"Dalian, Liaoning Province" a Dalian Travel Page by meteorologist1

Dalian is one of the more unique cities in China for travelers, given its location on the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, jutting out into the Bohai Sea, between mainland China and North Korea. It is a major port and trading gateway. Dalian offers visitors with both excellent beaches as well as mountains. Dalian has many wonderful attractions, including the Laohutan Ocean Park which is home to the popular Pole Aquarium where you can see dolphins and white whales perform. The Dalian Forest Zoo is quite large and is also a nice attraction. Dalian is famous for its many squares, including the impressive Xinghai Square, which is the largest square in Asia. This almost bicycle-free city overall has some nice weather, especially during the summer as it is usually cooler than other cities in China.

Because of its unique location, the easiest way to get to Dalian may not be taking the train, if you're coming from Beijing and points south. You would have to travel around the Bohai Sea and come in from the north from Shenyang which would take several hours extra. We flew by air into Dalian, which was very convenient because the airport is only about 10 km from the city center. You could also travel to Dalian by ship, which we didn't do but would like to next time.

Enjoy Dalian!