One of the busiest beaches in the world is less than a kilometre long with peak crowds of 30,000 a day in the high season.
Dalian Beach is located in northeast China’s Liaoning province, with the 500 metre stretch of sand struggling with overcrowding come the summer months.
During the peak season from May to August, visitors may struggle to even see the sand at Dalian, let alone find a spot to pitch up with their towel and umbrella.
One of the reasons for its incredible popularity is its transport links with the nearby towns: it offers a convenient respite from the scorching 40C temperatures.
Visitors are often crammed elbow-to-elbow in the heat, with the local news claiming the beach received more than 30,000 visitors during the weekend due to hot weather.
A spokesperson from the Xinghaiwan resort said since the beginning of summer earlier this year, they had been receiving up to 60,000 visitors a day during weekends – in comparison with 20,000 people on a normal day.
While the beach is not a holiday hotspot for European tourists, pictures from the summer months show its incredible popularity with Chinese locals.
In the summer, photos reveal a sea of brightly coloured umbrellas set against the actual sea which is packed with people trying to cool down on inflatable lilos and rings.
The immense number of visitors can present a challenge for cleaners as up to 20 tonnes of rubbish is generated by beachgoers every day.
People who have visited Dalian Beach wrote on Tripadvsor about just how small the beach is.
“The beach is really really small. I was there early morning in early May so there weren’t too many people, but I can imagine that it is super packed later in the day and summer. Easy to get to via bus,” said one person.
Another described it as “more Brighton beach than Miami”.
“The water itself seemed on sighting in reasonably good nick and the sand was packed with row after row of beach shelters. The park area abutting the beach has some interesting sculptures and a giant seashell you can pose in front of. Two kiosks (one bearing the tag “No tea no fun”) sold all the beach wear, sand buckets and shovels and inflatable plastic toys any keen Chinese surf-adventurer could require.”
