Erlian's main commercial street terminates at Dinosaur Plaza, a public square dominated by a cluster of life-size dinosaur sculptures and a large decorative arch. It sounds kitsch, and it is — but the commitment to the town's paleontological identity gives Erlian a character that most Chinese border towns entirely lack. The dinosaur art extends throughout the street furniture, roundabouts, and public signage of the town centre. Walking from the bus station to the border crossing is essentially a dinosaur sculpture tour.
The "kissing dinosaurs" — two enormous Brachiosaurus arching over the main highway at the edge of town — are the most famous of these installations, and a useful landmark for orientation. The plaza itself is a pleasant enough place to sit in the evening, watch the border-trade traffic slow down, and eat skewers from the vendors who set up near the sculptures after dark.