The city sits at the southern tip of the Liaodong peninsula, filling a piece of land that's shaped like a tiger's head - the result, local legend has it, of a mermaid flattening the animal into land as punishment for eating the fiancé of a beautiful girl. The city has four main sections: Zhongshan Square , at the tiger's eye, Renmin Square , at his ear, the beaches , at his mouth and throat, and Heishijiao (Black Coral Reef) across the Malan He (Horse Fence River) to the west of town. The hub of Dalian is Zhongshan Square (really a circle) and its spokes are some of the most interesting streets in the city. Japanese and Russian buildings, German cars, KFC and McDonald's, girls in miniskirts and Western dance music blaring from the shops give the area an international flavour. The main shopping streets are Shanghai Lu and Tianjin Jie, where you'll find designer-label clothes and shoes, as well as stalls selling a wide range of pop music, Chinese and Western. The English Language Bookstore, at 178 Tianjin Jie, has novels in English on the first floor and Japanese magazines on the second. Dirty travellers will appreciate the services of Tianfu Bath House on the northeastern end of Tianjin Jie, open 24 hours; hot baths start at ¥15. There are two Friendship Stores, both on Renmin Lu; the newer one, next to the Furama Hotel, is huge. To the east, at the terminus of Renmin Lu, is the international ferry terminal.

Follow Zhongshan Lu west past Shengli (Victory) Square , the train station, and the meandering shopping lanes of Qing Er Jie to reach Renmin Square. A statue of a Russian soldier with text in Chinese and Russian commemorate Dalian's liberation from Japan. Standing in front of the statue are neon advertisements for the city's International Fashion Festival. The square is large and grassy and lit with footlights at night. The neighbourhoods to the south retain their colonial architecture and narrow, tree-lined streets, making for excellent wandering. The Physical Stadium is just west of here, on Wu Si Lu. Dalian Wanda plays from May until September, with good seats for ¥100 - buy tickets at the stadium. East of Renmin Square is Laodong (Labour) Park , an open, meadowy area on the route of buses #401 and 102. Nearby is a good night market centred on the intersection of Jiefang Lu and Zhongyuan Jie (daily 5-9.30pm).

Dalian's main attraction, its beaches , are clean, sandy and packed in the summertime. All are free, but for Xinghai Beach which requires purchase of a park entrance ticket. To reach them, take bus #801 (spring & summer only; ¥20), which leaves from the train station, and circles the entire town, with multiple stops along the way. Alternatively, a taxi will cost between ¥20 and ¥30, depending on which beach you go to. Heading around the coast from east to west on Binhai Lu, the first beach is Bangchuidao , next to the golf course, and formerly reserved for cadres but now open to the public. Highly developed Tiger Beach , next, can be reached via bus nos. 4, 402, 403, 404 and 801. It's more of a fun park with a designated beach zone. The funfair, which includes a waterborne dodgem ride, has an ¥18 entrance charge, which doesn't include any rides. There's also a navy ship you can board, and, west on Binhai Lu, a new aviary (daily: May-Oct 8am-5pm; ¥20; Nov-April 8.30am-4.30pm; ¥10).

From Tiger Beach, it's a beautiful, if strenuous, seven-kilometre hike along Binhai Lu to Fujiazhuang Beach . The turquoise sea stretches before you to the south, while the north side of the road is green year-round with trees and new grass. You'll cross Beida Bridge, a suspended beauty, before winding 3km up to Yanwoling Park (daily dawn-dusk; ¥3). Once past the statue made of shells of a little boy with seagulls, a profusion of maintained trails and stairs take you down to the sea. One particularly nice hike ends up at Sunken Boat Rock, a cove wherein starfish cling to rocks and the only sounds are that of the waves. To get there, follow the signs in English. (Do not attempt to swim here, however, as a strong current 50m out has claimed lives.)

Continuing 4km west on Binhai Lu, you wind downhill to Fujiazhuang Beach, less-developed than Tiger Beach and more secluded, sheltered from the wind in a rocky bay. You can charter speed boats from here to take you to outlying islands - a trip to Xinghai Beach farther west and back costs ¥40. Prices are flexible, however, and bargaining is accepted. The beach has the usual complement of kitsch stalls and hawkers, as well as tents on the sand which you can rent by the hour. At the back of the beach are plenty of good, open-air seafood restaurants; expect to pay around ¥80 for a meal for two.

Binhai Lu continues 5km west to the Ma Lan River, where it merges into busy, wide Zhongshan Lu. Xinghai Beach , part of a large new park, is 3km ahead. Coming from downtown, trolley #202 begins on Xi'an Lu, north of the Changjiang Lu intersection. This new line, aimed at tourists, is the nicest way of getting to Xinghai Park (daily dawn-dusk; ¥3). The park features a Ferris wheel, rides, souvenir stands, restaurants and ShengYaHaiYangShiJie, Sun Asia Ocean World (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat & Sun until 4.30pm; adults ¥70, children ¥30). This New Zealand/Hong Kong/Chinese joint venture features more than 200 species of marine life and a moving platform through an 118-metre underwater tunnel in the main tank. West of the park is Black Corral Reef , a part of the city undergoing a massive facelift. Here, in front of the teachers' college, you'll find connections to Lushun . Get off trolley #202, buses #28 or #406 at the KFC on the north side of Zhongshan Lu.