A Wonderful Trip to Dalian
Introduction
As summer rolls around and the scorching heat becomes unbearable, finding a cool place to escape the heat is on everyone’s mind. In April 2020, a beautiful coastal city at the junction of the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea caught people’s attention as it made it onto the “2020 List of China’s Summer Resort Cities”. That city is Dalian.
Many people are drawn to the sea, just like in Haizi’s famous poem, “Facing the sea, with spring blossoms.” Dalian, located in the Bohai Bay of China, offers a view of the sea merging with the sky that you have to see to believe. For those who live in cities far from the sea, the longing for the ocean is always there. And when we arrived in Dalian, we couldn’t wait to embrace the sea.
Itinerary
Since this trip to Dalian was mainly for relaxation and enjoying seafood, we chose attractions in the downtown area with convenient transportation. Two of the highlights were Xinghai Square and the ShengYa Ocean World.
Accommodation
We stayed at the Hoyo Hotel – Dalian Xi’an Road Branch, which is very close to Xinghai Square. This area is one of the top commercial areas in Dalian, with plenty of shopping malls where you can shop and dine. It’s also near the airport, only about 15 – 20 minutes away. The accommodation was very comfortable. The bedding was neither too soft nor too hard, perfect for those with neck and back problems. There was a capsule coffee machine in the room, and having a cup of coffee every morning when I woke up really energized me. The water pressure in the bathroom was great. After working out in the hotel gym at night, taking a hot shower in the room was just amazing.
During this special period, when booking the hotel on the mobile app of BTG Homeinns, I chose a hotel with the “Safe Hotel” label. From the front desk to the lobby, public areas, and rooms, there were plenty of disinfection supplies, and free anti – epidemic supplies were also provided. It was really thoughtful.
On the home page of the mobile app, there was also an activity page called “BTG Homeinns Takes You on a Trip”, which provided travel guides for popular summer cities and information on discounted hotels. This summer, the journey of freedom starts from the hotel.
Transportation
We took a flight to Dalian, and the hotel was very close to the airport, which was very convenient. Once in Dalian, we mainly used public transportation or took taxis. Since most of the places we visited were not far apart, it was a very relaxed trip.
Xinghai Square
Xinghai Square is located in Shahekou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province. It is an open – air square in the south – west of Dalian, a major construction project commemorating the return of Hong Kong to China, and one of the landmarks of Dalian. Except for the paved area, the rest of the square is covered with lawns. A large number of hedges are planted on the lawns, trimmed into traditional Chinese patterns. It’s also a great place to cool off. After dinner in the evening, coming to the square to feel the sea breeze is incredibly relaxing.
There are many sculptures on Xinghai Square, mainly including the Centenary Memorial City Sculpture, bronze statues, and modern sports sculptures. The bronze footprints lying in the center of the square attract everyone’s attention. This row of footprint reliefs is 80 meters long, with the footprints of people born from 1899 to 1999. One of the footprints has two sizes: the small one was left by a bound – footed grandma in 1899, and the other was left by a baby born in 1999. It’s very meaningful.
Xinghai Square is the landmark of Dalian and the largest urban square in Asia. The whole square is oval – shaped, even larger than two Tiananmen Squares. The central avenue runs through the center of the square. You can watch the music fountain, admire various sculptures, enjoy the sea view, see the cross – sea bridge, and even feed the seagulls. Strolling on the square or standing on the shore looking out at the sea, taking in the magnificent coastal cityscape, this is Dalian, a place where you can watch the sunrise and sunset.
As we walked from the square to the sea, in the distance, a huge steel structure lay across the sea. That’s the Xinghaiwan Bridge, a landmark of Dalian. It is a cross – sea passage connecting Shahekou District and Xigang District in Dalian. The bridge passes through the southern sea area of Xinghai Square. Since the main bridge is about 1 kilometer away from Xinghai Square and runs parallel to the coastline, it has become a must – visit photo spot for everyone who comes to Xinghai Square.
The sea is still as blue as ever, and the sky that seems to merge with the sea quietly surrounds a sense of tranquility and comfort. In that seemingly unreachable blend of the sea and the sky, a momentary blue appears. That kind of blue seems to go beyond splendor, leaving only a speechless admiration for its current glory!
Dalian Cuisine
Food is the paramount necessity of the people. When in Dalian, experiencing the local specialties is a must. Northeast people love barbecues, and in a coastal city like Dalian, seafood barbecue is a must – try. We chose a very popular seafood barbecue restaurant in Dalian.
Dalian’s nightlife starts with skewering. This restaurant might be the most Michelin – level and original seafood barbecue place I’ve ever been to. There are all kinds of freshly delivered seafood skewers. The combination of wasabi, oysters, jellyfish skin, and steamed buns is really delicious when you take a big bite. There are also sea shrimps that can only be found in the Bohai Bay, shellfish that look like butterflies, curry crabs learned from Thailand that are so flavorful, sour and spicy yet refreshing prawns, and the unique combination of clams and steamed buns, which is a novel way of eating. And of course, the essential grilled meat is not to be missed.
ShengYa Ocean World
The ShengYa Ocean World is an old – fashioned and popular tourist attraction in Dalian. It is located on the west side of Xinghai Square and inside Xinghai Park, in the core tourist area of Dalian. It consists of four major venues: the ShengYa Ocean World, the ShengYa Polar World, the ShengYa Deep – Sea Legend, and the ShengYa Coral World. It’s a huge blue world where you can get up close and personal with the sea, making it a great place to take kids.
ShengYa Ocean World
This venue is like a huge simulated underwater world, mainly dedicated to displaying marine life. It’s also home to China’s first 118 – meter underwater tunnel.
As soon as you enter the venue, the Shark – Dancing Zone will take your breath away. In the huge seawater glass tank, sharks of different sizes swim around. Just looking at their fangs gives you the feeling that humans are not welcome.
The guide explained that the red balls in the glass tank are for the keepers to feed the sharks. Since sharks are fierce marine creatures, ensuring human safety is extremely important.
ShengYa Coral World
Next to the main ocean world is the Coral World. As the name suggests, corals are the main theme here. Corals are not only beautiful but also play an important role in the ocean ecosystem.
In the ShengYa Coral World, there are more than a hundred species and over a thousand coral reef organisms from all over the world. ShengYa uses a living coral maintenance technology and various modern technological means to vividly reproduce the coral ecosystem in the ocean.
ShengYa Polar World
When you see the word “polar”, you know right away that this is a venue for displaying Arctic and Antarctic creatures. Two of the three major shows at ShengYa, “The Legend of the Beluga” and “The Kung – Fu Walrus”, are held here.
- The Legend of the Beluga
When we got to the beluga show area, it was already packed. Watching the beluga show at ShengYa is a must – do. Two belugas and two trainers created beautiful underwater scenes. Sometimes the belugas seemed like knights, and sometimes they danced the waltz with the female trainer underwater, forming a romantic heart shape. The all – water show with high – difficulty moves and creative ideas made me tear up. The perfect harmony and默契 between humans and animals is truly precious. - The Kung – Fu Walrus
Just by the title, you can tell it’s a funny show. Sure enough, the cute sea lions took the stage first, with their humorous performances and the host’s jokes, making the audience laugh uncontrollably. When the star of the show, the walrus, appeared, everyone burst into laughter. With its big body, small head, and chubby appearance, it looked like it was wearing several swimming rings. This walrus is a real acting genius. It can act coquettishly, play around, and be super cute. It only wanted kisses from the audience instead of hugs. It was so adorable!
In the polar museum, there are also many polar creatures. The polar bear paced back and forth in its enclosure non – stop. The Arctic foxes beside it were also very cute. Their white fur looked so smooth. Most of them were lying lazily with their heads down, sleeping. Only one little energetic one kept turning the wheel, sticking out its tongue from time to time to cool off. It’s definitely the sports champion!
On the other side is the Antarctic Penguin Island. The penguin babies here are so cute! Emperor penguins and Gentoo penguins from Antarctica are all gathered here, forming a penguin family. ShengYa has created a natural amphibious living environment for these Antarctic gentlemen, and it truly deserves to be a national Antarctic penguin breeding base.
ShengYa Deep – Sea Legend
This is a high – tech multimedia experience center in China with a theme of deep – sea adventures. Using the latest multimedia technology combined with sound, light, and electricity simulation, as well as mechanical linkage, it creates a thrilling deep – sea adventure journey.
After experiencing all the奇幻, beautiful, touching, and funny things in the ocean world, it was already sunset. In front of us was the yacht dock, the cross – sea bridge standing proudly in the distance, and seagulls flying over the sea. Some kids were holding out food to feed the seagulls. I stood there, listening to the gentle sound of the waves, feeling the fresh and cool sea breeze. Everything was moist, beautiful, delicate, and ever – changing. Have you ever witnessed such a scene?
Tips
- Address: No. 608 – 6 – 8, Zhongshan Road, Shahekou District, Dalian.
- Tickets: A combined ticket for the four venues (Ocean World + Polar World + Coral World + Deep – Sea Legend) costs 190 yuan per person.
- Show Times: The performance times of the three major shows vary with the seasons. You can check the official website of ShengYa for the latest information.
This trip to Dalian was truly unforgettable, filled with beautiful scenery, delicious food, and wonderful experiences. I hope you’ll have the chance to visit this amazing city too!
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