Cost-effective ~ Dalian Travel Day 1 (Dongbangsu City → Russian Street → Mingjikaowei → Xi'an Road Night Market)

📍1. Dongbangsuicheng (Dongfangsuicheng, 东方水城)

While smelling the morning air of Dalian, I headed to Dongbangsuicheng as my first course.
It felt like Europe in China…but the winter sea breeze was beyond my imagination.
The wind was so sharp that it was hard to walk for a long time,
and the gondola was also out of service because it was winter. (It would probably be nice in summer!)

🥶 Tip: Dongbangsuicheng is recommended in summer! Make sure to prepare for the cold when you visit in winter.

📍2. Russian Cultural Street & Dalian Art Museum

Dongbangsuicheng was so cold that I went straight to the nearby Russian Street.
I saw an art museum on the way there, so I went in without thinking,
but since I was a foreigner, they let me in for free (I just showed my passport!).
It was an exhibition by artists from Dalian, and it was better than I thought.

There was definitely a lot to see on the Russian Cultural Street.
There were Nutcracker Soldiers and Matryoshka dolls between the souvenir shops! I thought all Matryoshka dolls had the same design,
but they were so diverse, like snowman shapes, that it was fun to look at them.

💸 Tip:

Nutcracker Soldier stall is 30 yuan → Store is 15 yuan.

Haggling is a must! Especially fur hats, starting at 100 yuan → 50~60 possible.

I even saw 30 yuan near the subway station 😅

📍3. Lunch: Mingji Kao Wei (名记烤鱼)

The highlight of the day was right here!

I waited for about 10 minutes at the Pavilion Department Store 5th floor branch, but it was totally worth it.

I highly recommend the garlic-flavored grilled fish (Kao Wei).
It was crazy. The seasoning balance was perfect, perfect for Korean tastes.
I also ordered lamb skewers as a side, which is also sexy food...

🗣️ I shouted “Tingbutong~” and ordered through the app, but they were very kind and helpful, so it wasn’t difficult.

200% willing to revisit. A must-visit restaurant when you go to Dalian.

📍Map link

📍4. Design hotspot: Shopping street near Shangri-La (Seongsu-dong sensibility)

The atmosphere is like Shanghai Tianzifang + Seoul Seongsu-dong.
Centered on prop shops, designer brands, and vintage-style clothing stores.
It still feels like it's under development, but the sight of the trams running was interesting.

🎀 I ended up getting a teapot(?) while wandering around the rabbit tee shop.
If you like cute and unique items, it's worth stopping by at least once.

📍Map link

📍5. Xi'an Road Indoor Night Market

It wasn't cold because it was indoors as the name suggests, but the structure was complicated and somewhat narrow.
It was smaller than I thought from what I saw on YouTube or blogs, and the food was limited.
Still, it was nice to enjoy the atmosphere of finishing up by buying various things.
I was a little disappointed that it wasn't in Big U Mart, where I stopped by to buy macadamia nuts.

📍Map link

Dalian in winter was really windy, but it was a full day course centered around food.
Dongbangsu-cheng – Russian Street – Mingji Kao-wei – Design Street – Night Market Route
If you want to enjoy both the city center sentiment and local food, this course is recommended!
※ But, be sure to prepare for the winter wind!!

#DalianTravel #WinterChinaTravel #MingjiKao-wei #DalianHotPlace #RussianStreet #DalianRestaurantRecommendation