Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park is located at No. 9, Binhai Middle Road, Zhongshan District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and one of the largest and well-equipped ocean-themed parks in China. Situated on the coast of the Yellow Sea, the scenic area features marine life exhibitions, polar animal interactions, marine entertainment projects, and coastal natural landscapes, integrating viewing, entertainment, popular science, shopping, and catering. The total area of the park is approximately 1.18 million square meters, including a sea area of about 53,000 square meters. It has multiple venues and themed areas such as the Polar Pavilion, Ocean Pavilion, Coral Pavilion, and Bird Language Forest, housing and displaying over 300 species and tens of thousands of marine organisms and polar animals. The landmark Polar Pavilion covers an area of about 36,000 square meters, which is one of the venues with the most complete range of polar animals on display and a large scale in China. It receives millions of visitors annually and is a core attraction of Dalian's coastal tourism.
History and Culture
The name of Dalian Laohutan (Tiger Beach) originates from a local folk legend. It is said that a long time ago, tigers came here to drink water on the tidal flats, hence the name "Laohutan". This sea area has been an important fishing port and coastal defense point in Dalian since ancient times. With urban development in modern times, it has gradually become a coastal area for citizens' leisure and entertainment.
In the 1980s, the construction of an ocean-themed park began in Laohutan, and it was officially opened to the public in 1989, initially focusing on marine life exhibitions and simple entertainment projects. In 1995, the park underwent its first expansion, adding facilities such as the Coral Pavilion. In 2002, with an investment of hundreds of millions of yuan, the Polar Pavilion was built, introducing Antarctic penguins, polar bears and other polar animals, making it one of the earliest ocean parks in China to have polar animal displays. After years of development, Laohutan Ocean Park has not only become a window to display marine culture but also promoted public attention to marine ecology through popular science education and animal protection research. Its development process also reflects the growth trajectory of China's ocean-themed tourist attractions.
Main Attractions
Polar Pavilion
The Polar Pavilion is the core venue of Laohutan Ocean Park, with a construction area of 36,000 square meters. Its main building is shaped like a blue "giant whale". The pavilion is divided into several areas such as Antarctic Penguin Island, Arctic Wolf House, and Polar Bear Pavilion, showcasing over 30 species of polar animals including penguins, polar bears, arctic foxes, and beluga whales. Among them, Penguin Island is home to nearly 100 Papua penguins and chinstrap penguins. By simulating the low-temperature environment of the Antarctic, it allows visitors to observe the living conditions of penguins up close. The daily "Beluga Love" performance is the highlight, where two beluga whales cooperate with trainers to perform jumps, spins and other movements, creating a stunning scene. The pavilion also features a 4D theater that shows polar exploration-themed films, enhancing visitors' immersive experience.
Ocean Pavilion
The Ocean Pavilion (also known as "Underwater World") is adjacent to the Polar Pavilion, with a construction area of about 18,000 square meters, mainly displaying tropical marine life. The pavilion has a 118-meter-long underwater tunnel made of acrylic glass. Visitors can watch large marine creatures such as sharks, rays, and sea turtles swim overhead through the glass, as if they are underwater. The giant aquarium in the central exhibition hall has a capacity of 1,500 cubic meters, displaying thousands of tropical fish and coral reef ecosystems. The daily scheduled "Mermaid" performance features actors wearing mermaid costumes dancing with fish schools in the water, recreating fairy-tale scenes. In the "Man and Shark Dance" performance, divers interact with sharks without protective equipment, demonstrating the harmonious coexistence of marine organisms.
Coral Pavilion
The Coral Pavilion is one of the largest coral reef biological exhibition halls in China, with a construction area of about 3,000 square meters, divided into tropical rainforest area, coral reef area, and touch pool. The pavilion has cultivated more than 200 species and tens of thousands of corals from around the world, including staghorn coral, brain coral, sea fan coral, etc., with colorful and diverse shapes. The touch pool allows visitors to get close to marine organisms such as starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, with professional commentators introducing their living habits. In addition, the pavilion also displays a variety of tropical ornamental fish, such as butterfly fish and damselfish, which together with corals form a gorgeous underwater landscape, making it a popular place for popular science education and photography.
Bird Language Forest
The Bird Language Forest is located at the back mountain of the Laohutan scenic area, covering an area of about 45,000 square meters, and is a large semi-natural bird habitat. The park is divided into raptor area, songbird area, waterfowl area, etc., raising more than 200 species and over 3,000 birds including red-crowned cranes, white swans, macaws, and peacocks. Visitors can walk through the forest trails, watch birds move freely, and participate in feeding (special feed needs to be purchased at a price of 10 yuan per portion) and photo interactions. In the daily parrot performance, the birds will complete arithmetic, cycling, basketball shooting and other skills, which are loved by children. The waterfalls, streams, and vegetation in the park create a natural ecological environment, making it a good place to get close to birds and nature.
Happy Theater
Happy Theater is an outdoor performance venue that can accommodate 2,000 audiences, featuring funny performances by marine animals. The theater adopts a semi-open design, backed by green mountains and facing the sea, with a beautiful environment. The performance lineup includes sea lions, walruses, etc. Under the guidance of trainers, they perform funny activities such as ball topping, hoop throwing, and imitating human actions, interacting frequently with the host, creating an active atmosphere. The performance lasts about 30 minutes, with 3-4 sessions arranged every day. The specific time is adjusted according to the season, which is an entertainment project for the whole family to enjoy.
Food
Characteristic Catering in the Park
There are multiple catering areas in Laohutan Ocean Park, mainly offering seafood snacks and fast food. Dalian roasted squid is a must-try delicacy. It uses local fresh squid, roasted over charcoal fire and brushed with secret sauce, which is tender and juicy. The price of a large string is 15-20 yuan, and a small string is 5-10 yuan. Seafood fried rice is rich in ingredients, adding shrimp, scallops, squid and other ingredients, with each portion costing 25-35 yuan, and the taste is fresh and fragrant. The "Ocean Restaurant" near the Polar Pavilion provides set meal services, such as cod set meal (58 yuan) and salmon bento (68 yuan), with a clean environment, suitable for quick meals. In addition, there are Western fast foods such as hamburgers and fried chicken in the park, with prices similar to those in the urban area, meeting different taste needs.
Surrounding Food
There are many seafood restaurants within 1 kilometer around the park. It is recommended to go to "Laohutan Seafood Food Stall", which is about 500 meters away from the main gate and is famous for its freshly caught and cooked seafood. Signature dishes include steamed swimming crab (price varies with market, about 80-120 yuan per catty), spicy fried clam (38 yuan per portion), seaweed buns (20 yuan per cage), etc. The ingredients are fresh and the taste is authentic. The average consumption is about 80-120 yuan, suitable for tasting after the tour. A bit farther (about 2 kilometers) is "Binhai Road Fisherman's Cuisine", which focuses on Dalian traditional dishes, such as salted fish cake (28 yuan) and stewed jelly (15 yuan), with both fisherman's flavor and cost performance, and the average consumption is 50-70 yuan.
Tickets
The ticket price is 220 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "老虎滩海洋公园" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are adjusted according to the season: the peak season is from April 1 to October 31, with opening hours from 8:00 to 17:30 (admission stops at 16:30); the off-season is from November 1 to March 31 of the next year, with opening hours from 8:30 to 17:00 (admission stops at 16:00). The specific opening hours of each venue are slightly different. Among them, the Polar Pavilion and Ocean Pavilion open at 8:30 in peak season and 9:00 in off-season; the performance time of Happy Theater is 10:00, 13:00, 15:30 in peak season and 11:00, 14:00 in off-season. It is recommended to get the daily program list at the entrance in advance.
Tour Route
Recommended one-day tour route: enter from the main gate at 8:30 a.m., first go to the Polar Pavilion (visit for about 1.5 hours) to watch the beluga performance at 9:30; go to the Ocean Pavilion at 10:30, experience the underwater tunnel and watch the mermaid performance at 11:00 (visit for about 1 hour); have lunch at the catering area near the Ocean Pavilion at 12:00 (about 1 hour); go to the Coral Pavilion at 13:00 to watch corals and tropical fish (about 40 minutes); go to Happy Theater at 13:40 to watch the sea lion performance at 14:00 (about 30 minutes); go to the Bird Language Forest at 14:30 to participate in bird interactions (about 1 hour); return to the main area of the park at 15:30, and you can choose to take a sea sightseeing boat (self-funded, 60 yuan per person, about 40 minutes) or walk along the coast; choose souvenirs at the souvenir shop at 16:30 and leave from the main gate at 17:00. The total walking distance is about 8 kilometers, and the order can be flexibly adjusted according to the performance time.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take bus lines 2, 4, 30, 403, 404, etc. from the urban area to "Laohutan Ocean Park" station, and walk about 5 minutes to the main gate. Among them, bus 403 departs from Dalian Railway Station, with one bus every 10 minutes, the journey is about 30 minutes, and the fare is 1 yuan; bus 2 departs from Qingniwa Bridge, with one bus every 15 minutes, the journey is about 25 minutes, and the fare is 1 yuan.
- Subway: Take Dalian Metro Line 3 to Xianglujiao Station, transfer to bus 4 to Laohutan Station, the whole journey is about 40 minutes, the subway fare is 2 yuan, and the bus fare is 1 yuan.
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Dalian, drive along Jiefang Road and Binhai Middle Road, about 10 kilometers away, taking about 25 minutes; the parking fee standard of the scenic spot parking lot is 20 yuan per time for small cars and 30 yuan per time for large cars. When parking spaces are tight, you can park in the paid parking spaces on the surrounding auxiliary roads.
- Tourist special line: Many travel agencies in the city have opened one-day tour special lines to Laohutan, including round-trip transportation and tickets, with prices ranging from 260 to 300 yuan per person. You can sign up at the hotel front desk.
Must-visit Attractions
- Polar Pavilion: A large venue of 36,000 square meters, displaying polar animals such as penguins and polar bears. The "Beluga Love" performance is the core highlight, which is the iconic experience of the park.
- Ocean Pavilion: A 118-meter-long underwater tunnel, where you can observe creatures such as sharks and sea turtles up close. The "Man and Shark Dance" and "Mermaid" performances are highly ornamental.
- Happy Theater: Funny performances by sea lions and walruses, with strong interactivity, suitable for the whole family to watch. The performance lasts 30 minutes, with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
- Bird Language Forest: A 45,000-square-meter bird habitat with more than 3,000 birds moving freely. You can participate in feeding interactions and get close to nature.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 1 day for the tour. The best season is from May to October, when the climate is suitable and marine projects are open; there are fewer tourists in winter, so you can avoid the peak, but some outdoor projects may be reduced.
- The performance time of each venue is fixed. It is recommended to enter the venue 15 minutes in advance to take a seat. For popular sessions (such as weekend mornings), you need to go earlier to avoid standing without a seat.
- Catering prices in the park are relatively high. You can bring your own drinking water and dry food and eat in the rest area; if you want to taste seafood, it is recommended to go to nearby restaurants after leaving the park.
- Visitors with children can rent baby carriages (50 yuan per day, 300 yuan deposit) at the visitor service center; the elderly or people with reduced mobility can rent wheelchairs (free, 500 yuan deposit).
- Photography suggestions: use a high-speed shutter (above 1/500s) when shooting beluga performances in the Polar Pavilion; a wide-angle lens is suitable for shooting panoramas in the underwater tunnel of the Ocean Pavilion.
Notes
- It is forbidden to bring inflammable and explosive items, pets, and glass containers into the park. There is security check at the entrance of the park, and illegal items need to be stored temporarily (free of charge).
- When watching animal performances, it is forbidden to take photos with flash to avoid scaring the animals; throwing items into the pool is not allowed, and violators will be fined.
- When interacting in the touch pool, follow the guidance of the staff, touch the creatures gently, and do not grasp them forcefully or take them out of the water.
- Ultraviolet rays are strong in summer, so you need to do a good job of sun protection, and bring a sun hat and sunglasses; the wind is strong on the coast, so it is recommended to prepare a thin coat to avoid catching cold.
- There is a medical station in the park (located west of the Polar Pavilion), and you can contact in time in case of emergency.