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Facts
Phone Code: 024
Postal Code: 110000
Area: 12,948 Sq km (4,999.2 Sq miles)
Population: 8,106,171 (in 2010)
Nationalities: Han, Manchu, Hui, Mongolian, Chaoxian, Xibe
Neighboring Areas: Jilin and Hebei Provinces; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Location: Located within the Bohai Economic Circle, Shenyang is in the center of Liaoning Province, the inland area of Liaodong peninsula and the southern part of northeast China, north of the Bohai Sea and southwest of the Changbai Mountains.
Physical Features: Mostly covered by plain, small hills in the southeast, Shenyang is situated between the Changbai Mountain and the Bohai Sea and on the alluvial plains of the Liaohe and Hunhe Rivers. Its terrain gradually tilts from the northern and eastern mountainous areas to the central, southern and western plain areas.
History: Since the Houcheng City was built by the Yan State of the Warring State Period, Shenyang has a history spanning over 2,600 years. The city regarded as the ‘birthplace of one dynasty and the imperial city for two emperors’ is the place where the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) was founded and developed. In 1625, Emperor Nurhaci established Later Jin in the city, changed the name into Shengjing, and made it the capital city. Eleven years later, Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji) changed the state title into 'Qing' and established the Qing Dynasty. After the army of the Qing Dynasty invaded Shanhaiguan, the capital was moved into Beijing, and Shengjing became the secondary capital. Following the victory over Japan in 1945, the city name was reversed and finally fixed as 'Shenyang'.
Attractions: Being the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, Shenyang has innumerable historical and cultural sites, with the ‘one palace and two tombs’ as the representative. Shenyang Imperial Palace built in 1625 is the second largest well-preserved palace architecture group existing in China, consisting of more than 300 rooms of around 20 courtyards. Fuling Tomb ((East Mausoleum) is the imperial tombs of Emperor Nurhaci, establisher of the Qing Dynasty and his empress. Zhaoling Tomb (North Mausoleum) is the mausoleum of Huang Taiji (Emperor Taizong) of the Qing Dynasty and his queen Bo'erjijite, combining both Manchu and Han architectural characteristics. Besides, there are Xinle Remains, Taiqing Palace, Ci’en Temple, Nanguan Christian Church and the Pagoda of Buddhist Ashes, 9.18 Museum, Museum of Zhang Xueliang Former Residence and Liaoning Provincial Museum. The city also boasts a colorful natural scenery such as the magnificent Qipanshan Mountain that is the home of the Shenyang International Ice & Snow Festival, fine-sculpted World Expo Garden, stunning West Lake and the state-level Shenyang Forest Wild Animal Zoo.
Transportation: As the largest transportation hub center in northeast China, Shenyang has a network of expressways radiating in all directions. It is also the only way from China to North Korea and Russia.
Air: Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, the largest aviation port in northeast China, has opened air routes to over 50 domestic cities and more than 30 foreign cities of the countries and regions in North-East Asia such as South Korea, Japan, Russia, Germany, Thailand, USA, France and Austria.
Train: With many railway trunk lines converging on the city, it has two major passenger transport railway stations which are Shenyang Railway Station and the North Railway Station. Most of the trains departing from Shenyang start from North Railway Station. Shenyang Railway Station is mainly for the trains within Liaoning Province and trains to the neighboring cities.
Bus: Shenyang is served by many roadways like National Highway 101, 102, 202 and 304, and Shenyang-Dalian, Beijing-Shenyang, Shenyang-Harbin, Shenyang-Fushun and Shenyang-Benxi expressways. All of them form a roadway network with 'one ring and five radiates'. The main bus stations in the city are Shenyang General Bus Station, South Bus Station, West Bus Station, Nanta Bus Station and Liaoning Express Bus Station. In the city, there are over 300 public bus routes. The buses running in the urban areas are mostly self-serviced with a ticket fare of CNY1, while those running to the suburban areas are charged by distance.
Subway: It’s scheduled to have a total of 11 subway lines in the city including a special tourism line to Qipanshan Mountain. Subway Line 1 has been put into use since 27 Sep., 2010, but the others are all under construction or scheduled for the future.
Taxi: Taxis are either Santana or Jieda, with a minimum fare of CNY8 for the first 3 km (1.9 miles). Exceeding 3 km but within 15 km (9.3 miles), CNY1.82 per km more will be charged; from the 15th km, the taxi fare is CNY2.7 per km.
Weather: Main festival activities in the city are the annual Shenyang Qing Culture Tourism Festival in September and Shenyang International Ice & Snow Festival in February, so the best time to visit the city is September to October and Mid-December to the end of February.
Dining and Shopping
Based on the Manchu Cuisine, Shenyang food borrows the fine techniques from the traditional palace dishes and includes the cream of most famous Chinese cuisines, forming its own unique style. Every dish has its own distinctive historical story. Famous dishes are Lan Hua Xiong Zhang (Broccoli with Bear Paw), Feng Tui Xian Bao (Sautéed Fresh Abalone with Chicken Legs) and Hong Mei Yu Du (Steamed Fish Maws with Deep Fried Prawn Cakes). As a place governed by the Han nationality and various minor nationalities in turn, it is also a galaxy of various snacks from all over the country such as Laobian Dumplings, Korean Cold Noodles, Hui-style Ma's Steamed Dumpling and Laoshan's Haicheng Pie.
Present Shenyang is a fashionable shopping metropolis, having row upon row of commercial streets lined with numerous shop premises and markets. The main shopping areas are gathered in Zhongjie Road and Taiyuan Street where one can find the Shenyang Department Store, Zhuozhan Shopping Center, Xiongnong Dajiating and many more time-honored stores. In addition to the Nanhu Park Antiques Market and the largest tourism market behind Shenyang Imperial Palace, there are also Xita Street Korean Flavor Street and Wu’ai Flea Market. Souvenirs of the city come in a great variety including curios, paintings, porcelains, woodcarvings, jade articles, dough sculptures, palace molds, ancient coins and exquisite Manchu princess dolls.
