Dalian/Jinzhou

• By rail. Jinzhou Railway station is located in the south of the original town. Most trains from/to Dalian call at the station. Fares from/to Dalian Railway Station are around ¥10.
• By public transport from Dalian. For original town of Jinzhou, Dalian Jiaoyun Group provides a frequent commuter bus service from/to the centre. There are also coaches to Jinzhou Central Bus Station which are usually faster than commuter buses. Fast Rail line 3 has a extension line from Dalian Development area to Jiuli in the north can also take you inside. For Development Area, bus 2001 or metro line 3 from Dalian Railway Station have some stops in the area.

Beaches

• Golden Pebble BeachNamed after the unique rock formations of the area, is a 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. Swimming isn't too popular because of the temperature and cleanliness of the water in spring or late autumn but most just spend time on the beach grilling and walking around. In summer the beach can get crowded with a great amount of visitors swimming in the sea. Some of the other attractions include the kung fu museum, which doubles as a school for aspiring Jet Lis, and Kingdom of Discovery, Dalian's small theme park. Outside of the main tourist areas there are a lot of the beach-side shops and stalls which shut down during bad weather, so it's best to check the forecast before venturing out.

Historical sites

• Battery Hill Park

  address: main gate served by DDA bus routes 1, 4, 6, 8, 11; foot path opposite Kaifaqu metro station
  A park in the centre of Dalian Development Area with four cannons dating back to Qing dynasty, and cherry blossom in spring.

• Deputy Lieutenant-General's Yamen

  phone: +86 411 78211751
  address: 255 Minzhu Street, Yongzheng Sub-district (拥政街道民主街255号)
  It was built during the 19th century to serve the Deputy Lieutentant-General of Jinzhou. In 1900, the yamen was vacated when the Russians occupied the city. Later, during the Japanese occupation, the site was turned into a police station. It continued to be used as a police station until 1999. The buildings were then demolished and rebuilt according to the original design. The site is now a museum.

Museums

• Dalian University Museum

  phone: +86 411 87403755
  address: Dalian University, 10 Xuefu Street (学府大街10号大连大学内)

• Guan Xiangying Memorial Hall

  phone: +86 411 87296788
  address: 173 Daguan Hamlet, Guanjia Village, Xiangying Sub-district (向应街道关家村大关屯173号)
  Guan Xiangying, who was born in Jinzhou, was a prominent figure in the Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army from the 1920s until his death in 1946. His achievements include playing a leadership role in the Long March and helping to establish the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet. The memorial hall tells the story of his life and career. Entry is restricted to 2000 visitors per day. Visitors are required to show a valid form of ID before being allowed to enter.

• Jinzhou Museum

  phone: +86 411 87868821
  address: 888 Yong'an Boulevard (永安大街中段888号)
  A museum about the history of the district.

• Museum of Chinese Culture

  phone: +86 411 87565888
  address: Golden Pebble Beach Culture Expo Square, 65 Golden Pebble Road (金石路65号金石滩文化博览广场内)

• Museum of Mao Zedong Badges

  phone: +86 411 87902913
  address: Golden Pebble Beach Culture Expo Square, 65 Golden Pebble Road (金石路65号金石滩文化博览广场内)
  Contains an impressive collection of badges bearing the image of Mao Zedong. Also displays statues and photos of Mao.

• Mystery of Life Museum

  phone: +86 411 39368787
  address: Golden Pebble Beach Culture Expo Square, 65 Golden Pebble Road (金石路65号金石滩文化博览广场内)
  A privately-owned natural history museum.

• Old Dalian Folk Museum

Parks and gardens

• Big Black Mountain

• Blueberry Valley Manor

• Dalian Coast National Geopark

  phone: +86 411 87900241, +86 411 87915807, +86 411 87900497

• Dongjiagou Botantical GardensA popular place for locals; a small local park.

• Lavender Manor

• Little Black Mountain Forest Park

• Tongniu Ridge

• Xiangying Park

Religious sites

• Gold Dragon Temple

• Guanyin TempleArguably one of the most famous temples in Southern Liaoning. A Buddhist temple built in the Ming dynasty; very popular during Spring Festival and 16th March with a special event.

• Stone Drum Temple

• Xiangshui Temple

  phone: +86 411 8764 7565
  One of the few truly ancient sites in and around Dalian, the Daoist Xiangshui Temple 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 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.

• Dalian Discovery Kingdom

  phone: +86 411 87900000
  address: 36 Golden Pebble Road, Golden Pebble Beach National Travel Resort Area (金石滩国家旅游度假区金石路36号)
  An amusement park, which is said to the largest of its kind in Liaoning Province.

A commuter town such as Jinzhou wouldn't usually be thought of as a dining destination. However, there's always something special (though it may be difficult for someone from outside China).

• Fish-flavoured noodles. Actually noodles cooked in fish soup. Not so popular among tourists but really liked by locals.
• Hui shao noodles (回勺面) the word Hui means returning and Shao means spoons.

However, the Development Area seems more attractive to those who want to try local cuisines.

• Yichangning desserts. This old-branded bakery at the foot of Daheishan Mountain has a great reputation among native people. The most famous pancake which seems to be thick and plain-flavoured turns out to be soft and sweet.
• Steamed seaweed buns. A popular local breakfast choice as well as a snack. They are steamed buns with a kind of thin seaweed inside. They taste salty, like most buns in China.
• Oysters. A famous Dalian seafood, but the Development Area is the closest place to the seafarm. The traditional way of eating these bivalves is uncooked with vinegar and mustard sauce.

You can also find most Dalian and northeastern Chinese cuisines in the area.

Mid Range

• Discoveryland Holiday Hotel

  address: 36 Jinshi Road, Jinzhou District (金州区金石路36号)
  Inside the Golden Pebble Beach National Tourism Resort Area, the hotel is a popular choice in summer. Operated by the Discoveryland Theme Park, guests can get a two-day pass for the theme park (actually an amusement park) which usually costs ¥200. However, it is quite distant from the city (A 15-minute walk to the high-speed railway station and a 50-minute ride by taxi.) Also breakfast is offered but ends early (at 09:30).

• Holiday Inn Express Dalian Development Area

  phone: +86 411 3925 4999
  address: 411 Jinma Road, Jinzhou District (金州区金马路411号)
  The only Holiday Inn-managed hotel in Dalian. However, it is in the Dalian Development Area, which means it can take you 1 hour to get into the city centre. But that also means a quieter place to stay in. Like most Holiday Inn managed hotels, this one features most services you need. The distance can be a major problem, but getting to places like Xiangshui Temple, Daheishan Mountain and Golden Pebble Beach is fairly easy.

• Somerset Grand Central Dalian

  phone: +86 411 8801 3888
  address: No.128-2 Jinma Road, Dalian Development Area
  This offers one- to three-bedroom apartments and penthouse apartments. It has a 24-hour gymnasium and a golf simulation room.

Splurge

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