The waters of Bangchuidao are incredibly clear and clean, arguably the cleanest in Dalian. I'd read reviews saying the waters at Jinshitan, farther from the city, were cleaner, so I took a taxi for over an hour to get there. The waters there were similar to those in Beidaihe and Nandaihe—all sandy and muddy. The Bangchuidao coastline is artificially maintained, with many pebbles, and the sand must have been buried underneath, so the waters are very clean. However, the area is small, and the sightseeing buses enter and exit through the south gate. My speedboat driver had previously told me that the north gate would lead to Haizhiyun. I did some research and found the walk to the north gate is nearly 2 kilometers. Then, to Haizhiyun, it's definitely for those with a good stamina.