With its watery location, it’s no surprise that Dalian is well-endowed with some of China’s hottest seaside amusement parks and aquariums. Kids will have plenty of options in this city to keep them entertained. To round off the themeparks, Dalian has a decent forest zoo and a quirky wax museum.

Dalian Wax Museum (Laxiang Bowuguan)
If all else fails, you can take your children to this predictably strange wax museum featuring celebrities, politicians and other notable humans. The entry price is low enough to make it worth a look, where everyone from Hitler to Jackie Chan stands at attention. Phone: +86 411 8790 2006

Forest Zoo
If Dalian is your only major stop in China, you may want to take the kids to its Forest Zoo, a decent representation of the native wildlife of northern China. Its location in the hilly outskirts of Dalian makes a nice change of scenery, and the enclosures are modern and well-maintained for Chinese standards. Its red and giant pandas are the most popular attraction.

Sun Asia Ocean World (Shengya Haiyang Shijie)
As one of Dalian’s three water-themed parks, Sun Asia’s claim to fame is the longest underwater aquarium tunnel in the world, which stretches 116m through schools of fish and other marine life. The new polar habitat is also interesting, and English guides can be arranged if you call ahead. Phone: +86 411 8468 5136; website: www.sunasia.com

Tiger Beach Ocean Park (Laohu Tan Haiyang Gongyuan)
Dalian’s most deliberately entertaining seaside amusement park is usually a hit with the kids for its Disneyesque atmosphere. Its in-house aquarium ranks as one of the biggest in China, and is the real highlight of the park. Exhibits are divided into four sections, replete with many of the planet’s great sea creatures. Its performance pool is also a fun attraction, particularly the dolphin show and Sea Maiden Show. Don’t miss the wild bird enclosure, either, which is China’s largest. Swimming and shopping options ensure there’s enough to round off an entire day. Phone: +86 411 8239 9398

Dalian’s Squares
The Russians are mostly responsible for the wonderful squares and green lawns that dot the city. With the dream of creating an Oriental Paris, these Russian designers helped form the foundations of Dalian’s modern architecture. Today the 30 squares are places where locals and visitors congregate to socialise and relax. Each has its own distinct style, and offers the best chance to watch the locals going about their lives. Check out the Zhongshan Square for its Japanese influences, Renmin Square for a taste of government pomp, and Xinghai Square to witness Asia’s largest plaza.

Lushun Prison
One of the darkest eras in modern Chinese history is exemplified in this massive prison complex. Originally built by the Russians, it was the Japanese who expanded the facilities to include 15 factories, thousands of prison cells, and four eerie underground darkrooms where 253 cages kept prisoners in the most brutal conditions. Today Lushun Prison is open to the public and serves as a reminder of the harsh history Dalian suffered. Phone: +86 411 8661 0676

Monkey Stone Hill
This strategic hill was a focal point during both the Sino-Japan War and the Russo-Japanese War. Located just two kilometres from downtown Dalian, there are a number of interesting military sites on Monkey Stone Hill. The Chinese Chair Hill Fortress, built in 1898, is an impressive remnant of fighting with the Japanese. The Soviet Army Tomb, the biggest Western tomb in China, is also a century old and has some unique aspects. This particular site shows just how much foreign influence was exerted in Dalian in recent centuries. Phone: +86 411 8661 2924

Thousand Honest People’s Tomb
Dalian’s most important historical monument pays tribute to the 18,300 Chinese who died during the China-Japan War. The memorial is situated at the foot of Bai Yu Hill as all of the bodies were buried anonymously along its slopes. Although Japan tried repeatedly to dismantle the site over the years it occupied Dalian, the locals always reconstructed it. In 1963, the monument was finally protected as a cultural relic. Phone: +86 411 8661 2924

Xigang District
This district in the heart of Dalian’s downtown has been named one of China’s top 50 districts. It is the engine that drives this cosmopolitan city, both for business and government. Renmin Square and Olympic Square are both focal points of activity in Xigang and well worth some lingering. The Dalian Art Exhibition Hall is here, as well as dozens of shopping and dining options ranging from the traditional to the modern. If you want a sense of Dalian’s self-image look no further than Xigang.

Zhongshan Guangchang
Another of Dalian’s top districts presents the unique historical infusion this city received from its Russian and Japanese occupiers. Zhongshan Square is the core of this district built by Russians in a colonial style. Ten avenues radiate from the square lined with some of the city’s most impressive Japanese and Russian buildings. The strange mix of Renaissance, Gothic and Romanesque architecture provides plenty of atmosphere, and is home to many of Dalian’s most popular tourists attractions.

The foreign cultural infusion that makes up Dalian hasn’t been lost on its dining scene. This cosmopolitan city thrives on a wealth of international restaurants featuring everything from Russian and Italian to Japanese sushi bars and Brazilian barbecues. Seafood is still the star attraction on most menus in the city thanks to its prime location surrounded by ocean. With 2,000kms of coastline, Dalian always comes up with the goods, except between July and August when fishing is prohibited.

Among the stellar seafood choices in Dalian, steamed sea bream is one of the standouts. Stir-fried prawns, steamed scallops, abalone, sea cucumbers and crabs are also big favourites in all the restaurants. Visitors can indulge in five-star dining opulence or tuck into one of the thousands of excellent fast food joints. Even Western chains like KFC and McDonald’s have made their way into Dalian’s culinary pantheon.

Grills are one of the specialties of this city. Many Chinese restaurants place their grilled seafood at the core of their menus. Among the favourites are grilled sleeve fish, the fatty Lin Ji Yu fish, and kebabs loaded with all kinds of meat and seafood. Check out the grill stalls around Sanba Square and Wusi Square, which are regarded as the best in town. There are also some excellent Korean, Brazilian and Japanese barbecue restaurants worth trying.

Snacks are another important component in the daily diet of Dalian. They are inexpensive, tasty and quick to eat. The most popular snacks are salted fish and corn pancakes, a fried potato-like pancake called men zi, kebabs, and those ubiquitous dumplings known as jiaozi. They can be found on literally every street corner in the city.

Dalian’s two most famous dining areas are Tianjin Walking Street and Hei Shi Jiao Street. Northeastern China’s Dongbei cuisine can be found here, where rustic dishes such as braised pork with vegetables and vermicelli, spiced pig legs and chicken livers will keep you warm on a cold night. Zhongshan Square is a good choice for Russian fare, while Renmin Square features lots of Korean food and Western fast food. Xigang District is another bustling area for international and local restaurants.

In keeping with its reputation for urban chic, Dalian offers some of the most extensive shopping in China. Dalian is also known as Fashion City, so designer clothing is a major part of the shopping experience. Local boutiques and international retailers can be found in every shopping district. A staggering range of Western, Korean and Japanese knockoffs also pour out of thousands of street stalls. Crafty artwork is another popular purchase here. Shells from the sea feature prominently in all kinds of products, from paintings and lamps to ornamental designs.

Dalian has four main shopping hubs: Renmin Square, Tianjin Walking Street, Qingniwan District, and Xi’an Square. Tianjin Walking Street is perhaps the most enjoyable place to browse, as the century-old pedestrian strip is packed with top end retailers, trendy local fashion boutiques and other interesting shops and stalls. Qingniwan is the city’s busiest shopping area, and one of Dalian’s main commercial hubs. It’s next to the railway station and features huge stores and malls. Fashionistas will find plenty to keep them enthralled in this sprawling shopping nexus.

Beaches
One of Dalian’s major summer draws for Chinese tourists is its beaches. Most of them tend to be covered in pebbles and fairly polluted, but there are definitely a few gems and even the busiest ones are interesting from a social perspective. Right in the city is Binhai Lu, a road that meanders along the coast providing scenic views and several beaches. Dalian Beach is China’s largest man-made beach, stretching for 1,378m. It has three entertaining piers full of restaurants and shops to complement the sand and swimming.

One of the cleanest and prettiest beaches is Gold Pebble Beach (Jinshi Tan). You can take the light rail train right to it, or grab a taxi. Closer to the city there are several dedicated bathing beaches, designed for softer sand and better swimming. Xinghai Park is one of the top four bathing sites, and full of amenities. Bangchuidao, with its woods and cliffs, is ideal for nature lovers while Fujiazhuang Park is renowned for its soft sand and calm waters. Nearly every beach around Dalian is absolutely packed between August and September so keep that in mind if you’re travelling here for sandy solitude.

Football
Dalian is home to the Chinese professional league’s best clubs, which regularly attract huge crowds to their home games. The first football club was established in the 1920s, and the fever has never lost its grip over the locals. It’s a major talking point, and the home games are always big fun affairs.

Golf
The incredibly scenic Dalian Golf Club is the only course in northeast China which does not close during the winter. The views of the sea from this popular 18-hole course are distracting enough to affect your game, but at just 23kms from the city it’s a great way to spend the day.

Parks
There are some really impressive nature parks around Dalian, offering safe and organized places to get out and explore the beauty of the Liaoning Peninsula. Big Black Mountain Forest Park (Daheishan) is very popular for its blend of ancient temples, palaces and great hiking trails. Lao Tie Mountain Reserve covers the top of nearby Lao Tie Mountain, and offers stunning views across the sea. There are some challenging trails to hike here, as well as the best bird watching in the area. Each winter more than 200 species stop over on the mountain, creating a flock of hundreds of thousands of birds.

Closer to home, Donghai East Sea Park covers some 1,200m of coastline right on Binhai Beach Road. This nearby park is a casual spot with interesting highlights like the Weird Slope, which throws perspective out the window, and lots of nice sculptures. Fujiazhuang Park is also close to the city at just five kilometres from the downtown core. Its endless beach hemmed in by towering hills features great boating, swimming and casual walking trails.