You’ve probably heard a lot about cities in China like Beijing and Xi’an, but how about Shenyang? If your answer is no, keep reading to learn more about this incredible city and what to do there.
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Shenyang is the largest city in Northeast China and the capital of Liaoning Province, with a population of around 8 million in the city proper and roughly 10 million in the metropolitan area. As you can imagine, it is quite a big and important city, and yet it’s an underrated destination for travelers. Walking its streets, you can see how the imperial past, the heavy industry of the last century, and the fast-developing urban culture have blended, creating a unique city that has no rival.
Unlike more touristic cities, like Beijing with its great places to stay, or Xi’an, where the attractions have been polished and perfectly preserved, you can get a more authentic experience here, a more raw view of what China is. Put simply, Shenyang is not a city for tourists, and that’s the whole point of visiting it! You won’t find people trying to sell you souvenirs on every corner, but the ones you’ll find will be more unique and less costly.
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Shenyang, China, Fun Facts and Places to Visit
Shenyang means literally “in the yang side of Shen”, Shen being the ancient name of the Hun River. According to the Chinese naming tradition, the north bank of a river, just like a mountain’s south slope, is angled towards the sun, so it’s the “sunny” or “yang” side.
The Hun River Cruise in Shenyang
And what better way to start your trip to the city on the sunny side of the Hun River than with a River Cruise! You have the option to join a day cruise, the best for sightseeing the main landmarks as well as the skyline, or a night cruise, more romantic and magical. If you decide to visit the city, try to make it in spring, as it’s the best season to travel in China, especially in the Northeast. At that time of the year, the cherries are blooming, and the sights are incredible at any time of the day. As for the route, the best one at night is from Nanjing Bridge to Changqing, where you can admire all the lights of that side of the city, with its skyscrapers all lit up, and thousands of LED lights reflecting in the river.
Discover the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty
Before it was Shenyang, the area was called Mukden, and was more of a stronghold of the Jurchen tribes (later called the Manchus) than a city. This changed with the foundation of the Qing Dynasty, the last of the Chinese Dynasties and the one that unified the country until 1912, and then gave way to the Republic of China.
The first emperor of this dynasty, Hong Taiji, proclaimed the dynasty in Shenyang in 1636, where his father had already established their residence and capital a few years prior. Although the traditional date of its start is in 1644, when he seized power of the Ming capital in Beijing and all of North China. And still, it was in Shenyang where he built his mausoleum, to rest for eternity.
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Mukden Palace, The Shenyang Imperial Palace
The Mukden Palace might have been built to resemble the Forbidden City in Beijing, but it mixes the Manchu and Tibetan architecture styles. It was made by order of Nurhaci, the founder of the Later Jin dynasty and father of Hong Taiji, in 1625. It’s actually one of the few imperial palaces that you can find in China, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.
Places to see in Mukden Palace:
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Dazheng Hall: Also known as Hall of the Great Affairs, it was where all the major ceremonies were held. It’s flanked by the Ten Princes’ Pavilions, where the Eight Banners chieftains had their individual offices.
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Fengshuang Tower: It’s behind a different hall, and it was the largest structure in the whole city in its time. It was where the imperial concubines resided, and it offers visitors an insider look at how the royal family lived.
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Qingning Palace: This was the residence of the emperor and the empress, right in the Middle Section of the palace. It contains traditional Manchu architectural elements like the kang bed-stoves, used to keep the royalty warm in the long winter nights.
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Zhao Mausoleum in Beiling Park
The Zhao Mausoleum is the resting place of the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Taiji, and his empress, Xiaoduanwen. It’s a must-visit if you’re in Shenyang, and one of the most incredible mausoleums in all of China. Its architecture is a perfect reflection of the multiple influences that the city had at its start and that characterized the dynasty, blending Manchu, Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan styles.
To reach the mausoleum, you have to take the sacred way, protected by stone animals and mythical creatures like the xiezhi and the qilin, symbols of justice and peace, and white horses and camels. Passing the Dismount Monument, where visitors of lower rank had to dismount, you reach the Zhenghong Gate, and passing that, the complex. Inside, you’ll find the Long’en Hall, used for memorial ceremonies, and the Ming Tower and Treasure City, the structures that house an underground palace where the dead rest.
Soviet-Style Legacy and Industrial Powerhouse
During the last century, Shenyang was the industrial capital of China, with massive factories, arm production, and later on, even Soviet-style urban planning. It was so advanced and industrialized that it was called “the Detroit of China”, and some of those values have remained. As Chinese people value a lot real work and effort, and have a lot of pride in their nation and how it has built itself and reinvented its legacy.
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Shenyang Soviet Red Army Memorial Monument
It’s a bit hidden, in a small public park without too much pretense, but it’s a spot you should visit if you’re interested in the history of the area. The centerpiece, a spire topped with a bronze tank, it’s a reminder of the past of the city and a memorial to the Soviet military’s contribution to China’s liberation after World War II. Surrounding the monument, you can see the graves of the Soviet martyrs, all arranged in a solemn and orderly fashion.
In the rest of the park, you can admire other sculptures that depict scenes from the Soviet liberation of Manchuria, as a visual narrative of the historical events. And beyond the park, the buildings offer another reminder of the city’s historic ties with Russia, with many of them being highly influenced by the Soviet-era architecture.
9.18 Historical Museum
China and Japan have a complicated history, to say the least, with a long history of both conflict and collaboration, and this museum is a clear example. In the 9.18 Historical Museum, you can learn more about the Mukden Incident. It was a significant event for China, as it marked the beginning of Japan’s invasion of Northeast China and was a precursor of the broader conflicts of World War II in Asia.
Key exhibits in the museum:
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Mukden Incident Memorial Stele: This gigantic monument resembling an open calendar was made from granite, and it bears bullet motifs.
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Historical Artifacts: A great opportunity to see the weapons used at the time, both by the Chinese and the Japanese, and personal belongings of Chinese martyrs.
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Reconstructed Scenes: You can see multiple dioramas and multimedia representations that recreate key moments of the 14-year resistance period after the incident. It’s a great proof of the resilience of the Chinese people, as well as the struggles they faced at the time.
Modern Energy and Local Culture
Keeping a good record and reminders of the past does not mean being stuck in it, and Shenyang, like many parts of China, is a great example of that. The city doesn’t forget, but it moves forward and keeps up with the times. Some historians refer to it as a cultural palimpsest that keeps reinventing itself over and over.
The young scene in Shenyang is quite enticing, being a dynamic blend of creativity, resilience, and innovation. They embrace the city’s industrial heritage and transform it. There are lots of creative hubs and cultural spaces, with nightlife, underground music venues, and a rich tradition in performance arts. Even the online platforms are thriving, with many subcultures flourishing and prospering there.
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Tiexi District
Thanks to the community efforts, the Tiexi District has been transformed and revitalized, and what once was a cornerstone of China’s heavy industry is now a vibrant and creative hub that attracts people of all ages. It’s a great place to discover a bit more about the past of the city and celebrate its present and hope for the future.
Places to visit in the Tiexi District:
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Hongmei Cultural and Creative Park: It’s situated in a repurposed glutamate factory, as a testament to the industrial past of Shenyang, and its creative future. It’s full of art galleries, design studios, libraries, and a food street, for a complete and authentic experience of the city.
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Industrial Museum of China: A better way to learn more about the nation’s industrial development and see a vast collection of interesting artifacts and machinery.
Final Thoughts about Shenyang
After reading all that, you might have the question, is it worth visiting Shenyang over Beijing or Xi’an? And the answer is a rotund yes. All three cities are well worth a visit, but Shenyang has a more authentic feeling to it that you might be looking for if it’s not your first time in China. It has fewer tourists, so it’s less overwhelming and more natural, Also, people in the Northeast are just more warm and inviting, known for their sense of humor, so you have more opportunities to interact and see a different side of China.