Sea Flavours Inside a Dumpling

Dalian’s coastal dumpling traditions become more specific when place names are kept attached. A government notice issued on 24 April 2026 lists Xiaopingdao haichang dumplings and fishing-family cuisine alongside Longwangtang’s handmade sea-urchin dumpling craft.

Haichang is an edible marine worm, not an animal intestine despite the literal meaning of its Chinese name. Its presence alongside sea urchin gives the familiar dumpling form two distinct coastal associations. The names identify separate traditions; they do not supply a shared recipe.

The notice names Sun Jie and Ding Zhaozhen for the Xiaopingdao project, and Yang Junwei for Longwangtang’s dumplings. The same list includes Longwangtang shrimp-paste making and Xiaopingdao’s fishing-family one-pot seafood, placing dumplings within a wider set of coastal food skills.

The district-level intangible-heritage list joins each practice to a place and to named makers. Xiaopingdao and Longwangtang share a coastal setting, while their different fillings give each dumpling tradition a local identity.