The World's Longest Boardwalk: Dalian's Binhai Road

The world’s longest wooden walkway

There's a stone marker at the start of the path. It reads, in large carved characters: 大连滨海路健身步道, the Dalian Binhai Road Bodybuilding Walkway. Behind it, a Guinness World Records certificate confirms what the stone boldly claims: this is the longest wooden walkway on Earth.

The route runs along the coast of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea for 20.99 kilometres, from Xinghai Bay in the west to Haizhiyun Park in the east. It took 16 months to build, was completed in August 2009, and features 27 viewing platforms. On a clear day in May, with the sea a deep blue and the bridges stretching out to the horizon, it is one of the best walks in China.

The entrance marker at the start of the route: 大连滨海路健身步道. Every character worth understanding.

A military road turned lover's road

Binhai Road (滨海路, bīnhǎi lù) was originally built in the 1970s as a military road, guarded at both ends, off limits to the public. That changed after Deng Xiaoping visited Dalian in the early 1980s and reportedly suggested opening the route to ordinary people. It has been a favorite of locals and visitors ever since, earning the nickname 情人路 (qíngrén lù), Lover's Road.

Today the full route stretches over 30 kilometres and passes 12 major attractions. The wooden boardwalk section (the Guinness record holder) follows the most dramatic coastal stretch, with the sea on one side and steep forested cliffs on the other.

The Guinness certificate: 世界上最长的木栈道, the world's longest wooden walkway.

Views through the trees: the European-style villas along the coast are a reminder of Dalian's Russian and Japanese colonial history.

What you see on the walk

The route is spectacular from start to finish, but a few things stand out.

The Xinhai Bay Bridge (星海湾大桥)

The bridge that curves over the bay is impossible to miss. From the walkway you look straight down onto it. The 星海湾大桥 (Xīnghǎi Wān Dàqiáo) is one of the defining images of modern Dalian: a sweeping suspension bridge spanning turquoise water, with small rocky islands in the distance. Completed in 2015, it holds the record as the longest cross-sea bridge built with offshore piling foundations in Northeast China.

星海湾大桥, the Xinhai Bay Bridge. A visual landmark of modern Dalian that you'll recognize on every map and postcard of the city.

From higher ground on the route you get the full panorama: bridge, city skyline, and the open sea.

The sea sculptures

One of the most surprising sections of the route is where the cliff face beside the red walking path is covered in enormous sculpted sea creatures (sharks, rays, dolphins, a giant starfish) all emerging from the rock as if breaking through from the sea below. It's unexpected and a little surreal, and very photogenic.

The route map and information board at the sea sculptures section, showing the layout of 鲨鱼 (shāyú, shark) and 海星 (hǎixīng, starfish) sculptures along the cliff face of the red walking path.

The views out to sea

From the higher sections of the route, where the path climbs and descends through the hills, you get open views across the Yellow Sea. Rocky islands sit offshore in the haze, and on clear mornings you can watch cargo ships moving slowly across the horizon.

Early morning on the high section of the route: 小岛 (xiǎo dǎo, small island) in the mist, with a cargo ship in the distance.

Why this walk is good for your Chinese

A walk like this is full of language opportunities: signs to read, people to ask directions, information boards with characters. The vocabulary of the outdoors, nature, and directions is some of the most practical Chinese you can learn. It comes up every time you go somewhere.

Practical information

The full boardwalk section is 20.99 km. Most people do a section rather than the whole thing, which takes 3 to 4 hours end to end. The most scenic stretch runs between Laohutan (老虎滩, Tiger Beach) and Xinghai Square (星海广场). Bus routes run along the road if you need to skip a section or get back to the center. After the walk, Dalian's 大排档 street BBQ scene is a natural next stop; see our article on Dalian street BBQ for what to order and the Chinese you need.

The distinctive red running/walking surface of the 健身步道, the fitness walkway. The colored surface marks the boardwalk throughout the route.