Dalian/Xigang

Xigang District (西岗区; Xīgǎngqū), the smallest of Dalian's four districts, takes up the western half of the city centre and is the home of most of the city government. As with government districts in most cities there is not a huge amount for tourists to do in the central part of Xigang aside from gawking at the centres of power, though the stadium, and the nearby bar area, do provide alternative attractions. The southern half of the district offers more for visitors, with the forest zoo for panda watchers and Fujiazhuang beach for sun lovers. Bargain hunters may find a trip to the central market rewarding, provided their haggling skills are up to scratch.

Get in


For those arriving by air, all three airport buses stop in central Xigang. The express shuttle stops at the municipal government (just north of People's Square), bus 701 stops at the stadium, while bus 710 stops at People's Square. Those arriving at the central train station, meanwhile, can catch bus 16 or 22 to People's Square and the stadium. Those arriving by boat, bus 16 also stops just in front of the passenger ferry terminal.

Get around


Getting around in the central part of the district is little trouble given that most of the areas of interest are clustered around People's Square and the Stadium which are no more than 10 minutes walk from one another. To get to the central market catch bus 16 or 22 from the stadium or People's Square to Qingniwaqiao, head to the railway station and walk through the pedestrian tunnel on the left hand side. The Forest Zoo can be reached by catching bus 4 (terminating at Tiger Beach) from the stadium. To get to Fujiazhuang Beach head to Qingniwaqiao then take bus 5.

See




Buy

 * Dalian central market – North of the train station, this is the best place to go for bargains. There are many different halls offering pretty much everything under the sun, but the main hall is the most useful to visitors, with foodstuffs on the ground floor, clothes and bags on the next couple of floors and trinkets and souvenirs on the next floor up. If you are willing to haggle hard, goods can be purchased here for a fraction of the price you would pay elsewhere.

Eat
The range of restaurants is nowhere near as comprehensive in Xigang as it is in Zhongshan District, with the only standout example being the Tapas Spanish restaurant near Russian Street. In the more residential areas there's still the usual range of cheap, hole in the wall and mid-range Chinese restaurants, however.