Shenyang

Birthplace of the Qing dynasty: the Shenyang Imperial Palace, North Tomb and Zhongjie, plus Northeast bathhouse culture and chicken-rack barbecue. The cultural gateway to Northeast China.

Shenyang is the capital of Liaoning Province and one of the largest cities in Northeast China. Located in the middle of the Liao River plain on the north bank of the Hun River, it was “Shengjing,” the Qing capital before the dynasty entered the Shanhai Pass. The Shenyang Imperial Palace and the Zhaoling and Fuling tombs of the Qing are three World Heritage sites, known as “one palace, two tombs.” Together with the Zhang Family Mansion and the Sept. 18 History Museum, they trace a complete historical line from the early Qing through the Republic to the War of Resistance. The climate is temperate monsoon. Summer (Jun–Sep) averages around 24°C, comfortable and rarely hot. Winters are long and bitterly cold, often below −15°C from December to February, yet that is peak season for bathhouses, ice and snow, and Northeast New Year atmosphere. Spring and autumn are short; April–May and September–October have the most pleasant weather. The sights fall into four areas. First, the old city center in Shenhe District: the Shenyang Imperial Palace, Zhongjie, the Zhang Family Mansion and the Liu Laogen Grand Theater are all within a 10-minute walk of each other. Second, to the north, Beiling Park (Zhaoling) and the Liaoning Provincial Museum (new Hunnan building). Third, in Heping District, the Xita Korean Street and the Taiyuan Street shopping area. Fourth, in Dadong District, the Sept. 18 History Museum, plus Fuling (the East Tomb) in the eastern suburbs, and the Olympic Sports Center and Hun River night view in the Hunnan New District. Getting around: Shenyang Taoxian International Airport is about 25 km from downtown and is directly linked by Metro Line 2. Shenyang Station is in the city center, while Shenyang North Station is the main high-speed rail hub (about 4 hours to Beijing, about 2 hours to Dalian, about 2 hours to Harbin). Metro Lines 1, 2, 4, 9 and 10 reach the main sights, including the Imperial Palace (Zhongjie Station), Beiling, Xita and the Liaoning Provincial Museum, and taxis are cheap. We suggest 2–3 days: Day 1, the Shenyang Imperial Palace, Zhongjie and the Zhang Family Mansion, then an evening of er-ren-zhuan at the Liu Laogen Grand Theater or a visit to a bathhouse; Day 2, Beiling Park, the Liaoning Provincial Museum and Xita barbecue; Day 3, the Sept. 18 History Museum plus Fuling or Hunnan. Tips: Shenyang's bathhouses are an all-in-one experience (Qinghe Peninsula, Jinyulan and others; about ¥150–300 per person, with scrubbing, a buffet and overnight stays), and have become a tourist attraction in their own right. Must-eats are Laosiji hand-pulled noodles, chicken racks, Xita cold noodles, Ma's shaomai and Li Liangui smoked-meat pies. In winter it is extremely cold outdoors and very hot indoors, so clothes that are easy to put on and take off work best. The Imperial Palace and the Sept. 18 Museum require advance reservations.

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