Shenyang City Travel Guide



(Zhaoling Tomb with fresh snow, 2004)
 
   
Shenyang (沈阳), the capital of Liaoning Province (辽宁), is the largest city in northeast China. It is located in the center of Liaoning, three hours west of North Korea by train, and about eight hours northeast of Beijing. Though far less tourist oriented than Beijing, Shenyang is home to some historical sites that are well worth a visit. 
    
Historically, Shenyang is probably the most important city in northeastern China. Known previously by several different names including “Shenjing”, “Fengtian”, and “Mukden”, the city was historically the capital of Manchuria. Thus, when the Manchus conquered China in 1625 and founded the Qing Dynasty, Shenyang became the capital of China. The capital status was short-lived however, as the Qing opted to move to Beijing in 1644. Thereafter, Shenyang was officially known as a “secondary capital” until the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Although Shenyang was only the capital of China for 19 years, it was long enough for the Qing build the marvelous Imperial Palace as a monument to their conquest. Also, throughout the 300-year reign of the Qing Dynasty, the emperors made periodic tours through Manchuria to visit their homeland, and pay homage to their ancestors. During this time they built or added to many buildings around Shenyang, including Zhaoling Tomb, Fuling Tomb, and Huang Temple

 
 

 
    
After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), the Qing Dynasty was collapsing and the Japanese occupied Manchuria. In 1931, Shenyang was once again a critical city in an invasion of China, only this time the invaders were Japanese, not Manchu.  On September 18, the Japanese executed a surprise attack on Shenyang, beginning the 14-year invasion and occupation of China. Shenyang’s “9-18 Museum” is built on the exact site where the invasion began. 
  
When the Communists came to power in 1949, Shenyang became a major industrial center for northern China, churning out steel, trucks, and other equipment; and the city grew to become the massive city we can see today.
 
Nowadays Shenyang is undergoing a transformation from a jumble of factories and gray, block apartment buildings to a modern, commercial city. The 2006 World Horticultural Exhibition was held at Shenyang’s Botanical Gardens, which gave the city strong incentive to clean up. An army of workers took to the streets before the Expo, cleaning up sidewalks and streets, and planting thousands of flowers and trees around the city. The city is becoming noticeably cleaner and more beautiful all the time, and construction recently began on Shenyang’s subway system. 
 
  
Olympics!!
 

                          
In August 2008, China will play host to its first ever Olympic Games. In 2007 Shenyang completed construction on its new Olympic Stadium, which will hold several Olympic soccer matches.  click here for the official Olympic site

                                          

 

                                                                 click on photo for more stadium info

 
Fast Facts

Size, area:
Shenyang metro area: 13,000 sq. km =     5,019 sq. miles =   3,212,369 acres
City Proper:                       3,495 sq. km =     1,349 sq. miles =      863,633 acres 
 
Population:
Shenyang metro area: 7.4 million
City Proper:                    4.8 million
 

    

  

Weather:

Winter:    
Generally cold with accumulated snow.  Rivers dry up and lakes freeze over.  On March 4-5, 2007, northeastern China was struck with its largest snowstorm in over 50 years.  Strong winds caused snow drifts up to two meters high in some places.  It took nearly two weeks for all the streets to be cleared .  
         
(click pictures for more, larger photos)
    
Spring:     
Mild temperatures but strong winds.  Winds from the northwest bring periodic sandstorms to most of northern China.
 
Summer:  
Hot and humid.  The humidity combined with air pollution and sandstorms often results in a brown haze over the city, though air pollution inside the city has been reduced in recent years.
   
Autumn:  
Cool breezes and blue skies almost every day.  The best time of the year in Shenyang.
 
Average (mean) high/low temperatures (degrees Celsius):
January: -5/-16
February: -2/-13
March: -4/-6
April: 16/4
May: 23/1      
June: 29/20
July: 29/20
August: 28/19
September: 23/11
October: 16/4
November: 6/-4
December: -2/-13
 
  
Telephone Code: International: 86-24...
                                Domestic        024...
 
 

Liaoning Grand Theater

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
辽宁大剧场 liáoníng dà jùchǎng
Last updated: Apr 04, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Address: 
Shifu Guangchang, Government Square
Price: 
40/60/80/120/150/180/360 Yuan

Location: The theater is on the east side of Government Square.  It’s a big white building connected to the Liaoning Provincial Museum.  You can’t miss it. 


   

 

Lao Bian Dumplings

Shenyang, Chinese Food, Restaurants
老边饺子馆 lǎobiān jiǎozi guǎn
Last updated: Jun 12, 2009  Posted: Mar 20, 2007
Chinese Food in Shenyang
Restaurants in Shenyang
The Lao Bian dumpling restaurant in Shenyang is very famous, as it is the original location of the now nationwide chain.  Lao Bian is one of the oldest restaurants in Shenyang, and nearly all visitors are sure to make a stop here.  
 

 
Tags: dumplings, Food


 

Pakwaan Indian restaurant

Shenyang, Foreign Food, Restaurants
芭港湾印度文化餐厅
Last updated: Feb 27, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Foreign Food in Shenyang
Restaurants in Shenyang
Hours: 
10:30am-10pm
Address: 
No.39 ,Nan Sanjingjie ,Shenhe District

100% indian Food
Tandoori ;
chicken butter masala ;
chicken tikka dry ,
chicken tikka masala ,
raita ,
mixed veg. curry ;
alu gobi masala
fish tikka dry
lassi
veg. soup
chicken soup
papadum
mutton rongon josh
Naan_butter naan ,garlic naan ....
etc.....



Tags: Indian food


 

September 18th History Museum

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
九一八历史博物馆 jiǔ yī bā lìshǐ bówù guǎn
Last updated: Aug 20, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
Open Tuesday - Sunday from 9am-4:30pm
Address: 
Wang Hua Nan Jie
Price: 
Free

     

 

Beiling Park and Zhaoling Tomb

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
北陵公园, 昭陵 běi líng gōng yuán, zhāo líng
Last updated: Aug 18, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
8am-5pm
Address: 
Enter at the intersection of Beiling da jie and Taishan lu.
Price: 
6 yuan to enter the park, another 30 yuan for the tomb
 

     
Tags: Historical, Tombs


 

Imperial Palace

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
故宫 gù gōng
Last updated: Aug 29, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
Open daily from 8:30am—5:30 pm. Ticket sales stop at 4:00 pm.
Address: 
Just south of Middle Street on Shenyang Lu
Price: 
50 Yuan/ticket
(Photos by Jason Brennan and Vivian Chow,2006)
     

     

 

Benxi Water Caves and Guanmen Mountain

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
本溪水洞 Běnxī shuǐ dòng
Last updated: Apr 04, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
8am-5pm
Address: 
63 KM southeast of Shenyang
Price: 
70 Yuan/ticket

Benxi is and industrial city located about 63 km to the southeast of Shenyang. In Northeastern China, the city is famous for its steel industry. Indeed, you can see the enormous, hideous factory just across the river from the city itself. If the wind is blowing the wrong way, the factory (and the dozens of other factories surrounding the city) bel




 

Tai Qing Gong

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
太清宫 tài qīng gōng
Last updated: Apr 04, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
8:30am--4pm
Address: 
Intersection of BeiShunChengLu & XiShunChengJie
Price: 
2 Yuan/ticket
Tai Qing Gong is a Taoist temple originally built by the Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi in 1663.

     

 

North Market--Huang Temple

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
北市场,皇寺庙,实胜寺庙
Last updated: Aug 18, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
8am-9pm
Address: 
Huang Si Lu, Bei ShiChang
Price: 
15 Yuan/ticket
The North Market is comprised of two perpendicular pedestrian-only streets.

     
Tags: Historical, Qing Dynasty


 

Horticulture Exposition/Botanical Gardens

Shenyang, Tourist Attractions
世博园
Last updated: Aug 18, 2009  Posted: Feb 05, 2009
Tourist Attractions in Shenyang
Hours: 
9am-5pm, Tickets stop being sold at 4 pm
Address: 
No. 301 Shuangyuan Lu
Price: 
50 Yuan/ticket
 
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