Shenyang

No reviews yetCity Liaoning, China

Shenyangbei Railway Station, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

About Shenyang

Long before the Forbidden City belonged to the Qing, the Manchu rulers built their first palace in Shenyang, then known as Mukden. That compact, colorful palace and the imperial tombs of Nurhaci and Hong Taiji on the edge of town are the main reasons travelers come to the capital of Liaoning province, a city of around nine million people in China's northeast.

In the 20th century Shenyang was the power base of the warlord Zhang Zuolin and the place where the 1931 Mukden Incident opened Japan's occupation of Manchuria, a story told at Marshal Zhang's Mansion and the September 18 History Museum. After 1949 the Tiexi district grew into one of China's great centers of heavy industry, and its old factories now hold museums and creative spaces.

The food is hearty northeastern fare with a strong Korean accent, from stews and dumplings to barbecue on Xita Street. Summers are warm and green, winters long and freezing. Taoxian International Airport and high-speed trains to Beijing, Dalian and Harbin make the city an easy stop on a northeast route.

Best seasonMay-October; winters are long and very cold

Ideal stay2 days

ArrivingTaoxian International Airport; high-speed rail to Shenyang North

11 Ways to Experience Shenyang

History 4

Shenyang Imperial Palace

Begun in 1625 by Nurhaci and completed under his son Hong Taiji, this compact palace was the seat of the early Qing rulers before...

Fuling Tomb

On wooded hills east of the city, the Fuling Tomb is the burial place of Nurhaci, founder of the Later Jin state that became the Q...

Zhaoling Tomb

The largest of the three early Qing tombs around Shenyang holds Hong Taiji, the ruler who proclaimed the Qing dynasty in 1636. It...

Marshal Zhang's Mansion

The home of the warlord Zhang Zuolin and his son Zhang Xueliang, the Young Marshal, mixes a traditional Chinese courtyard house wi...

Museums 3

Liaoning Provincial Museum

Housed since 2015 in a large modern building in the Hunnan district, this museum is best known for its ancient Chinese paintings a...

September 18 History Museum

Close to the site of the 1931 railway explosion that Japan used as a pretext to occupy Manchuria, this museum tells the story of t...

China Industrial Museum

Shenyang's Tiexi district was once a powerhouse of heavy industry, and this museum, built around a former foundry, tells that stor...

Shopping 1

Shenyang Zhongjie Pedestrian Street

A short walk from the Imperial Palace, Zhongjie has been a trading street since the early Qing and is often called one of the olde...

Food and Drink 1

Xita Korean Street

Xita, named after the old western pagoda, is the heart of Shenyang's large Korean community, with streets of barbecue houses, cold...

Parks 1

Shenyang Botanical Garden

In the eastern suburbs near Qipanshan, this huge botanical garden hosted the 2006 World Horticultural Exposition and keeps themed...

Nature 1

Qipanshan Scenic Area

In the hills northeast of the city, Qipanshan combines a large reservoir lake, forested slopes and walking routes up Qipan Mountai...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Shenyang? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Share your photos

Been to Shenyang? Add your best shots to the gallery.

More places in Liaoning

Dalian

Liaoning, China

Anshan

Liaoning, China

Chengdu

Sichuan, China

Suzhou

Jiangsu, China

Jieyang

Guangdong, China

Jilin

Jilin, China

Chongqing

Chongqing, China

Xi’an

Shaanxi, China

See all places in China →

Photo credits

Photo: E2568, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Augusthaiho, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: E2568, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Savkovich Y, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Techyan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Tonyxy1992, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Suikotei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ecabal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: EddieZhang0128, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Wang65, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Techyan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 张元柏, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Gary Todd, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Techyan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Tonyxy1992, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: 沈阳刘继鲁, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Farm, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Krastek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Neal dong2012, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: TurnOnTheNight, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Yoshi Canopus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: George Wenn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Yoshi Canopus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Pauloleong2002, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Yumingshe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0