Shenyang (), or
Mukden (
in
Manchu), is a
sub-provincial city and
capital of
Liaoning province in
Northeast China.
Along with its nearby cities, Shenyang is an important industrial center in China, and the transportation and commercial centre of China's northeastern region.
The city was also known as
Shengjing (盛京) or
Fengtian (奉天).
History
The city’s name,
Shenyang, literally meaning "the city to the north of Shen River", comes from the
Hun River on the city’s south side, which used to be called
Shen River. Archaeological findings show that human beings resided in present day Shenyang as early as 7,200 years ago. The City of Shenyang was first established by
Qin Kai, a general of
Yan in the
Warring States period about 300 B.C. It was named as Hou City (Chinese: 候城) at that time. It became known as Shen Prefecture (瀋州) in the
Jin Dynasty and Shenyang Path (Chinese: 瀋陽路) in the
Yuan Dynasty. During the
Ming Dynasty, it became Shenyang Zhongwei (Chinese: 瀋陽中衛).
In 1625, the
Manchu leader
Nurhaci moved his capital to Shenyang, or
Simiyan hoton as it is called in
Manchu. The official name was changed to
Shengjing (盛京) in
Chinese, or
Mukden in Manchu, in 1634. The name derives from the Manchu word,
mukdembi, meaning "to rise", and this is reflected by its Chinese name, which means "rising capital". Shenyang remained the capital of the
Qing Dynasty until the relocation of the capital to
Beijing in 1644 after the fall of
Ming dynasty. However, it retained considerable prestige as the older capital, treasures of the royal house were kept at its palaces, and the tombs of the early Qing rulers were once among the most famous monuments in China. In 1657,
Fengtian Prefecture (Chinese: 奉天府; Pinyin: Fèngtiān fǔ; Manchu:
Abkai imiyangga fu or
Fungtyian, "obeying heaven") was established in the Shenyang area, and Fengtian was sometimes used synonymously with Shenyang/Mukden. In 1914, the city changed back to its old name Shenyang. However, Shenyang continued to be known as Mukden in some English sources (sometimes spelled Moukden) through much of the 20th century.
With the building of the
South Manchurian Railway, Mukden became a
Russian stronghold. During the
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Mukden was the site of the
Battle of Mukden from on
19 February 1905 –
10 March 1905. It was the largest battle since the
battle of Leipzig in 1813. Following the
Japanese victory, the Japanese concession at Mukden was one of the chief bases for Japanese economic expansion into southern
Manchuria. It was also the seat of the Chinese
viceroy of the three Manchurian provinces. In the 1920s, Mukden was the capital of the warlord
Zhang Zuolin, who was killed when
his train was blown up near Mukden at a Japanese-guarded railway bridge.
In the early 1900s, Shenyang began expanding out of its old city walls. Shenyang Railway Station on the
South Manchurian Railway and the Shenyang North Railway Station (today's old north station) on the
Jingfeng railway became new commercial centers of Shenyang. Several factories was built by
Chang Tso-lin to manufacture
ammunition in northern and eastern suburb. These factories laid the foundation for Shenyang's industrial development.
The
Mukden Incident (
18 September 1931), which gave the Japanese the pretext to create the
Manchukuo state, took place near Shenyang. During the Manchukuo era (1932-1945) the city was called Fengtian in chinese again, and Mukden in english. During the Japanese occupation, Shenyang was developed into a heavy industry center.
Soviet forces occupied Shenyang in early August 1945 on the surrender of Japan. The Soviets were replaced by the
Nationalist Chinese, who were flown in on US transport planes. During the
Chinese Civil War, Shenyang remained a
Kuomintang stronghold from 1946–1948, although the Chinese
communists controlled the surrounding countryside. It was captured by the communists on
30 October 1948 following a series of offensives known as the
Liaoshen Campaign. Since 1949, Shenyang became one of the most important heavy industry centers of China.
Xinle Remains
Xinle Civilization
The remains of the
Xinle culture, a
Neolithic period society over 7,200 years old, are located in a museum in the north part of Huanggu District. It is complemented by a recreated village on site. A wood-sculptured bird unearthed there is the earliest cultural relic in Shenyang, as well as one of oldest wood sculptures found anywhere in the world.
Old City
Shenyang used to have two city walls. The inner city wall was built in
1625. Most of it was rebuilt on the old city wall of
Ming Dynasty, and the city wall gates were increased from four to eight. The outer city wall was built in
1680 to protect the urban area outside the inner city wall, which also had eight gates. The total length of the outer city wall is around 16 km. Nearly all of the city walls were demolished after
1949. Two gates and one corner tower of the inner city wall have been rebuilt during the 1990s.
Around 2.5 km outside Shenyang outer city wall, there were four
pagodas and four temples, namely, East Pagoda/Yongguang Temple, South Pagoda/Guangci Temple, West Pagoda/Yanshou Temple, and North Pagoda/Falun Temple. They were built in
1643. The four Pagodas are identical Buddha-
stupa as high as 26m. Only the North Pagoda and Temple is well preserved. As for the East and the South, only the Pagodas are left. The West Pagoda was rebuilt in
1998.
Both
Temple of Heaven and Temple of Earth also were to be found in the old city during the
Qing Dynasty, smaller replicas of Beijing's counterparts. Neither exists today.
Geography and climate
Western Shenyang is located on the
alluvial plain of
Liao River, while eastern Shenyang is part of
Changbai Mountains, covered with forests. The highest point in Shenyang is 414m and the lowest point only 7m. The main urban area is located to the north of
Hun River, a major tributary of the Liao River. The average elevation of the urban area is 29m. North canal and South canal flow to the north and south of the urban area respectively, which follows the historic course of Hun River.
Shenyang's climate is a monsoon-influenced
humid continental climate (
Koppen climate classification Dwa) characterized by hot, humid summers, due to the monsoon, and dry, cold winters, due to the Siberian
anticyclone. The four seasons in Shenyang are distinctive. The annual average temperature is 8.3°C with the lowest at -28.5°C and highest at 36.1°C. The rainfall is concentrated in July and August. The annual precipitation is around 700mm.
thumb|300px|Satellite image of ShenyangDistricts and zones
Map of Shenyang showing major districts and landmarks, as well as major roads
The sub-provincial city of Shenyang has direct jurisdiction over 10
districts (区
qu), 1
county-level cities (市
shi) and 3
Counties (县
xian):
Heping District (和平区/和平區 Hépíng Qū)
Zhongshan Square
Heping District is located in the center of Shenyang. It has an area of 21 km² and a population of 0.64 million. The downtown Heping district has all manner of businesses that are brightly lit by
neon at night.
At the center of the district, is the famous Zhongshan Square (Zhongshan Guangchang, 中山广场), featuring one of China's largest statues of
Chairman Mao. To this day, flowers are still placed around a large statue of
Chairman Mao during the holidays.
The district was built in the area in front of Shenyang Railway station, the hub of former South Manchurian Railway. The boulevards are lined of very large trees of Ginkgos, which become golden in color and produce their distinctive fruits in autumn.
Koreatown is located in the northern Heping District, as well as the West Pagoda.
Shenhe District (沈河区/瀋河區 Shěnhé Qū)
thumb|right|Brightly lit buildings along Qingnian Street in the southern portion of Shenhe DistrictMost of Shenhe District is within the old city wall. It has an area of 18 km² and a population of 0.61 million. Shenhe District is the site of the
Mukden Palace. It is also the site of
Zhang Zuolin's former home and headquarters, Shengjing Ancient Cultural Street, and Gloria Plaza, a high-end hotel. In the western Shenhe locates
Muslim town. South Pagoda is located in southern Shenhe. The major thoroughfare of Qingnian Street separates the southern portion of Shenhe District from the southern portion of Heping District.
Dadong District (大东区/大東區 Dàdōng Qū)
Dadong District is an industrial district. It has an area of 51 km² and a population of 0.64 million. It is the largest district of the urban Shenyang city area. It is also the home of the
9.18 Museum and the North and East Pagoda.
Huanggu District (皇姑区/皇姑區 Huánggū Qū)
Beiling park
Huanggu district has an area of 37 km² and a population of 0.75 million. It is the site of the large, historical tomb of
Huang Taiji (of the
Qing Dynasty), called
Beiling park ().
Huanggu district also hosts the Liaoning Mansion Hotel. It is also the place of the government of Liaoning provience
Huanggu's name comes from Huanggutun ("tun" means village), where the
Huanggutun Incident took place.
Tiexi District (鐵西新區/铁西新区 Tiěxī Xīn Qū)
Tiexi district is famous for its industry. This mixed-use district also contains large blocks of residential complexes, so as well as strips of small to medium-sized shopping. It has an area of 39 km² and a population of 0.81 million.
It recently featured in a documentary called
West of the Tracks (the literal meaning of Tiexi) by the young filmmaker Wang Bing showing the transition in this rust belt district.
Tiexi is also home to the Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Area, a state-level development zone. This new development area combined with Tiexi District has a population of 1 million people, a total area of 126 km², and enjoys the same administrative rank as municipality. (Administrative Committee of Shenyang)
Dongling District (東陵區/东陵区)
Dongling means the eastern tomb, referring to Qing Tombs dedicated to the first emperor of Qing Dynasty Nurhachi and his empress (a UNESCO site).
The district, located on the east and south of downtown, is rapidly becoming high end residential areas, as suburbs of Shenyang are growing steadily. Two corridors along two major highways, one leading to the eastern tomb and Fushun, the other leading to the international airport, see luxury apartments, fine neighborhoods and sleek commercial development quickly coming into shape.
Economy
Shenyang is an important industrial center in China. It has been focused on heavy industry, particularly aerospace, machine tools, heavy equipment, and defence, and recently, on software, automotive, and electronics. During the first five-year plan (1951-1956), many factories were built in Tiexi district. At its peak (1970s), Shenyang is one of the top three industrial centers in China (the other two are
Shanghai and
Tianjin). However, after the 1980s, the heavy industry has declined gradually and Shenyang has become a
rust belt city. The economy of the city has revived significantly in recent years, thanks to Chinese government's "
Revitalize Northeast China" campaign and the rapid development of software and auto manufacture industries.
Many major industrial companies have their headquarters in Shenyang.
Brilliance China Auto is a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, and most of its production plants are also located in Shenyang.
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation produces airplanes for civilian use as well as for the
PLAAF.
Neusoft Group is the biggest software company in China.
Shenyang Machine Tool Group is the largest
machine tool manufacturer in China.
Industrial zones
- Shenyang Economic & Technological Development Zone
- Shenyang High-tech Industrial Development Zone
Demographics
Shenyang has a population of 7.2 million and its urban population is 4 million. By urban population, it is the largest city in
northeastern China and among top ten
largest cities in China.
Shenyang has 38 of China's 56 recognised
ethnic groups, including the
Han Chinese majority that make up 91.26% of Shenyang's population. The 37 minority groups are
Manchu,
Korean,
Hui,
Xibe,
Mongolian,
Zhuang,
Miao,
Tujia,
Dong,
Daur,
Bai,
Uyghur,
Tibetan,
Yi,
Taiwanese Aboriginal People,
She,
Bouyei ,
Yao ,
Akha,
Kazakh,
Dai,
Li,
Shui,
Nakhi,
Jingpo,
Kyrgyz,
Tu,
Mulao,
Qiang,
Maonan,
Gelao,
Russian,
Evenks,
Tatars,
Oroqen,
Nanai,
Lhoba. Most of these groups are not native to the Shenyang area, but some, like the Manchus and the Xibe, are.
Not only is Shenyang a multiple ethinic city, it is also a place where many foreigners, especially from Japan and Korea live. Shenyang has numerous temples, mosques, churches and other religious sites.
Military
Shenyang holds the Headquarters of the
Shenyang Military Region and the Air Force of Shenyang Military Region. Shenyang is also famous for its defense industries.
Transportation
Shenyang is served by air, rail, and an extensive network of streets and expressways, with bus service throughout the city.
Inter-city transportation
Shenyang is the railway hub of
Northeast China. Eight railways connected Shenyang with
Beijing,
Dalian,
Changchun,
Harbin and
Fushun. The city is also served by the
Qinshen Passenger Railway, a high speed railway connecting Shenyang and
Qinhuangdao. The travel time between
Beijing and Shenyang is decreased to only around 4 hours by 200 km/h high-speed train in early 2007. In August 2007 construction works started on the
Harbin-
Dalian high speed passenger railway, which is expected to be completed in 2013, connecting Shenyang with other major cities in Northeast China,
Harbin,
Changchun, and
Dalian. Shenyang has two major railway stations: Shenyang North Railway Station and Shenyang Railway Station. The Shenyang North Railway Station was built in
1990, replacing the old north railway station, which was built in 1927 and still stands today. The north railway station is used mostly for express and high-speed train service. Shenyang Railway Station (also known locally as the "Shenyang South Railway Station", though the real "Shenyang South Railway Station" is at
Sujiatun) has a history more than 100 years, built by Russian in
1899 and expanded later by Japanese. Today, it is focused on regular service.
thumb|right|The Qingnian Street bridge over the [[Hun He leads to
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport and further points]]
Shenyang is connected by several major expressways. The
Jingshen 8 lane Expressway, to the city of
Beijing, some 658 kilometers away. The
Shen-Da Expressway connecting Shenyang and
Dalian is the first expressway ever built in China. It is the fastest highway (8-lane) linking one of the largest port city to Shenyang.
Shendan Expressway is a 4-lane expressway to
Benxi and
Dandong. It also serves
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport. There are other express ways to
Fushun,
Changchun, and
Xinmin. There are many long-distance and express bus routes to Beijing and other cities in the northeast.
The city is served by the
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport (沈阳桃仙国际机场, airport code
SHE). Direct flights from Shenyang go to
Beijing,
Shanghai,
Hong Kong,
Seoul,
Cheongju of Korea,
Tokyo and other cities. There are three other airports in Shenyang, none of them open to public: Dongta airport is the oldest airport in Shenyang, openned in 1920s and retired in 1980s. Beiling airport is used by
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation for test flights. Yuhong airport is for military use only.
Intra-city transportation
Within Shenyang itself, there are three ring roads: Middle Ring, 2nd Ring, and Outer Ring (
Shenyang Round City Expressway). The southern part of the 2nd Ring and the Outer Ring are express
beltways. The Outer ring is an 82 km expressway, the first express
beltway in China. A "big outer ring" is under construction, which is also an express beltway with a total length of around 400 km. Inside city, there is an east-to-west expressway through the city center, most of which is elevated.
In Shenyang, there are more than 160 bus routes. Shenyang used to have about 20
trolleybus routes, one of the biggest trolleybus networks in China. The entire network was demolished in 1999 after a series of electrocution accidents.
Shenyang has been planning subway system since 1940. In
November 18,
2005 the construction of the first
Shenyang Metro subway line finally started. The first (east-west) line is expected to be finished by 2010. Construction is made hard by the rocky ground on which Shenyang is built. The second (north-south) line started in
November 18,
2006.
Life and Culture
People native to Shenyang speak the
Shenyang Dialect, a variant of
Northeastern Mandarin. The Shenyang Dialect is very similar to the other Northeastern Dialects and it is also very close to the
Standard Mandarin dialect but has some very distinctive words that the standard Mandarin doesn't have. Some people prefer to think of it as a strong accent rather than a different dialect. Shenyang dialect is used heavily by several famous
skit actors such as
Zhao Benshan in their performance, and has become a
stereotype for northeast natives.
Art
Two northeast
folk dances,
Er Ren Zhuan and
Yang Ge, are very popular in Shenyang. Dawutai Theatre is famous for its
Er Ren Zhuan and Chinese skit performances by
Zhao Benshan and his students.
Shenyang is home of many performance art organizations, such as
Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe of China ,
Liao Ning Song and Dance Ensemble , and
Liaoning Ballet . Many artists are from Shenyang, such as
Na Ying, or
Lang LangMuseums
- Shenyang Steam Locomotive Museum, with 16 steam engines from America, Japan, Russia, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia and China.
- The 9.18 Incident Museum, a museum in memory of Mukden Incident. The museum has a shape of an opened calendar, and is located on the site where the Japanese troops destroyed the South Manchuria Railway, the prelude to the invasion of Manchuria.
- The Xinle Relic, located on the location where the Xinle civilisation was first discovered, containing a reconstructed Xinle settlement and housing artefacts discovered there.
Sports
Shenyang is famous for its football tradition. The local football team is the
Liaoning F.C., in the
Chinese Super League. Another
Chinese Super League team,
Shenyang Jinde moved to
Changsha in 2007.
Shenyang Olympic Sports Centre Stadium was a venue for the football preliminary of
2008 Summer Olympics.
Shenyang Sport University is a famous professional sports university in China. The university is the training base for winter sports in China and has many Olympic champions.
Religion
- Taiqing Palace, a Taoist temple established in 1663
Famous Restaurants
- Lao Bian Dumpling, a traditional dumpling restaurant established by Mr. Bian Fu in 1829
- Ma's Steamed Dumpling, a Hui Muslim restaurant established by the Ma family as early as 1767
Famous people from Shenyang
Tourism
Attractions
Shopping areas
Shopping and dining on Taiyuan Street
Shenyang has many shopping areas that provide people necessities, luxuries and entertainments. One of the shopping districts is Middle Street which is like the Fifth Avenue in New York City. Middle Street features many western-style stores and restaurants, including
Wal-mart,
Pizza Hut which is a fancy restaurant in Shenyang, Louis Vuitton flagship store, Häagen-Dazs retail store and etc. The largest shopping mall in Shenyang is also located on Middle Street, selling products from all around the world.
Taiyuan Street()is another shopping area which is similar to Middle Street. Taiyuan Street also features many restaurants and theaters for people to enjoy. Many spend their holidays shopping on these two streets.
There is also a very large underground shopping center, offering lots of items, especially fashion jewelries, accessories and clothing.
Another area, Wu'ai Market, (
Traditional Chinese: 五愛市場,
Simplified Chinese: 五爱市场), features a large multi-story shopping center with a size comparable to that of many city blocks. It contains hundreds, if not thousands, of mini or boutique stores that open very early in the morning and close in the early afternoon. It is famous for wholesaling cheap clothes and household stuff.
The
information technology center is in Sanhao street (), in the southern part of the city.
There are also many large superstores located throughout the city that sell everything from meat and dairy to clothes and electronics.
Education
Shenyang has many schools, both public and private.
High schools
- Northeast Yucai School,consisting of various departments. Nursing Garden,Elementary School, Junior High School, Senior High School etc.
Colleges and universities
Sister cities
The following cities participate in
Town twinning:
See also
