largest port in northern China, and a major destination for Chinese tourists. At the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the main part of the city is 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 encompasses 6 districts, 3 county-level cities and one county. Visitors are likely to spend time in only 5 of the city's 8 districts (and none of the sub-cities). Among the 5 are the following; these 4 districts are the only ones locally called "Dalian": The wider Dalian administrative area encompasses 2 further districts, 3 county-level cities (北三市 Běisānshì three northern cities) and one county. Jinzhou District and Lushunkou District are the other 2 districts. Changhai County, a small group of islands east of the Liaodong Peninsula, is the only county Dalian administrates.
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.
Taxis are plentiful in Dalian and flagging one down is rarely a problem except in the more remote parts of the city (where high car ownership exists or large numbers of those who would have trouble paying a taxi fare)--or in rush hour. Rates start at ¥10 (¥13 after 22:00) for the first 3 km and ¥2 for each additional kilometre. For idle time, tack on ¥0.3/minute. Round all taxi fares to the nearest whole number as drivers do not accept any coinage less than ¥1 (e.g., ¥11.60 would round up to ¥12). Drivers range in mood, some acting quite gruff and excessively aggressive while some are keenly interested in where you originate from or other small talk.
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 hosts the city's financial center and some fine old Japanese buildings; People's Square is the seat of the city government and boasts an impressive fountain; and Xinghai Square is the largest square in Asia and home to a wide range of tourist attractions. Old colonial buildings (老殖民建筑) - 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.
Relax on one of the city's beaches – There are 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 (it is in an exclusive luxury resort) making Fujiazhuang Beach the best bet for anyone wanting to take a dip or simply sunbathe. 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 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 flavour) and the city's proximity to the sea. Buns, pancakes and dumplings are staples rather than rice or noodles. The city also 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, literally seafood refers to anything edible from the sea. Fish dishes invariably contain plenty of small bones that must be navigated around or crunched through (the local method).
Dalian offers a wide variety of bars and nightclubs catering to a mixture of locals, foreign business people and the teaching crowd. The city lacks a bona fide bar street such as Beijing's Sanlitun or Shanghai's Maoming Lu with bars fairly liberally scattered across the city centre as well as near large universities. There are three main clusters of bars that those wishing to bar hop could concentrate on, however, the first and most centralized along a side street off Wuwu Lu near Sanba Square, the second along Changjiang Lu north of the Shangri-la Hotel and the third along Gaoerji Lu south of People's Square. KTV, or karaoke, is a large part of Chinese culture.
Crime, particularly street crime, is low in Dalian as it is in most of China. That said, the people in northeastern China are on average more aggressive than their southern counterparts and fights do happen. (Most often when alcohol is involved.) While foreigners are unlikely to be targeted, one would be wise to avoid any heated exchanges. Additionally pickpockets do operate, so care should be taken with valuables especially in busy shopping areas or on crowded buses or trains. Be careful with traffic in Dalian. Nowadays, most people in Dalian know basic traffic rules, and some drivers may wait for you in front of a crossing.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Dalian typically sees ~26°C daytime highs and 8 rainy days.
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