Dalian landmarks

Updated: 2026-06-17

01 Dalian Xijiao National Forest Park

Dalian Xijiao National Forest Park is located in west Dalian, covering an area of nearly 70 square kilometers. It won the title of a national 4A-level scenic spot in 2011 and was approved as a national eco-tourism demonstration area in 2013.

The area focuses on ecological leisure, wellness retreats, business exhibition, and recreation. Nestled within the city, the park offers a peaceful natural retreat with lush forests, colorful flowers and expansive green spaces. Visitors can explore a variety of scenic attractions, including Xiangyun Square, observation pavilions and towers, a boat-shaped viewing platform, a giant waterwheel and public art installations.

The "Three Islands and Five Bridges", the 39-meter-high landscape waterwheel, and the freehand ecological viewing tower bring great visual impact to tourists.

The park has a 4-km leisure wooden plank road, 9-km fitness trail, 1.5-km circular bicycle road, 100-meter cultural corridor, and fishing pool.

02 Dalian Bingyu Tourist Resort

Bingyu was included in the first batch of 4A-level scenic spots, national geological parks, and national forest parks in China.

The scenic spot is located 40 km north of Zhuanghe, 160 km away from Dalian, with a core area of 47 sq km. The scenic spot is a scenic spot characterized by beautiful natural landscapes, with many strange peaks, deep valleys, clear streams and pools, numerous forests and flowers, and pleasant scenery all year round. The organic combination of mountains, rivers, forests, streams and springs forms a primitive, quiet, simple and natural scenery, which is known as "Guilin in South China and Bingyu in North China, are the best in the world".

The Yingna River and Xiaoyu River wind through the scenic area, their clear waters flowing year-round between forested mountains and rocky peaks. A boat ride on Yingna Lake offers ever-changing views of the surrounding landscape, with dramatic cliffs and lush hills lining the shoreline.

The area is rich in wildlife and home to extensive forests, including well-preserved stands of red pine and oak. As the southern extension of the Qianshan Mountains, Bingyu features a series of striking peaks, including Lanma Peak, the highest point in the scenic area. Visitors can take a cable car to the summit for panoramic views of Bingyu's mountains, valleys and waterways.

The Bingyu area is characterized by quartzite landforms. According to researchers from the Institute of Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it contains China's largest and best-preserved quartzite landscape.

After years of development and construction, Bingyu has formed a system of food, housing, transportation, travel, shopping and entertainment with complete facilities and excellent services. It is an ideal resort for recuperation, leisure, and summer getaways. The scenic area's restaurants and accommodations showcase local culture and traditions. The aerial cable car, rafting, and 4D experience hall, let you enjoy the feeling of walking into the ice valley and returning to nature.

03 Dalian Forest Zoo

Dalian Forest Zoo is located in Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area on the south coast of Dalian, covering an area of 7.2 sq km. It is divided into a captive area and a free-range area, with more than 200 species, more than 3,000 animals and more than 300 kinds of plants. In 2000, it was rated as the first batch of 4A-level scenic spots in China.

There are dense forests, wild grasslands and mysterious jungles, which breed animals of different shapes, such as giant pandas, Siberian tigers, golden monkeys, African lions and giraffes...

More than 20 animal venues and exhibition areas provide tourists with a colorful garden environment: in captive areas, visitors can watch the various animals at close range; in the free-range area, visitors can enjoy the animals galloping. The animal performance art exhibition – Happy Theater and Elephant Behavior Exhibition, let visitors experience the more agile side of animals.

04 Dalian Jinshitan National Tourist Resort

Jinshitan National Tourist Resort is located on the Yellow Sea of the Liaodong Peninsula, covering an area of 130 sq km, including 78 sq km of land area and 52 sq km of sea area.

Jinshitan has convenient transportation and is 50 minutes from the city center. It is connected by the Danda, Shenda, and Tuyang expressways. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, it is warm in winter and cool in summer, with a pleasant climate and a unique natural ecological environment. The coastline stretches for more than 30 km, the Jinshitan Coast is soft and flat, and the water is clean and clear.

It is one of the 15 healthiest bathing beaches in China, with a daily maximum capacity of over 100,000 people, and has become the venue of the annual International Beach Culture Festival and the International Winter Swimming Festival.

The eastern coastal section of the scenic area is known for its distinctive geological formations, with rock strata dating back 300 million to 900 million years. Formed primarily from Sinian and Cambrian rocks, the area features a variety of unusual stone landscapes that have earned it nicknames such as the "Natural Geological Museum" and "Shenli Sculpture Park".

In 1988, it was identified as a national scenic spot by the State Council. In 1992, it was approved by the State Council as a national tourist resort. In 2005, it was rated as the National Coastal Geopark; In 2009, it was awarded the title of "Top 10 Scenic Spots for Best Ecological Environmental Protection in China". In 2011, it was awarded the national 5A-level tourist attraction. In 2012, it was selected as one of the 40 most beautiful scenic spots in China by CNN. In 2014, it was named National Ocean Park. In 2015, it was rated as a national eco-tourism demonstration zone by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

After 27 years of development, the number of its completed tourism projects is more than 20. By the end of 2018, there were 87 accommodation units and 251 catering units in the whole resort, with 3,316 rooms and 6,215 beds.

Superior natural conditions and high-quality facilities make Jinshitan National Tourism Resort a great spot for large-scale activities, sports, culture and art and other activities. The 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Dalian Railway Station Relay was held in Jinshitan. The 15th International Beach Culture Festival, the 17th International Winter Swimming Festival, the International Women's Beach Volleyball Competition, the International Wedding Tourism Festival, the Youth Windsurfing Competition, the Roller Skating Marathon, the International Sports Dance Competition, the Jintang International Hot Spring Health Culture Festival and other international and domestic events were also held.