Shahekou

This museum to the north of Xinghai Square contains a number of high quality, interactive exhibits on Dalian, both historical and current. It is well worth a visit for anyone even slightly interested in the city itself.

Housed in a modern building shaped like a giant shell, the seashell museum contains a huge variety of shells and other examples of sea life. Though very specialized, the museum still makes for an interesting diversion.

Mainly focuses on marine life though it also includes a dinosaur fossil exhibit.

An oceanarium featuring numerous marine and polar animals. Not to be confused with its competitor, the Tiger Beach Ocean Park in Zhongshan District. Somewhat confusingly, 'Sun Asia Ocean World' may refer to either the park as a whole or only that section of the park that is focused on marine animals. The other major section of the park is the Sun Asia Polar World. Unlike the case at Tiger Beach Ocean Park, here one is not compelled to buy a combo ticket and can instead buy a separate ticket ticket to see only Ocean World or only Polar World.

It consists of a 150,000-m² land garden and an 800-m-long arch-shaped beach, has high-quality greenery, and presents the atmosphere and artistic conception of the Vienna Royal Garden. A large swimming pool has been built in the west of the park, making it the largest summer paradise in Dalian. It is one of Dalian's oldest and largest coastal parks. It was built by the South Manchuria Railway Company in 1909 and as "Xinggaura Park". At that time, the park had a Yamato Hotel, a golf course, a 700-m-long beach and a bathing beach. There was a full-length bronze statue of Marquis Goto Shinpei, the first president of the Manchuria Railway Bureau, in the park (it was demolished after the Soviet occupation). In August 1945, the Soviet army entered Dalian and occupied the eastern part of the park from the mouth of the Malan River to the third station of Xinghai and the western part as military land. In 1949, the park was handed over to the municipal government and the People's Liberation Army and renamed "Xinghai Park".

On the coast south west of the city center, is the largest square in Asia, a fact frequently mentioned in Dalian tourist literature. There are a number of attractions around the square, including museums, a bathing beach, large aquarium (Sun Asia Ocean World), Xinghai Convention and Exhibition Center, huge indoor tennis court and swimming pool, a number of seafood restaurants boasting local fare, bungee tower and a fairly small amusement park that's very kid-friendly. With the possible exception of the aquarium, museums and restaurants, few of the attractions are likely to be that interesting to visitors but it's still worth taking the time to visit the square and have a wander around the area.

Small mountains near Heping Square and also along Huanghe Lu offering some impressive views of the city and sea.