Lonely Planet China
Page 28
Dàlián South Mountain Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(大连南山国际青年旅舍, Dàlián Nánshān Guójì Qīngnián Lǔshè GOOGLE MAP ; %0411 8263 1189; dlnanshan@126.com; 114 Mingze Jie, 明泽街114号 dm ¥50-65, d/tw ¥168/188; aiW)
Tucked away in a quiet hillside neighbourhood is this friendly little hostel with clean, comfortable dorms (but only two bathrooms!). Facilities include self-service laundry and kitchen, as well as computer use and wi-fi. The southwest coastline is a 15-minute bus ride away, numerous parks are within walking distance and the train station can be reached quickly by taxi (¥10).
If you want to catch a bus here contact the hostel for directions.
Ibis Dàlián Sanba HotelHOTEL$$
(大连三八宜必思酒店, Dàlián Sānbā Yibìsī Jiǔdiàn GOOGLE MAP ; %0411 3986 5555; www.ibishotel.com.cn; 49 Wuwu Lu, 中山区五五路49号 d & tw ¥229; ai)
This business hotel is in a fantastic location surrounded by restaurants and markets, yet only a five-minute walk from parks and quiet tree-lined streets. Public buses (bus 710) connect the hotel to the train station and southwestern coast. Rooms are clean and modern and the English-speaking staff are fairly attentive. For best rates book online.
It's located just off Sanba Sq. A taxi from the train station here costs ¥12.
oAloft DalianHOTEL$$$
(大连雅乐轩酒店, Dàlián Yǎlèxuān Jiǔdiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0411 3907 1111; www.alofthotels.com/dalian; 18-1 Luxun Lu, 鲁迅路18-1号 r ¥1720-2220; aiW)
This swish hotel is borne aloft thanks to a hip charisma lacking in other international chain hotels. Its colourfully decorated rooms are large with good views and plush beds, and the staff are friendly to a fault. The in-house restaurant and lounge area are good too. Discounts tame rack rates to a more reasonable ¥500 range.
PRICE RANGES
SLEEPING
$ Less than ¥200
$$ ¥200–¥400
$$$ More than ¥400
EATING
$ Less than ¥40
$$ ¥40–¥80
$$$ More than ¥80
5Eating
Plenty of small restaurants are on the roads leading off Zhongshan Sq and Friendship Sq. Friendship Sq has numerous malls with food courts on the higher floors. The food court in the nearby underground mall in Victory Sq has good food too (dishes ¥10 to ¥20), with international options. The plaza outside the train station is lined with fruit vendors and shops selling cheap bāozi (包子; steamed buns). Find supermarkets at the basement level of malls.
Tianjin Jie Night MarketMARKET$
(夜市, Yèshì MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Stretching several blocks along Tianjin Jie from the train station to a giant incense-bowl sculpture, this outdoor market, open during the evenings, offers outdoor venues to eat barbecued seafood and other snacks with a beer. There’s also a smaller (but better) market around Sanba Sq near the Carrefour Supermarket with outdoor barbecue stalls and seating, in addition to an abundance of fruit stands.
Handu RestaurantKOREAN$$
(韩都, Hándū GOOGLE MAP ; 49-1 Wuwu Lu, 五五路49-1号 dishes ¥15-90; h11am-10pm)
In the Sanba Sq area, this fabulous two-storey Korean restaurant decked out in luxe wood and granite fittings lets you barbecue your own meats at the table. There's also a selection of one-dish meals such as bibimbap (rice, vegetables and eggs served in a claypot) for those who don't wish to go the whole hog.
Tiāntiān YúgǎngSEAFOOD$$$
(天天鱼港 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 10 Renmin Lu, 人民路10号 dishes ¥25-100; h11am-10pm)
Choose your meal from the near museum-level variety of aquatic creatures at this upscale seafood restaurant. Most dishes are set out in refrigerated displays, making this a rare easy seafood-eating experience in China.
Locomotive Guild Roast DuckPEKING DUCK$$$
(火车头果木烤鸭, Huǒchētóu Guǒmù Kǎoyā GOOGLE MAP ; %0411 8597 6666; 17 Luxun Lu, 鲁迅路17号 duck ¥197, mains ¥20-67; h11am-2pm & 5-9pm)
We're not sure what locomotives have to do with duck, but the birds here are roasted in a wood-fired oven to delicate crispness before being deftly sliced and presented to your table. Live seafood is also available for those who prefer fish over fowl. Picture menu available.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Dàlián has the most happening bar and club scene of any city in the northeast. Most of the action is on Wuwu Lu, which runs off Sanba Sq. Check out Focus on Dalian (www.focusondalian.com) for the latest.
8Information
There are ATMs all around town. Zhongshan Sq has a number of large bank branches including a Bank of China (中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; 9 Zhongshan Sq), where you can change currency.
The 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit policy allows passport holders of many countries a stopover in Dàlián without arranging a visa before arrival.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Dàlián International Airport (大连周水子国际机场) is 12km from the city centre and well connected to most cities in China and the region. Tickets can be purchased at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC, 中国民航, Zhōngguó Mínháng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0411 8361 2888; Zhongshan Lu) or any of the travel offices nearby. In addition to the domestic destinations listed here, there are also flights to Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Dàlián Jīnzhōuwān Airport is built on an artificial island and is being phased in as the main airport.
ABěijīng ¥760, one to 1½ hours
AHarbin ¥1050, 1½ hours
Boat
There are several daily boats to Yāntái (¥180 to ¥500, five to eight hours) and Wēihǎi (¥190 to ¥500, seven to eight hours) in Shāndōng. Buy tickets at the passenger ferry terminal in the northeast of Dàlián or from one of the many counters in front of the train station. To the ferry terminal, take bus 13 (¥1) from the southeast corner of Shengli Guangchang and Zhongshan Lu near the train station.
BORDER CROSSING: DàLIáN TO SOUTH KOREA
The Korean-run Da-in Ferry ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %Dàlián 0411 8270 5082, Incheon 032 891 7100, Seoul 822 3218 6500; www.dainferry.co.kr; 17th fl, 68 Renmin Lu; 人民路68号, 宏誉商业大厦17楼 ) to Incheon in South Korea departs from Dàlián on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4.30pm (¥980 to ¥1900, 16 hours).
Bus
Long-distance buses leave from various points around the train station. It can be tricky to find the correct ticket booths, and they do occasionally move.
ADāndōng (丹东) ¥105, four hours, nine daily, 6.20am to 2.30pm. Buses leave from stand No 2 on Shengli Guangchang just south of Changjiang Lu.
ALǚshùn (旅顺) ¥7, 1½ hours, every 20 minutes. Buses leave from the back of the train station, across the square.
AShěnyáng (沈阳) ¥100, five hours, every two hours. Buses depart from south of Victory Sq.
AZhuānghé (庄河) ¥45, 2½ hours, frequent. Buses leave from in front of the ticket office on Jianshe Jie, the first street behind the train station.
Train
Buy your ticket as early as possible. Most high-speed D and G trains leave from the north station. Get a bus (¥5, regular, 30 minutes) there from behind the light-rail station. At the main train station, the attendant at ticket window 1 speaks English.
ABěijīng hard seat/sleeper ¥142/276, 11 to 15 hours
ABěijīng (D/G train) ¥261/400, 6½/five hours
AChángchūn (G train) ¥304, three hours
AHarbin (G train) ¥404, 3½ to 4½ hours
AShěnyáng (G train) ¥174, 1½ to two hours
8Getting Around
Dàlián’s central district is not large and can be covered on foot.
To/From the Airport
A shuttle bus (¥5) runs to the train station; bus 701 (¥1; no change given) does also, continuing to Zhongshan Sq. A taxi to/from the city centre costs ¥30 to ¥60 depending on the time of day.
Bus
Buses (¥1) are plentiful and stops have English signboards exp
laining the route. There's a tourist bus (¥10, hourly, 8.30am to 4.30pm) in front of the train station in summer. It does a hop-on, hop-off loop of the city and the southwestern coast. From the train station, bus 710 passes Sanba Sq; while bus 701 passes Zhongshan Sq.
Taxi
Fares start at ¥10; most trips are less than ¥20.
Train
Dàlián has a modern, efficient subway metro system with two main lines running north–south and east–west. The most useful route for a visitor runs from Zhongshan Sq to the train station, which is actually an easily walkable distance.
Tram
Dàlián has a slow but stylish tram with two lines: the 201 (¥2) and the 202 (¥1). No 201 runs past the train station on Changjiang Lu, while 202 runs out to the ocean and Xīnghǎi Sq (you must take 201 or the faster metro first and transfer).
Around Dàlián
Lǚshùn 旅顺
%0411 / Pop 324,700
With its excellent port and strategic location on the northeast coast, Lǚshùn (旅顺; formerly Port Arthur) was the focal point of both Russian and Japanese expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The bloody Russo-Japanese War (1904–05) finally saw the area fall under Japanese colonial rule, which would continue for the next 40 years.
Lǚshùn is worth a visit during any trip to Dàlián. While developers are piling on the high-rise apartments, Lǚshùn is still a relaxed town built on the hills. Most sites are related to military history, but there’s an excellent museum on Liáoníng, as well as a number of scenic lookouts and parks.
1Sights
oLǚshùn PrisonHISTORIC SITE
(旅顺日俄监狱旧址博物馆, Lǚshùn Rì'é Jiānyù Jiùzhǐ Bówùguǎn h9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun, last entry 3.30pm)F
Lǚshùn's best sight is a cluster of restored red-brick buildings that functioned as a prison from 1902 to 1945. It may have changed hands from the Russians to the Japanese, but its purpose remained unchanged: more than 450,000 prisoners came through its cells. Sombre displays, including an unearthed wooden-barrel coffin containing an executed inmate, paint a picture of a working early 20th-century jail.
English captions illuminate the plight of prisoners, torture methods, work camps and more. Entry is by free official ushers only.
Bus 3 (¥1) from opposite the bus station terminates outside the prison in 15 minutes.
Lǚshùn MuseumMUSEUM
(旅顺博物馆, Lǚshùn Bówùguǎn h9am-4pm Tue-Sun)F
The history of Liáoníng province is covered in this stylish old museum in two early 20th-century buildings. Among the thousands of artefacts on display are ancient bronzes, coins and paintings, as well as several mummies and a quirky chopstick collection. The English captions are good.
The area around the museum has a number of other old buildings from the Japanese colonial era and is a great spot for photographs, especially in spring.
Take bus 4 or 33 (¥1) from outside the bus terminal to the stop 列宁街 (Liening Jie) and walk 450m east.
Báiwáng ShānHISTORIC SITE
(白王山 ¥40)
Head to the top of this hill opposite the bus station for panoramic views out to the bay and across the ever-expanding city. The phallic-shaped monument is Báiwáng Shān Tǎ (白王山塔), a pagoda erected by the Japanese in 1909 after they took Lǚshùn. Climb to the top up the stairs (made in the USA) for ¥10.
Lǚshùn Railway StationHISTORIC BUILDING
(旅顺火车站, Lǚshùn Huǒchēzhàn )
Built in 1903 during Russia’s brief control of the area, this handsome station was rebuilt in 2005 following the original design. It’s worth a visit en route to other sights.
Bus 18 (¥1) passes here from outside the bus terminal in about 20 minutes.
Soviet Martyrs CemeteryCEMETERY
(苏军烈士陵园, Sūjūn Lièshì Língyuán h8.30am-4.30pm)F
The largest cemetery in China for foreign-born nationals honours Soviet soldiers who died in the liberation of northeast China at the end of WWII, as well as pilots killed during the Korean War. Designed by Soviet advisers, the cemetery is heavy with communist-era iconography. A giant rifle-holding soldier guards the front, while inside are memorials to the sacrifice of Soviet soldiers and rows of neatly tended gravestones.
Bus 11 (¥1) passes here from outside the bus terminal in about 25 minutes.
4Sleeping & Eating
Most people make a day trip of the area from Dàlián, which has much better and more plentiful options. If you do get stuck, there are budget options opposite Lǚshùn bus station, and a chain hotel at the end of the road south.
People come to Lǚshùn for the sights and not for the eating, which doesn't stand out, good or bad. Bring your own snacks and wait for Dàlián for more restaurant and street-food choices.
8Getting There & Away
Buses to Lǚshùn (¥7, 1½ hours) leave every 20 minutes from a stop across the square at the back of the Dàlián Train Station. Buy your ticket from the booth before lining up. Buses run back and forth between Lǚshùn and Dàlián from early morning to evening.
8Getting Around
Bus
Most of Lǚshùn's sights can be easily covered by local buses (¥1), which leave from across the road outside Lǚshùn bus station.
Taxi
As soon as you exit the bus station at Lǚshùn, taxis will cry out for your business. A few hours touring the sights will cost ¥150 (excluding ¥10 car-parking fees at some sights). If the driver doesn't have one, pick up a bilingual English-Chinese map at the station news-stand to help you negotiate. It is also possible to just flag down taxis as needed. Resist any attempts by taxi drivers to steer you towards sights with admission ¥100 upwards: they are overpriced and underwhelming.
Bīngyù Valley 冰峪沟
Bīngyù ValleyPARK
(冰峪沟, Bīngyù Gōu ¥168)
If you can’t travel south to Guìlín, Bīngyù Valley offers a taste of what you’re missing. About 250km northeast of Dàlián, the valley has tree-covered limestone cliffs set alongside a river. From the entrance, a boat takes you along a brief stretch of the river, where rock formations rise steeply along the banks, before depositing you at a dock. From there, hire a little boat or bamboo raft and paddle around the shallow waters, or follow short trails along the river and up to lookouts.
The park is increasingly popular with tour groups, who come for the zip lines, tame amusement-park rides, and even jet-skiing. Given the rather small area that you can explore, it can be tough to find any tranquillity in this otherwise-lovely environment.
In summer, day tours run from the train-station area in Dàlián, leaving at 7.30am and returning around 8pm. Buy your ticket (¥238 including transport, lunch and admission fees) the day before from the tourism vans across from the light-rail depot in the back train-station area. Your hotel should be able to get you discounted rates. Note that tours sometimes do reverse itineraries (with the boat ride coming last) and you'll find precious little time alone. There are also (optional) add-ons such as cable-car rides and electric-car transport. These aren't terrible but can easily double your tour costs.
It’s not really worth coming out here on your own, but you can do so by taking the bus to Zhuānghé from Dàlián and transferring to a bus headed to Bīngyù Gōu. Accommodation is available within the park, but is overpriced for what you get.
FREE TRADE AMONG COMMUNIST ALLIES
It’s no exaggeration to say that without China, the North Korean regime would not survive. China has been trading with the DPRK since the 1950s and is now the country’s largest trading partner. Almost half of all the DPRK imports come directly from China, and China is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to the Hermit Kingdom. That China supports its neighbour for its own geopolitical reasons is no surprise – that it does so for economic reasons probably is. The honeymoon may be over, as tensions have grown ever since China signed UN sanctions against North Korea's nuclear testing. However, put simply, Chinese leader
s in the northern provinces still insist they need market reforms across the border if they are to see their own long-term development plans fully realised.
Dāndōng is the hub of Sino–North Korean trade, and a free-trade zone between the two countries has been established in North Korea's northeastern cities of Rajin and Sŏnbong. The area is now known as Rason and is also a warm-water port. Another area where the two nations have made progress is in expanding working visas. In 2013 some 93,300 North Koreans were granted visas for employment in China. This translated to a 17% increase from 2012 and continues to increase further.
Dāndōng 丹东
%0415 / Pop 865,600
The principal gateway to North Korea (Cháoxiǎn) from China, Dāndōng (丹东) has a buzz that’s unusual for a Chinese city of its size. Separated from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) by the Yālù River (Yālù Jiāng), Dāndōng thrives on trade, both illegal and legal, with North Korea. It handles more than 50% of the DPRK's imports/exports and its increasing wealth means that there are now flashy malls stocking luxury brands and even a fast rail connection under construction.