Lushunkou & Baiyu Hill
旅顺口 白玉山
Baiyu Hill overlooks the Lüshun naval port and is crowned by the Baiyu Hill Tower. Nearby are the former Japanese-Russian Prison and East Cockscomb Hill Battery, historic sites of the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.
Lüshunkou District lies about 45 km southwest of central Dalian, at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, guarding the Bohai Strait. It was the base of the Beiyang Fleet in the late Qing dynasty, the main battlefield of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, and was later occupied by Japan for 40 years. It retains a dense concentration of modern military and colonial relics. Baiyu Hill rises 130 m above sea level in the heart of Lüshun. Its summit is topped by the Baiyu Hill Tower, originally a “Monument to Loyalty” built by the Japanese and standing 66 m tall, along with an observation deck. From here you can see the whole Lüshun naval port: the narrow harbor like a bottleneck, embraced by the Tiger’s Tail Peninsula. It is Lüshun’s most classic view. The hill also houses the Naval Weapons Museum. Admission is about 35 yuan, and you can walk up or take the cable car. Must-sees nearby include the Lüshun Japanese-Russian Prison Site (begun by Tsarist Russia in 1902 and expanded by Japan, once holding patriots including An Jung-geun, with cells, interrogation rooms and gallows preserved; free admission, closed on Mondays, and a key national cultural heritage site), the East Cockscomb Hill Russo-Japanese War Site (Russian fortresses and batteries), the Lüshun Museum (the former Kwantung Agency Museum, housing artifacts from the Otani Expedition to the Western Regions; free admission), the Lüshun Railway Station (a Russian-style wooden building from 1903), and the Taiyanggou historic district. A suggested one-day trip by hired car or self-drive: visit Baiyu Hill and the Lüshun Museum in the morning, and the Japanese-Russian Prison Site and East Cockscomb Hill in the afternoon. In April, add the Longwangtang Cherry Blossom Garden. Getting there: take the Lüshun express bus from Dalian Railway Station or Heishijiao for about 1 hour, take Metro Line 12 (Lüshun Line) from Hekou Station to Lüshun, or self-drive along Lüshun South Road for about 1 hour. Note: the naval port is still in use, and some areas are off-limits for photography or entry, so please follow posted signs. Lüshun’s sights are spread out, and transfers by public transport are inconvenient.
Opening hours
Baiyu Mountain approx. 07:30–17:30; Russo-Japanese Prison Site closed Mondays, open 09:00–16:00 on other days
Nearby sights
- Lushun Wanzhongmu Memorial
- Lüshun Railway Station
- Lüshun Japanese-Russian Prison Site
- Lushun Soviet Army Martyrs Cemetery
- Lüshun Museum
- Former Kwantung Army Headquarters
- Taiyanggou Historic District
- Dongjiguanshan North Fort