Dalian is a beautiful northern coastal city. It has the largest harbor in northeast of China, and also it is one of the most prosperous cities in China. Football and fashionable dress harmoniously integrate strength and elegance which add two golden wings to Dalian. The city exhibits some wonderful architecture in Japanese and Russian styles, and has fresh acres of grass and lawns.

Geographical Location

The city of Dalian is at the southernmost point of the Liaodong Peninsula with  the Yellow Sea on the east and the Bohai Sea on the west.  Across the sea to the south is the Shandong Peninsula and to the north is the Northeast Plains. It serves as the marine gateway for Northeast China and Inner Mongolia.

Climate

Dalian lies in the warm Temperate Zone of the Northern Hemisphere, and enjoys a warm temperate continental monsoon climate with maritime climatic features. It has no extremely cold weather in winter, and no extremely hot days in summer, but still has four distinctive seasons. The average temperature for the year is 8.4 C - 10.5 C, with an annual average rainfall ranging from 600 mm to 790 mm.

Sea and Islands

Dalian claims a sea area of over 30,000 square kilometers with a coastline stretching 1,906 kilometers. The area is has numerous bays and islands with a total area of over 100,000 hectares. The most important among them are the Dalian Bay, the Dayaowan Bay, the Pulandian Bay, the Jinzhou Bay, and the Fuzhouwan Bay. Sheltered from wind and waves from outer seas, they neither freeze nor silt year round.  There are as many as 705 islands of different sizes, covering a total area of 30,000 hectares.  The largest among them are Changshan Island, Guanglu Island, and the River Deer Island. Islands closest to the continent include the Changxing Island, Xizhong Island and Fengming Island.

Mineral Resources

Over 40 different kinds of mineral resources scattered over 500 sites have already been verified in the Dalian jurisdiction.  These mineral resources mainly fall into three categories: metal, non-metal and building materials, with the latter two being the richest in reserves. The largest diamond reserve in China is here and the quality of the diamonds are among the best in the world. Some of the non-metal mines include limestone, silica, marble, asbestos and granite.

Natural Scenery

Dalian is a place where you can find stunning natural scenery, amiable climate, stylish architecture, pleasant beaches, and summer tourist resorts. Along the southern coast, a road like a jade ribbon runs among the mountains and along the sea, threading through the scenic spots of Bangchui Island, Tiger Beach, Fujia Village, Baiyunshan Park, and Xinghai Park. To the southwest of the city, there is the world famous Lushunkou. To the north of the city, there is the Golden Pebble Beach Holiday Resort, where one can see a landscape formed by the seas, and the unique "turtle-shell rocks."  In Dalian jurisdiction, there is also the Bingyu Valley scenery attractions of Zhuanghe city, which boasts beautiful green mountains and clear rivers.

Xinghai Park

It is located by the sea, Xinghai Park and beach comprises of an 800-meter-long beach and a huge park area, filled with a nice collection of flowers and plants, a small fair and a huge Ocean World. You can climb up to the top of the cliffs that tower above the western and eastern sides of the bay and there are fantastic views from up here of the bay and sea beyond.

The beach here has fine sand, moderate waves and a good water depth- making it ideal for swimming. Not far from the beach stands a huge rock in the sea  which, according to local legend, marks the spot where an army of cuttle fish triumphed against sharks in a major ancient combat.   Local people believe that the area will never again be troubled by sharks, and consider this spot very safe for swimming- believe the local legend if you dare!!

The park itself, is another ball-game altogether; with a Ferris wheel, rides and restaurants. Sun Asia Ocean World is also located here, a huge Chinese, New Zealand and Hong Kong run venture, featuring more than 200 different types of marine life, complete with viewing platforms and underground tunnels.

Dalian Laohutan Polar Marine Aquarium

A trip to polar regions shall be an unimaginable experience to average people, yet coming visitors here to the Polar Aquarium find themselves in a crystal ice-snow world anytime of the year.

The aquarium was opened in 2002, animals both from the south polar and the north polar regions, including polar bears, penguins, polar belugas and sea elephants share neighborhood here.

Altogether the aquarium has 11 species of 153 polar animals and it also boasts of 3,000 fish. Standing in a 360o channel one seems to live together with the multitude of fish. A showcase of 300-odd sharks and performances by dolphins also deserve high recommendations as well.

In the sea animal section, one can touch fur seals, sea dogs, and sea lions. It is currently the largest polar aquarium in the world.

Snake Island

Located in the Bohai Sea 7 nautical miles northwest of Lushunkou, the Snake Island is one-thousand meters long, and 800 meters wide.  The highest peak is 216 meters above sea level and with the exception of the pebble beach on the southeast corner it is surrounded by steep precipices and overhanging rocks.  The island is home to more than 200 species of plants but the real attraction are the 13,000 snakes that inhabit the island.  The Pallas pit vipers are particularly active in the spring and autumn when many migratory birds arrive on the island for their north-south migrations.  These migratory birds provide the snakes with a virtual smorgasbord.  

is an official National Nature Preserve protected by Chinese law.

Fujiazhuang Beach

Fujiazhuang Beach (Fujiazhuang fengjingqu) is Dalian's nicest beach, most famous for its 550-meter-long stretch of golden sands and the turquoise sea lapping against the shore. Further back from the shore are numerous other great spots; reefs, islands and forests.

The slightly more remote location makes it a more secluded and less developed beach than many other sites. There are speedboats from here to other bays in the area and a few hotels and villas are currently under construction, in response to the increased numbers of travelers and sun- seekers. Get there before it becomes too popular!!