Dalian Modern Museum 大连现代博物馆

About Dalian Modern Museum

The exhibition follows coastal defence, the development of the port under Russian administration, Japanese colonial rule and the city's later transformation. Photographs, objects and maps make this a useful orientation before looking at Dalian's surviving streets and façades. Its location near Xinghai Square also allows a natural comparison between historical urban development and the modern waterfront.

The museum was a key project of the Dalian city government built between 1999 and 2000, with construction starting on 10 November 1999 and the museum opening to the public on 22 March 2002. It was designed by the Dalian Architectural Design Institute (大连建筑设计院) and has a site area of 21,600 square meters, a building area of 30,400 square meters and an exhibition area of 15,000 square meters, with four floors above ground and one below.

At its opening the permanent exhibition was arranged around four themes: City Appearance (城市风貌), Soaring Economy (腾飞的经济), Romantic Capital (浪漫之都) and Century in Retrospect (世纪回眸). The city government decided to redesign the displays in 2007, and after six years of preparation a new permanent exhibition, Modern Dalian (近代大连), opened on 28 April 2013, covering more than 3,000 square meters and organized into seven units on the city's history from 1840 to 1949, with over 1,300 artifacts and more than 800 historical photographs and charts on display. In 2017 the museum was rated a National First-Level Museum (国家一级博物馆) by the China Museums Association (中国博物馆协会).

What to look for

• The Modern Dalian exhibition's port-building and coastal-defence themes.
• The photographs and objects interpreting Russian and Japanese administration and the city's cultural exchanges.

The surrounding area

Southern coastal city base with a specific waterfront focus around Xinghai Bay, Xinghai Square and selected Binhai Road walking sections. The Changshan Islands require an additional island travel plan.

Location & getting there

Getting to Dalian Modern Museum

Go to 10 Huizhan Road on the northwestern side of the Xinghai Square area. Use the museum name and street address, as older references retain 'Modern Museum'.