Overview
Dalian's metro is a modern rapid transit network in Liaoning Province, northeast China, mixing underground subway lines with surface and elevated suburban corridors. The first corridor opened on 1 May 2003, the modern subway era began in 2015 with Lines 1 and 2, and the newest line, Line 5, opened in March 2023 with a subsea tunnel under the bay. The system is run by Dalian Metro Group together with the Dalian Public Transport Construction and Investment Group.
Riding end to end is straightforward. Plan your route by line and station name, enter the station and buy a ticket or tap a smartcard at the gates, then follow signs to your platform and direction of travel. Announcements and signage are in Chinese with English transliterations at many stations, but station names on this page are given in English so you can match them to maps. Services generally run from roughly 05:30 to 23:15, though hours vary by line, so check the timetable for late trips. Fares are distance-based and start at 2 yuan. Keep your ticket or card with you until you exit, and note that some stations, such as Xinghai Square and Haizhiyun, sit a short walk from the actual sights.
The network
The metro currently operates six lines — Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 5, Line 12 and Line 13 — covering roughly 237 km and about 107 stations. Alongside the metro you will find historic trams, an extensive city bus network, and ferries from the port.
- Line 1 (green): a fully underground north–south axis of 28.3 km and 22 stations, running from Yaojia to Hekou. It serves Dalian North Railway Station, Xi'an Road (interchange with Line 2), the Convention and Exhibition Center, Xinghai Square, Heishijiao and Maritime University. Its southern terminus, Hekou, connects to Line 12.
- Line 2 (blue): a C-shaped line of about 38 km and 29 stations from Dalian North Railway Station to Haizhiyun. It serves Zhoushuizi International Airport directly at the "Airport" station, plus Xi'an Road, People's Square (Renmin Square), Qingniwaqiao (interchange with Line 5), Zhongshan Square, Gangwan Square and the Conference Center at Donggang.
- Line 3 (magenta), also known as the Jinzhou Eastern Line (金州东线, Jīnzhōu Dōngxiàn): Dalian's first metro line, opened in 2003. It runs from Dalian Railway Station to Golden Pebble Beach (Jinshitan Scenic Area), mostly elevated or at grade, with a branch from the Development Zone to Jiuli. It serves the Dalian Development Zone and Free Trade Zone and is the express link between the northern development area and downtown. Interchange with Line 5 at Houyan.
- Line 5 (red): a fully underground line of about 24.5 km and 18 stations from Houguan to Hutan Xinqu, crossing the bay through a subsea tunnel. It serves the central railway station area, Qingniwaqiao, Labor Park and Tiger Beach.
- Line 12 (purple), also known as the Tram Route 202 Extension Line: a 40.4 km, 8-station western corridor from Hekou to Lüshun New Port in Lüshunkou District. Service is less frequent, so check the timetable.
- Line 13 (yellow): Phase I runs from Jiuli to Pulandian Zhenxing Street, extending north to Jinzhou and Pulandian.
- Trams: Dalian has one of China's best-preserved historic tram networks, built in the early 1900s and still a key downtown mode. Three east–west routes run at about 20 km/h: Line 201 (Railway Station to Shahekou Railway Station via Wuyi Square), Line 202 (Xinggong Jie to North Hekou via Xinghai Exhibition Center and Heishijiao) and Line 203 (Railway Station to Si'ergou via Minzhu Square and Sanba Square).
- Buses: more than 150 city routes, with first buses between 04:30 and 06:30 and last buses between 20:00 and midnight. Numbers beginning with 6 are suburban commuter routes. Tourist bus 901 links most city attractions (except Jinshitan) for 2 yuan.
- Ferries: services run from the passenger ferry terminal (大连港客运站, Dàlián Gǎng Kèyùn Zhàn) on the eastern side of Zhongshan District to cities along the Yellow Sea, including a fast ferry to Yantai.
Tickets & fares
Metro fares are distance-based and start at 2 yuan; the lowest fare between two stations is 2 yuan. Longer trips cost more — for example, the full fare from Dalian Station to Golden Pebble Beach is 8 yuan, and from Dalian Station to Jiuli it is 7 yuan. Treat all prices here as approximate, as fares change.
- Single tickets: buy at station ticket machines or counters; stations use automatic fare collection, so you tap in and tap out.
- Pearl Card (明珠卡, Míngzhū Kǎ): a discounted, monthly smart card for public transport, also accepted by some taxis. It is the local tap-to-ride option.
- Buses: most have no conductor, so prepare exact change of 1–2 yuan; mini-buses cost 2 yuan.
- Tourist bus 901: 2 yuan per ride.
- Apps: the official Dalian Transport e-Travel app (大连交通e出行) is available for journey planning and ticketing.
No dedicated tourist pass is documented in the sources; the Pearl Card and single tickets are your main options.
From the airport
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (大连周水子国际机场, Dàlián Zhōushuǐzǐ Guójìjīchǎng, DLC) sits north-west of the city centre and has a single, simple terminal. The easiest public-transport option is metro Line 2, which serves the airport directly at the "Airport" station and connects to Zhongshan Square, the harbour and the central stations in roughly 20–35 minutes. A regular airport bus also departs after every flight lands, running to the main train station (it also stops at the smaller Shahekou station, so don't get off too soon) and to Renmin Lu. Note that the airport station serves the current Zhoushuizi airport, not the future Jinzhou Bay airport.
Etiquette & customs
- Queuing: queue at marked platform and bus-stop lines and let passengers off before boarding.
- Escalators: stand on the right and leave the left side for people walking, as is customary in Chinese cities.
- Priority seating: seats near the doors are reserved for the elderly, pregnant passengers and people with disabilities; give them up willingly.
- Eating and drinking: keep food and drink off the trains and platforms; it is not customary to eat on the metro.
- Rush hour: trains are busiest around 06:30–08:30 and 16:30–18:30. Move into the carriage, keep backpacks in front of you, and expect crowded buses and taxis at these times.
- Buses: have exact change ready, as most buses have no conductor, and remember that one-way streets mean your return route may not use the same street.
Official links
Survival terms
- 地铁 (dìtiě) — subway/metro
- 车票 (chēpiào) — ticket
- 线路 (xiànlù) — line
- 入口 (rùkǒu) — entrance
- 出口 (chūkǒu) — exit
- 换乘 (huànchéng) — transfer
- 单程票 (dānchéng piào) — single fare
- 日票 (rìpiào) — day pass
Before you set out, confirm which railway station your train uses — Dalian Railway Station and Dalian North Railway Station are several kilometres apart and not interchangeable.