Dalian/Shahekou



Shahekou District (沙河口区 shāhékǒu qū) is a mostly residential district to the south and east of the center of Dalian. The district's residential nature means the number of attractions are limited, with the area around Xinghai Square the most likely to draw visitors. Hotels are equally limited, though the large number of universities in the district means that those on a budget may well find themselves sleeping here.

Get in


The easiest way to get to the various destinations in Shahekou from the airport, train station or ferry terminal is to first head to the Xinghai Square area then change if necessary. From the airport catch bus #710 to Jiefang Square or Taiyuan Jie and from the train station or ferry terminal take bus #16 to the Xinghai Square Exhibition Centre. The only exception to this rule is for those staying at Liaoning Normal University in which trolley bus #101 runs to the university from the train station (those arriving at the ferry terminal will need to catch buses #13 or #16 and transfer at the train station) while the airport is a relatively short taxi ride away.

Get around
Most parts of Shahekou (or at least those parts of interest to tourists) can be easily reached from Xinghai Square. Tram #202 serves both the Xi'an Lu shopping area (heading north) and the Natural History Museum and Maritime University (heading south). To get to the University of Technology catch bus #23.

See






Eat
The Xinghai area has a number of decent quality restaurants offering a wide variety of regional Chinese cooking styles (look for ones that have their catch fresh on ice). Restaurants are easy to find throughout the district, with clusters of cheap restaurants around the universities and more upscale restaurants around Xi'an Lu. Korean restaurants tend to be found near the main universities while there's a few Japanese restaurants around Xi'an Lu. While most of these restaurants are decent, few are of high enough quality to warrant a special trip. About the only restaurants worth going out of the way for are found around Xinghai Square.


 * Xinghai Square restaurants – Encircling Xinghai square are restaurants featuring a range of cuisines, mainly seafood (as the water is just a few meters away) but also Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Western styles. Prices vary but expect to pay at least ¥150 each.

Bars
Bars can be found around the universities and mainly cater to overseas students, as Chinese students can face stiff penalties if found drunk. The university bars tend to be small, unimaginative and not particularly cheap.

Sleep
Hotels in Shahekou tend to be limited to cheaper guest houses and may be suitable for budget-minded, although the stay may not be particularly memorable. There are few luxury hotels, typically in or around Xinghai Square. The budget places tend to be found near the universities, both along Huanghe Lu and around the southwest border with Gaijingzi district.