Golden Pebble Beach

Jinshitan, the golden pebble beach, is a national scenic area on a peninsula northeast of Dalian where sea and weather have cut limestone laid down some six hundred million years ago into formations that have been given names: the tortoise, the camel, the dinosaur exploring the sea. Bands of colour in the rock and honeycomb weathering make the coast distinctive geologically as well as visually. Around it Dalian has built a resort zone with beaches, golf, a wax museum, a discovery theme park and hotels, so the natural coast and the commercial development sit side by side. The metro from Dalian makes it an easy day trip.

What you actually see

• The rock formations - eroded limestone shapes along the shore.
• The colour banding - layers visible in six-hundred-million-year-old stone.
• The beaches - sandy bays within the resort area.
• The resort attractions - theme park, golf and hotels around the coast.

When to go

June to September for swimming; the water is cold outside summer and the coast windy. Weekends bring Dalian residents. The metro runs directly from the city, which makes it straightforward.

Honest expectations

The scenic coast is charged separately from the beaches and the theme parks are commercial and expensive. Development is heavy and the geological interest can be lost among it. Summer weekends are crowded.

Nearby

Dalian lies southwest; Xinghai Square is in the city.