CHINA> Special Reports
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CHINA> Special Reports
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A perfect dalliance
By Xiao Xianren (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-10 08:51
Dalian is one of China's most famous tourist destinations - and with good reason. Looking for budget accommodation, I found an online store that not only sold discount tickets to tourist sites, but also helped with hotel bookings. Furnished apartments are popular in Dalian, lying in the southern part of Liaoning Province in China's Northeast, and my girlfriend and I picked one complete with kitchen, bathroom, and a washing machine, for just a few hundred yuan per night. Dalian airport lies close to the city and we found that our hotel sat in the city center near the railway station. Our room, facing Labor Park, offered a sweeping view of the city. We couldn't wait to explore it. While ordinary residents were clustered in the city center, the rich were scattered in the luxurious villas that have mushroomed in the coastal areas. After much searching, we found the sightseeing bus that did a round trip of the best scenic spots. For 10 yuan ($1.50) per person, we could get off anywhere on the route - be it the People's Square where the municipal government is located, the Xinghai Square, Forest Zoo or some other place - and hop back onto the bus with the same ticket. We soon discovered that almost every crossroad is named as a square. Said to be the biggest square in Asia, Xinghai Square, covers 45,000 sq m and was built in 1997 to commemorate Hong Kong's return to China. Tourists thronged the Xinghai Square and the nearby Northern Bridge and Coast Road. We just took a few pictures and rode on. The castle-like Sea-Shell Museum was a fascinating sight. To reach it we climbed up mountain paths under a blazing sun. But the 30 yuan entrance fee, we thought, was a bit expensive, so instead of admiring its 5,000 kinds of shells on display, we decided to spend more time on other destinations. Fortunately, our bus had air-conditioning with a witty tour guide to boot. The young lady informed us that the beautiful coastal area was off-limits to lay visitors until Deng Xiaoping came and demanded that it be thrown open to the public. The Forest Zoo is a huge safari. Visitors can take a cable to fly across the sea to a small island to see the animals in the wild. But there was a long queue and we decided to give it a miss. Our guide joked that the Fujiazhuang (Village of the Fu Family) is now reserved by the Rich (which is also "fu" in Chinese) Family. Zhao Benshan, the country's leading comedian, has reportedly bought a village facing the sea here for his wife. Later, we passed the Sunny School and our tour guide once again made everyone laugh, saying the children here compared money instead of scores. On Friday afternoons, the narrow road here hosts a free show of limousines driven by eager parents. The Swallow's Nest Ridge on the Coastal Road, at a mere 10 yuan entrance fee, is a favorite with newly-weds for photo sessions. We ascended the precarious cliff and admired the waves throwing themselves against the black rocks. Wanting to conserve our energies for the next day, we headed back to Tianjin Street, lined with eateries. At one crowded restaurant, we ordered crab, shell, sea urchin and shrimp. We might have done better ordering sand; the only cooking skills evident was some basic boiling with soya sauce. We forked out 200 yuan, and my girlfriend still had to get grab something else on our way back. I tried to persuade her to carry some biscuits and water the next day, but she pulled a long face. It turned out that like at all tourist spots, food accounted for the most expenditure for visitors like us. The Polar Aquarium at the Tiger Beach had many new shows, and we had to rush and claim our seats an hour ahead of time for the best views. But the wait was worth it. The beluga, or white whale, was so lovely that I almost rushed to hug it. The dolphins were clearly the crowd favorites, impressing everyone with their calculations and basketball. For a while, I almost forgot the ridiculously expensive lunch we had at the aquarium. We happened to see two male sea lions locked in a fierce fight, possibly over a female they both liked. Even the combined force of eight trainers was not enough to separate them, and all the other sea lions rushed to watch them, just like we humans do when we see a fight in progress.
Half an hour later, the loser sat alone on a rock, bleeding and roaring. I wondered what he was lamenting. Another attraction at the Tiger Beach was the Bangchui (Stick) Island, where it is said many national leaders go for holidays. We found it hard to resist the temptation and paid 10 yuan each to board a shabby boat. The noisy engine and the numbing wind left us relieved when the ride ended in 20 minutes. But our spirits lifted at the Bird Forest. The parrots were trained to perch on any hand with cash, pick the money and send it to the trainer. The feathery actors were picky - they paid no heed to those with less than 10 yuan. Soon, there was a forest of arms with leaves of money. One parrot that had already picked a 20 yuan note, tried to pick another 10 yuan note and dropped the first one. Everyone laughed at the greedy bird. I just hoped the trainer wouldn't pluck its plumes later. On the third day, the Jinshitan (Golden Rock Beach) offered more joy. We took a speedboat to the giant rocks aptly named Dinosaur Exploring the Sea and Portrait of Beethoven. The boatman claimed he could see groups of dolphin almost every day. But we weren't so lucky. The beach was scattered with pebbles and the sea was cold in early October. But it felt relaxing to gaze at the sea far from the madding crowd, chewing on biscuits we so wisely took along. Before our departure on the fourth day, we randomly picked a restaurant near the hotel. The huge and juicy crabs took some 40 minutes to steam, and I began to sweat thinking we'd miss the flight. But it turned out to be the best lunch of the trip. There were, of course, many famous sites we didn't visit, but that just leaves some space for our imagination. I visited Dalian with my love, and that was enough. |
