Cheap Flights To Dalian

Dalian is a young city with only a hundred years of history, but it has grown into an attractive and welcoming destination with tree-lined streets, green parks and family-friendly recreational areas such as the Tiger Beach Ocean Park. Its position on the Liaodong Peninsula at the edge of the Yellow Sea ensures that beautiful countryside is never far away. Added into the mix are high-end shopping and a great gastronomic vibe -- factors that have led to Dalian being nicknamed the "Hong Kong of the North". Periods of Russian and Japanese occupation have left their mark on the city as can be seen in the architectural mix of Zhongshan Square, while other elegant squares have a definite touch of Paris about them.

Things To Do

Zhongshan Square is the hub of Dalian and the best place to start your visit. This huge square has 10 lanes radiating out from a central roundabout designed by the Russians in 1889. Many of the grand Art Deco and Renaissance-style buildings that line the square today were built during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century.

• A touch of New England in China

Fisherman's Wharf is a quaint seaside area built to resemble an American East Coast village of the early 1900s. You can also visit a brick-built replica of Germany's Bremen Port Lighthouse.

• Fascinating dinosaurs

The Dalian Natural History Museum is the largest in China and focuses strongly on marine life. The Dinosaur Hall has life-sized skeletons, while other exhibits cover prehistoric animal life and geology.

• A huge family day out

The Tiger Beach Ocean Park is a vast recreational area that takes in long stretches of coastline as well as having a huge modern swimming pool. A favourite haunt of local families the park has restaurants and shops as well as magnificent scenery and the Tiger Beach Polar Region Marine Animals World.

Calendar Of Events

The annual calendar of events in Dalian showcases a blend of the modern and the historic. Local craft beers are shown off at a beer festival, while the annual blossoming of Pagoda or Scholar trees is celebrated with traditional kite-flying. Other Chinese skills shown off at the festivals include firework making, calligraphy and acrobatics.

• The Dalian International Beer Festival. Imagine Munich's Oktoberfest and transport it to the city's Xinghai Square and you have this Chinese beer festival held at the end of July. Sample local brews and Chinese snacks while partying to live music.

• Chinese Scholar Tree (Pagoda Tree) Blossom Festival. The Scholar trees blossom in late May providing the signal for this festival, which focuses on local crafts and skills such as kite making and flying, delicate calligraphy and folk dance.

• The Spring Fireworks Festival. This takes place on a date in January that varies according to the lunar calendar and provides an ideal introduction to the city's cultural life. Firework displays are just part of the fun. Ice-carving, acrobatics, folk performances and story-telling all take place while tasty traditional food can be enjoyed.