Everybody around the world now knows the world’s busiest beach, Fujiazhuang, is in Dalian but not everybody knows Dalian also has this big, beautiful pool place, not far from the downtown core. Big buildings house huge swimming pools surrounded by hot tubs. We visit this place at least once every summer and feel summer in Dalian is not complete without a trip to swim here.

We spent all afternoon, about four hours, swimming in the thousand metre pool, soaking in one hot tub after another -- some outside, some indoors, some in caves, one in a huge tree -- bought lunch and snacks, and the whole thing cost just over 200 rmb (about 40 bucks). Amazing! The enormous solarium is full of tropical plants. Bananas grow right beside the pool. There are three separate water fun areas, each of them enormous, with one for swimming and two with lots of water slides and splashy water fun areas. It's about a half hour from downtown Dalian, a 50 yuan taxi ride, and I'd say it's a must see while you are in Dalian.