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Sub-provincial city
From top: Shenyang Skyline, Liaoning Grand Theatre, Zhao Mausoleum, Shenyang CBD, Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Wulihe (五里河)
Shenyang is located in Liaoning
Location of the city centre in Liaoning
Country People's Republic of China
Province Liaoning
 • Party Secretary Zeng Wei (曾维)
 • Mayor Li Yingjie (李英杰)
 • Sub-provincial city 12,942 km2 (4,997 sq mi)
 • Urban 3,464 km2 (1,337 sq mi)
Elevation 55 m (180 ft)
Population (2010 census)
 • Sub-provincial city 8,106,171
 • Density 630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
 • Urban 6,255,921
 • Urban density 1,800/km2 (4,700/sq mi)
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code 110000
Area code(s) 24
License plate prefixes A
GDP (2010) CNY 501.5 billion[1]
 - per capita CNY 79,106[1]
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese 沈阳
Traditional Chinese 瀋陽
Hanyu Pinyin Shěnyáng
Postal Map Moukden
Chinese 盛京
Hanyu Pinyin Shèngjīng
Literal meaning Grand Capital
Fengtian Prefecture
Chinese 奉天府
Hanyu Pinyin Fèngtiān Fǔ
Literal meaning Obeying Heaven
Manchu name
Manchu script ᠮᡠᡴ᠋ᡩᡝ᠋ᠨ
Romanization Mukden

Shenyang, formerly Mukden, is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province, as well as the largest city in Northeast China by urban population.[2] According to the 2010 census, the city's urban area has 6,255,921 inhabitants, while the total population of the Shenyang municipality is up to 8,106,171.[3] Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtian Prefecture. In the 17th century, Shenyang was conquered by the Manchu people and briefly used as the capital of the Qing Dynasty.

Along with its nearby cities, Shenyang is an important industrial centre in China, and serves as the transportation and commercial hub of China's northeast—particularly with Japan, Russia, and Korea. A titan of heavy industry since the 1930s, and the spearhead of the Chinese central government's Northeast Area Revitalization Plan, the city has been diversifying its industry and now has a solid industrial foundation, a good land and air transport network, abundant natural resources, and a skilled workforce.—



Ancient era[edit]


Xinle Civilization

Archaeological findings show that humans resided in present-day Shenyang as early as 8,000 years ago. 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. The City of Shenyang was first established by Qin Kai, a general of Yan in the Warring States period about 300 BCE. It was at that time named Hou City (Chinese: 候城; pinyin: Hou Chéng). It became known as the Shen Prefecture (simplified Chinese: 渖州; traditional Chinese: 瀋州; pinyin: Shěn Zhōu) in the Jin Dynasty and Shenyang Circuit (simplified Chinese: 渖阳路; traditional Chinese: 瀋陽路; pinyin: Shěnyáng Lù) in the Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, it became Shenyang Zhongwei (simplified Chinese: 渖阳中卫; traditional Chinese: 瀋陽中衛; pinyin: Shěnyáng Zhōngwèi).

Capital of Manchus[edit]



During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Mukden was the site of the Battle of Mukden from 19 February 1905 to 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.

Warlord Era and Japanese invasion[edit]


With the building of the South Manchurian Railway, Mukden became a Russian stronghold, which occupied it after the Boxer Rebellion.[4][5]

In the early 20th century, 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. In the 1920s, Mukden was the capital of the warlord Zhang Zuolin, who was killed when his train was blown up on 4 June 1928.[6] near Mukden at a Japanese-guarded railway bridge. Several factories were built by Chang Tso-lin to manufacture ammunition in the northern and eastern suburbs. These factories laid the foundation for Shenyang's industrial development.

Japanese troops entering Shenyang during Mukden Incident

The Mukden Incident in 1931, which gave the Japanese the pretext to create the Manchukuo state, took place near Shenyang.[7] On September 18, 1931, a small quantity of dynamite was detonated by Lt. Kawamoto Suemori[8] close to a railway line owned by Japan's South Manchuria Railway near Mukden. The Imperial Japanese Army, accusing Chinese dissidents of the act, responded with a full invasion that led to the occupation of Manchuria. On the morning of the following day (September 19), the Japanese had occupied Mukden.[9] 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 center of heavy industry. Japan was able to exploit resources in Manchuria using the extensive network of railroads. For example, vast expanses of Manchurian forest were chopped down.[10]

Post World War II[edit]

Soviet forces entered Manchuria in early August 1945 following the surrender of Japan. On 16 August 1945, Manchurian Emperor Puyi was captured in Shenyang Airport by the Soviet Red Army while he was in an airplane fleeing to Japan.[11] On 20 August, Soviet troops captured Shenyang. British and US reports indicate that the Soviet troops that occupied Northeast China and Eastern Inner Mongolia region looted and terrorized the people of Shenyang, and were not discouraged by Soviet authorities from "three days of rape and pillage".[12][13][14][15][16][17] The Soviets were replaced by the Nationalist Chinese, who were flown in on U.S. transport planes. During the Chinese Civil War, Shenyang remained a Kuomintang stronghold from 1946 to 1948, although the Chinese communists controlled the surrounding countryside. It was captured by the communists on October 30, 1948 following a series of offensives known as the Liaoshen Campaign.


Old City[edit]

Shenyang used to have two city walls.[19] The inner city wall was built in 1625. Most of it was rebuilt on the old city wall of the 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 (9.9 mi). Nearly all of the city walls were demolished after 1949. Two gates and one corner tower of the inner city wall were rebuilt during the 1990s.


Both the Temple of Heaven and Temple of Earth were also to be found in the old city during the Qing Dynasty. They were smaller replicas of Beijing's counterparts. Neither exists today.

Geography and climate[edit]

Satellite image of Shenyang-Fushun urban agglomeration
Climate chart (explanation)
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: CMA[20]

Shenyang ranges in latitude from 41° 11' to 43° 02' N and in longitude from 122° 25' to 123° 48' E, and is located in the central part of Liaoning Province. The western parts of the city's administrative area are located on the alluvial plain of the Liao River, while the eastern part consists of the hinterlands of the Changbai Mountains, and is covered with forests. The highest point in Shenyang is 414 metres (1,358 ft) and the lowest point only 7 metres (23 ft). 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 29 metres (95 ft). 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 has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa) characterised by hot, humid summers, due to the monsoon, and dry, cold winters, due to the Siberian anticyclone. The four seasons here are distinctive. Nearly half of the annual rainfall occurs in July and August. Monthly mean temperatures range from −11.0 °C (12.2 °F) in January to 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) in July, for an annual average of 8.39 °C (47.1 °F). The frost-free period is 183 days, which is long considering the severity of the winters.[21] The city receives 2,468 hours of bright sunshine annually; monthly percent of possible ranges from 45% in July to 62% in October. Extreme temperatures range from −33.1 °C (−28 °F) to 39.3 °C (103 °F).[22]

Districts and zones[edit]



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):

Map # Name Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Population
Area (km2) Density (/km2)
Shenyang mcp.png
City proper
1 Shenhe District 沈河区 Shěnhé Qū 849,267 18 47,181
2 Heping District 和平区 Hépíng Qū 700,992 21 33,380
3 Dadong District 大东区 Dàdōng Qū 782,867 51 15,350
4 Huanggu District 皇姑区 Huánggū Qū 925,176 37 25,004
5 Tiexi District 铁西区 Tiěxī Qū 1,017,564 39 26,091
6 Sujiatun District 苏家屯区 Sūjiātún Qū 474,779 776 611
7 Dongling District 东陵区 Dōnglíng Qū 411,110 896 459
9 Yuhong District 于洪区 Yúhóng Qū 670,843 774 867
Satellite cities
10 Xinmin 新民市 Xīnmín Shì 657,763 3,315 198
11 Liaozhong County 辽中县 Liáozhōng Xiàn 476,081 1,670 285
12 Kangping County 康平县 Kāngpíng Xiàn 316,819 2,173 146
13 Faku County 法库县 Fǎkù Xiàn 399,587 2,320 172

Shenhe District[edit]

Brightly lit buildings along Youth Street in the southern portion of Shenhe District

Shenhe District is the central area of Shenyang. There is the "central temple" near the Middle Street (中街), one of the most famous shopping streets in China, built during the Ming Dynasty shows the center of ancient Shenyang. Most of Shenhe District is within the old city wall. It is 18 km2 (4,448 acres) and a population of 610,000 thousand. 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. In the western Shenhe locates Muslim town. South Pagoda (南塔) is located in southern Shenhe District. There are a lot of high-end hotels located in Shenhe—such as Sheraton, Kempinsky, Lexington, Marriott (which is the first Marriott Hotel directly named "Marriott" in mainland China; due to finance conflicts, this hotel is not administrated by the Marriott group). The major thoroughfare of Youth Street (青年大街) separates the southern portion of Shenhe District from the neighboring southern portion of Heping District.


Heping District[edit]

Chairman Mao statue at Zhongshan Square


The district, better known as downtown, sprung up around Shenyang Railway Station (known locally as the South Station), former hub of the South Manchurian Railway. At the center of the district, is the famous Zhongshan Square (中山广场), featuring one of China's largest statues of Chairman Mao — a record of the era of Cultural Revolution. Northwest of Zhongshan Square lies the West Pagoda Korean Neighborhood or Koreatown. Many of the boulevards in this area are lined of very large trees of ginkgos, which become golden in color and produce their distinctive fruits in autumn.

Dadong District[edit]

Dadong District is an industrial district. It has an area of 51 km2 (12,602 acres) and a population of 640,000 thousand. It is the largest district of the urban Shenyang city area. It is also the home of the 9.18 Historical Museum, the North and East Pagoda.

Huanggu District[edit]

Beiling park



Tiexi District[edit]




Hunnan New District[edit]


Dongling District[edit]

Dongling District, meaning the Eastern Mausoleum, referring to the UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed Qing Dynasty tombs dedicated to Nurhachi, the founder of Later Jin (the former name of Qing Dynasty) and his empress.



West Pagoda — Shenyang's Koreatown


An ethnically and culturally diverse city, Shenyang has 38 of China's 56 recognized ethnic groups, including the Han Chinese majority that make up 91.26% of Shenyang's population. The 37 minority groups are Manchu, Korean, Hui, Xibo, 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 and Lhoba.[25] Most of these groups are not native to the Shenyang area; a few, like the Manchus and the Xibe, are.

Not only is Shenyang a multi-ethnic city, it is also a place where many foreigners live, especially from Japan and Korea. Shenyang also has many French and Germans because BMW and Michelin Tires have large operations in the city. The city is growing quite fast and many foreigners are coming to Shenyang, and with the growing expat population, many new restaurants and businesses that cater to foreigners are opening around the city. The American expat group is growing as well, in part due to the high demand of private English schools opening in Shenyang, most notably, Best Learning in Shenyang, as well as other small kindergartens and private schools. Shenyang has numerous temples, mosques, churches and other religious places of worship.


Entrance to Zhong Jie, a shopping street in central Shenyang.

Shenyang is an important industrial center in China and is the core city of Shenyang Economic Zone, a New Special Reform Zone. It has been focused on heavy industry, particularly aerospace, machine tools, heavy equipment and defence, and recently on software, automotive and electronics.[citation needed] The heavy industry started in the 1920s and was well developed before the second world war. During the first five-year plan (1951–1956) many factories were built in Tiexi district. At its peak in the 1970s, Shenyang was one of the top three industrial centres in China, alongside Shanghai and Tianjin. After the 1980s, the heavy industry had declined gradually and the city became a rust-belt city. However, the economy of the city has revived significantly in recent years, thanks to the central government's "Revitalize Northeast China" campaign and the rapid development of software and auto manufacture industries.[citation needed]Investment subsidies are granted to multinational corporations (MNCs) that set up offices or headquarters in Shenyang.[23]



Major companies[edit]

Numerous major industrial companies have their headquarters in Shenyang. Brilliance 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. Tyco International, General Motors, and Michelin Shenyang Tire Corporation, are expanding their operations in Shenyang due to a deep pool of skilled technical labor; good transportation; low land-use fees; and solid local support.

GDP and economic data[edit]


Initiatives and special zones[edit]

Shenyang Finance and Trade Development Zone[edit]


Shenyang Economic & Technological Development Zone[edit]

Shenyang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone[edit]



As the transport hub of Northeast China, Shenyang is served by air, rail, a two-line subway system and an extensive network of streets and expressways, with bus service throughout the city. A new tram network was also recently built in the city's south.


Shenyang North Railway Station



Shenyang North Railway Station was formerly the "Liaoning Main Station" (simplified Chinese: 辽宁总站; traditional Chinese: 遼寧總站; pinyin: Liáoníng zǒngzhàn) before 1946 and colloquially known as the "Old North Station" (Chinese: 老北站; pinyin: Lǎo běi zhàn). The original building was built in 1927. The current Main Station Building (Chinese: 主站房; pinyin: hǔ zhàn fáng) began construction in 1986, was commissioned for operation in December 1990, and became one of the five most important railway hubs in China, earning itself the nickname "Northeast's No. 1 Station" (Chinese: 东北第一站; pinyin: Dōngběi dì yí zhàn). In 2011, a huge expansion project known as the "North Station Transport Hub Reconstruction Project" (Chinese: 北站交通枢纽改造工程; pinyin: Běi zhàn jiāotōng shūniǔ gǎizào gōngchéng) was initiated in response to the growing demand of floor area posed by the increasing passenger traffic after introduction of the high-speed rail service. The station now has an additional 3-storey "Sub-Station Building" (Chinese: 子站房; pinyin: Zi zhàn fáng) and a "Northern Square" (Chinese: 北广场; pinyin: Běi guǎngchǎng) on the north (Huanggu District) side of the railways, while the old waiting lounge in the original 16-storey Main Station Building is now relocated to a large elevated concourse that bridges over the rail tracks, with a pillar-less roof (the largest in mainland China) doming the platforms. The South Square (Chinese: 南广场; pinyin: Nán guǎngchǎng) outside the Main Station Building was rebuilt into a multi-levelled complex, with two above ground forming an elevated airport-style drop-off zone and a large ground-level area for bus stops, as well as a three-level underground city providing shopping malls,carparks, taxi pick-up and interchange with Subway Line 2, while also capable of rapid conversion into an air raid shelter if needed.










Public transport[edit]

Shenyang Metro Zhongjie Station

In Shenyang, there are more than 160 bus routes.[31] Shenyang used to have about 20 trolley bus routes, one of the biggest trolley bus networks in China. The entire network was demolished in 1999 after a serious electrocution accident that killed 5 passengers in August 12, 1998, and was replaced by diesel-powered buses.


Shenyang has been planning an underground rapid transit system since 1940, but was unable to materialize the idea due to the city's geology and engineering limitations. On November 18, 2005, the construction of the first Shenyang Metro line finally started[32] and the construction of the second line started on November 18, 2006. The first (East-West) line was opened September 27, 2010 and the second (north-south) was opened on January 9, 2012. Construction is difficult due to the granite-rich bedrock on which the city is built.

Health care systems[edit]

Shenyang has 731 medical and healthcare centers, 63,000 healthcare staff and 3.02 healthcare worker per 1,000 people. There are 34,033 hospital beds and 45,680 various kinds of medical and technical personnel, among whom there are 17,346 licensed doctors, 1,909 assistant licensed doctors, and 16887 certified nurses.[33] The average expected life-span of the people in Shenyang is 73.8.








Life and culture[edit]

Shenyang dialect[edit]

People native to Shenyang speak the Shenyang dialect, a variant of Northeastern Mandarin. The Shenyang dialect is similar to the other Northeastern dialects and also to the national standard of Mandarin, Putonghua, but is known as Dongbeihua and has a wide range of vocabulary that isn't in the National Language. 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.


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, Liaoning Song and Dance Ensemble, and Liaoning Ballet.[36] Many artists are from Shenyang, such as Zimei, Na Ying and the pianist Lang Lang.


9.18 Historical Museum


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.





Traditional meals in the region are Suan cai (also called Chinese sauerkraut), stewed chicken and mushroom, and meat pie. Korean food (such as rice cake and cold noodle) is a part of Shenyangers' diet as there is a sizeable ethnic Korean population in the city. Also, as the area was traditionally occupied by Manchus, the cuisine in Shenyang was fundamentally influenced by Manchu food.

Notable people[edit]



  • Mukden Palace: the former imperial palace of the early Qing Dynasty. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Shopping areas[edit]

Shopping and dining on Taiyuan Street







Research and education[edit]



High schools[edit]

  • Liaoning Province Shiyan High School
  • Shenyang No.2 Senior High School
  • Shenyang No.43 High School

Colleges and universities[edit]

Defunct universities[edit]


International relations[edit]

Consulates in Shenyang[edit]


See also[edit]


  2. ^ 2010 census
  6. ^ Hata 288
  9. ^ Behr 1987, p. 182
  12. ^ Christian Science Monitor, 12 October 1945.
  21. ^ "A city full of vitality – Shenyang.China". People′s Government of Shenyang. Retrieved 2011-03-12. 
  22. ^ a b Extreme Temperatures around the World. Accessed 2010-10-27
  25. ^ [1][dead link]
  27. ^ Liaoning Statistical Yearbook. 2009. 
  36. ^ [2][dead link]


External links[edit]