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Brief description |
 Shenyang is the fifth largest city in China, located in the center of Liaoning Province, north of the Hun River, with the Bohai Sea to one side and the Changbai Mountains to the other. Its sister city Dalian is known to be a more lively and cosmopolitan city, but Shenyang is the economic center of the region and the hub for the area's transportation. The city is also a key manufacturing center for China, and has an emerging pharmaceutical industry.
Shenyang is easy to approach by air, rail and road and once visitors reach the city the grid-like layout is easy to navigate on foot, by bike or using the city's buses and taxis. In 2008, Shenyang will host football matches during the Beijing Olympic Games in the Shenyang Olympic Sport Center and expects a large upswing in visitors.
Shenyang has four unique celebrations spaced over the year: the Shenyang West Lake Lotus Festivalin summer is held when the city's lotus flowers come into bloom. Later in the year, in autumn, Shenyang has an International Qing Dynasty Cultural Festival, demonstrating Imperial customs & throwing temple fairs to mark the city's status as the first capital of the Qing Dynasty. The Shenyang International Folk Dance (Yangko) Festivaland the Shenyang International Ice and Snow Festivalare important times in Shenyang's year too.
During all of the city's festivals, visitors can sample the traditional food of the area. Delicacies such as Laobian Jiaozi, boiled dumplings, stuffed rice dumplings, smoked meat flatbreads and Haicheng Pie. Of course, those with a sweet tooth can find snacks to love in Shenyang too: Yang's Baked Cakes are golden, buttery rolls that are crispy on the outside and flaky inside. Restaurants around the city serve traditional Manchu foods, and if possible visitors should try a Manchu-Han Banquet. According to legend, the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-19 ]
Site of Capital: Beijing
China's last dynasty, established by the Manchus from the northwest. The three great Qing emperors were Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, who ruled successively from 1661 to 1796. Later imperial rule was weak, and China was shaken by internal and external conflict. The 1911 Revolution ended the feudal era forever. [ Dynasties] |
emperor, Kangxi ate a feast in the region, and after sampling one bite of each dish, wrote the four characters ''Man Han Quan Xi", after which the feast was named.
Natural attractions around Shenyang include the Qipan Shan International Scenic Tourist Development Zone which encompasses mountains, streams, luscious green trees and caves, hosting several exhibitions and competitions. Visitors should not miss Strange Hill, which is shaped in such an unusual way that objects appear to roll uphill! The city also has Youth Parkand Zhongshan, famous for its ''Garden within a Garden'': a replica of Suzhou Gardens.
The city has a number of alternative attractions, like the Shenyang Forest Safari Park, the World Horticulture Expo-Botanical Garden, and the newly opened aquarium, Shenyang Ocean Worldand the Shenyang Summer Palace Water World.
Shenyang Imperial Palaceis a miniature replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing, built by Nurhachi, the first Qing emperor, and architecturally influenced by Tibetan, Han and Manchurian styles. The Eastern Tomb was built to house the remains of Emperor Nurhachi, while the larger Northern Mausoleum Parkis the resting place of the Qing Dynasty ruler Huany Taiji and his wife. Both complexes are dotted with intricate carvings and are both attractive and culturally important places to visit. The city's two museums are the Shenyang ''9.18'' History Museumand the Liaoning Provincial Museum, between which the long history of the city can be explored. The ''9.18'' History Museum displays photos, art and videos from the Sino-Japanese War, which particularly affected this region as it was occupied by both Russian and Japanese troops. |
Location /Climate |
Shenyang sits on the Liaodong Peninsula in Liaoning Province in the alluvial plains of Liaohe and Hunhe rivers. The climate is determined by the north-temperate zone in which it sits, enjoying clear seasons, which see temperatures rise to over 30C (86F) in summer and plunge as low as -18C (-1F) in winter. Most visitors find the months between April and October to be the most pleasant for visiting the city.
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Area & Population |
 Shenyang, covers an area of 13,000 square kilometers, 7,400 square kilometers of which is urbanized. The population is around 7.4 million, 5.5 million of whom live in the urban section of the city. The majority of the population in Shenyang is Han, with significant Man, Korean, Hui, Xibo and Mongolian communities.
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History |
The area now known as Shenyang has been inhabited for over 7 thousand years, though a city was not formally established here until the Warring States period
Warring States Period (475-221 BC)
A period of the Zhou dynasty when seven powerful states struggled for supremacy. The first part of the period saw stability and reform. In the second part, the Qin finally annexed six of the states, ushering in the Qin dynasty, and unity in China for the first time. [ Dynasties ] |
, which makes it one of the oldest capitals in the region. It has been known by various names, having originally been called Shengjing (to rise) and Mukden but is now named after the Han river, which was previously known as Shen Shui.
The city is probably most famous for its place in Chinese history as the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-1911)
Site of Capital: Beijing
China's last dynasty, established by the Manchus from the northwest. The three great Qing emperors were Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, who ruled successively from 1661 to 1796. Later imperial rule was weak, and China was shaken by internal and external conflict. The 1911 Revolution ended the feudal era forever. [ Dynasties ] |
 : in 1625 when the dynasty was being founded, the son of Emperor Nurhaci declared Shenyang the new capital. It did not hold onto this title for long, losing out to Beijing less than twenty years later. It was still considered to be an important provincial town though, and was named a sub-capital. Nurhachi and his empress were buried in Shenyang, in the area now known as Eastern Tomb, and emperor Huan Taiji in the Northern Mausoleum .
In the 19th century, Russia occupied much of the region and Shenyang's industrialization can be traced back to this time when heavy industry boomed in the city. After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese established a concession there, and Shenyang became a base for Japanese expansion into Manchuria. On 18 September 1931, the Japanese contrived a military confrontation with Chinese troops near Shenyang (then widely known in the West by its old Manchu name of Mukden). The so-called ''Mukden Incident''was used as a pretext by Japan to attack China and set up the northeast of the country as a puppet state called Manchkuo. In 1945 the Japanese occupation ended: the memory of this time is still raw in the city, which has a Shenyang ''9.18'' History Museum to commemorate the events. |
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