Shenyang (沈阳)

1. Introduction

Shenyang, abbreviated as Shen, also known historically as Fengtian and Mukden, is the capital city of Liaoning Province, a sub-provincial city, a national regional central city, an international hub city in Northeast Asia, and a megacity in the People's Republic of China. Located on the southern edge of the Liaohe Plain, Shenyang connects to the Liaodong Peninsula in the south and lies within the Bohai Rim Economic Zone. It serves as a crucial link between the Bohai Rim region and the Korean Peninsula, functioning as the political, economic, financial, commercial, transportation, cultural, and trade center of Northeast China. It also hosts the headquarters of the Northern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army and is the core city of the Shenyang Economic Zone, a national pilot zone for comprehensive supporting reforms in new industrialization. The municipal government is located at No. 206 Shenzhong Avenue, Hunnan District.

Shenyang currently administers ten districts, one county-level city, and two counties, covering a total area of 12,860 square kilometers, with an urban area of 3,495 square kilometers. As of 2022, its permanent population is 9.147 million, making it the most populous sub-provincial city and the largest city in Liaoning Province by urban population. According to the United Nations' 2016 China Human Development Report, Shenyang achieved the highest education index score among mainland Chinese cities, being the only city to exceed 0.8 points. Its Human Development Index ranks fourth nationally in China.

With a history of over 2,300 years, Shenyang is the birthplace and flourishing center of Manchu culture and the first national historical and cultural city in Northeast China. Through expansions during the Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, Shenyang gradually developed into the political and cultural center of Northeast China. In 1625, Nurhaci, the Khan of the Later Jin, moved the capital to Shenyang, leading to its large-scale expansion and renaming as Mukden. After the Ming-Qing transition, Shenyang was designated as the secondary capital of the Qing dynasty. During the Republican era, Shenyang's urban development ranked among the top in Asia, and it grew into a major heavy industrial center in China at the time. After 1949, Shenyang transformed into a significant national industrial base and comprehensive transportation hub.

2. Origin of the Name

2.1 Source

According to records in Peidu Jilue and Quan Liao Zhi, the origin of the name "Shenyang" is related to its geographical location. The city is situated north of the Shen River (i.e., the Hun River). Following the ancient naming convention of "north of water being yang," it was thus named "Shenyang," meaning "the north side of the Shen River."

2.2 Changes

During the reign of Emperor Taizu of Liao, Yelü Abaoji, the city of Shenzhou was established. Shenzhou is the earliest name of Shenyang as a city. In the mid-Yuan Dynasty, the Shenyang Route was established within the jurisdictions of Shenzhou and Liaoyang. In 1634, Huang Taiji, the Khan of the Later Jin, bestowed the name "Tianjuan Shengjing" upon Shenyang, abbreviated as Shengjing (Manchu: ᠮᡠᡴᡩᡝᠨ, transliteration: mukden). In 1657, Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty, following the naming and administrative structure of Shuntian Prefecture, established Fengtian Prefecture within Shengjing City to manage civil affairs for non-banner people. In 1907, the Qing government implemented a provincial system in Northeast China, and Shengjing was no longer the official city name. The public used Fengtian as the city name, i.e., Fengtian City.

On February 5, 1929, after the Northeast Flag Replacement, Zhang Xueliang, leader of the Fengtian Clique, changed Fengtian City to Shenyang City. During the Manchukuo period in 1932, it was renamed Fengtian City again. In 1945, after Japan's surrender in World War II and the collapse of Manchukuo, the Nationalist government reverted it to Shenyang City. On November 2, 1948, the Chinese Communist Party occupied Shenyang. In 1953, Shenyang became a "Municipality Directly Under the Central Government." In 1954, it was changed to a city under the jurisdiction of Liaoning Province. In 1993, Faku County and Kangping County, originally under Tieling City, were placed under the administration of Shenyang City, and Xinmin County was upgraded to a county-level city. In 1994, Shenyang was elevated to a "Sub-provincial City." In 2002, the Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone was merged into Tiexi District. In 2006, Shenbei New District was established. In 2014, with the approval of the State Council, Dongling District of Shenyang City was renamed Hunnan District.

2.3 Western Names

During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Shenyang was assigned multiple English names in Western documents and communications, including "Feng-tien," "Fong-tien," "Moukden," or "Mukden." Among these, "Mukden" became the most commonly used and widely accepted English name, as well as the postal romanization spelling for Shenyang. This name frequently appeared in historical documents and official records. The Mukden Incident, Mukden Palace, and Mukden Medical College all used "Mukden" as their Western translation.

3. History

3.1 Prehistoric Era

Shenyang is located in the central part of the Liaohe Plain, bordered by the Hun River to the south. Its flat terrain and abundant water sources made it an ideal habitat for human settlement. Archaeological discoveries at the Xinle site prove that the earliest human activities in the area can be traced back to the Paleolithic Age, 110,000 years ago.

3.2 From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Yuan Dynasty

From the Xia and Shang dynasties to the middle and late Warring States period, the Shenyang region nurtured and developed multiple Bronze Age cultures. The most typical is the Zhengjiawazi bronze short sword culture type from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. During the Spring and Autumn period, Shenyang was under the jurisdiction of the State of Yan, belonging to the Liaodong Commandery. Its indigenous inhabitants were ethnic minorities such as the Donghu and Sushen. The Donghu people invaded Yan from the south multiple times during the Warring States period. In 302 BC (the twelfth year of King Zhao of Yan), General Qin Kai of Yan was ordered to lead troops to expel the Donghu. He crossed the Liao River to attack the northern part of Gija Joseon, opening up vast northern territories. Qin Kai also built a Great Wall stretching from northern Hebei to eastern Liaodong to defend these northern lands. He established the commanderies of Shanggu, Yuyang, Youbeiping, Liaoxi, and Liaodong to govern the region. Shenyang at that time was under the jurisdiction of Houcheng within Liaodong Commandery, which is the earliest recorded administrative establishment of Shenyang.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the southern part of the Shenyang area continued to belong to Liaodong Commandery, while the northern part fell under Xuantu Commandery. Xuantu City was later successively occupied by ethnic minorities such as the Xianbei and Goguryeo. During the Three Kingdoms period, the region was under the jurisdiction of Youzhou. Starting from the Western Jin Dynasty, the areas east and west of the Liao River were under Xuantu Commandery and Changli Commandery, respectively. From the Northern Yan onward, through the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, the area east of the Liao River was controlled by Goguryeo. During the Sui Dynasty, with the Liao River as the boundary, Yan Commandery and Liaodong Commandery were established. In the Tang Dynasty, Shenyang was known as Shenzhou. After 668 AD (the first year of the Zongzhang era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang), it was placed under the Protectorate General to Pacify the East.

In the early Liao Dynasty, Sanhe County was established, later renamed Lejiao County. Shenzhou City had already developed a preliminary urban form and scale during the Liao Dynasty. In 1296 (the second year of the Yuanzhen era of Emperor Chengzong of Yuan), to manage and pacify the Goryeo military and civilian population more effectively, the Yuan government merged the Shenzhou and Liaoyang Pacification Commissioner Offices for Goryeo Military and Civilians, establishing the "Shenyang and Other Routes Pacification Commissioner Office for Goryeo Military and Civilians." Although the two offices were merged, they were initially still located in the "old Liaoyang city" before later moving to the present-day location of Shenyang.

3.3 Ming and Qing Dynasties

In 1386, the Ming Dynasty changed Shenyang Route to Shenyang Guard, under the Liaodong Regional Military Commission. In 1388, Min Zhong assumed the post of Commander of Shenyang Central Guard City and petitioned the court. In 1389, the Shenyang city defenses were reconstructed. The rebuilt Shenyang city walls, based on the scope of the Yuan Dynasty's Shenyang Route, replaced the original rammed earth walls with brick and stone walls. Each of the four walls had a gate, and east-west and north-south main streets intersected in the city center, forming a cross structure. Water from the Hun River was channeled to create two moats. The inner city wall had a circumference of nine li and thirty bu, and the outer wall eleven li and thirty bu. This enhanced the military capabilities of Shenyang Guard.

In 1621, Shenyang was captured by the Later Jin. In 1625, Nurhaci made Shenyang his capital but did not undertake large-scale construction, only reinforcing the city walls and building the Khan's palace and princely mansions. Between 1627 and 1631, Hong Taiji embarked on major construction projects in Shenyang, building the Imperial Ancestral Temple, palaces, schools, military parade grounds, and establishing administrative offices such as the Grand Secretariat, Six Ministries, Censorate, and Court of Colonial Affairs. For city defense, the inner city of Shenyang was expanded to a circumference of nine li and three hundred thirty-two bu, with eight watchtowers and four corner towers added. The city gates were increased to eight, transforming Shenyang's layout from a "cross" to a "grid" pattern, placing the palaces at the city's center. This expansion enhanced Shenyang's defensive, ceremonial, and commercial functions, making "the scale of the capital complete." In 1634, Qing Emperor Hong Taiji renamed Shenyang to Shengjing (Mukden), and in 1636, he declared himself emperor there.

In 1644, after the Qing Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing, Shengjing was designated as the secondary capital. Within Shengjing, five ministries similar to the central state institutions were retained. In 1657, the Qing Dynasty established Fengtian Prefecture in Shenyang, meaning "by the Mandate of Heaven." In 1671, the Kangxi Emperor made his first eastern tour, initiating the Qing emperors' practice of visiting Shengjing to worship ancestors and pay respects at the imperial mausoleums. In 1743, the Qianlong Emperor made his first tour to Shengjing after ascending the throne. Later, in 1783, he established the Three Mausoleums General Affairs Office to manage affairs related to the eastern tours and ancestral worship. Subsequently, four generations of Qing emperors, including the Jiaqing and Daoguang Emperors, made a total of ten tours to Shengjing. During the mid-Qing period, a large number of Han Chinese migrated to cultivate the land. The population of Fengtian Prefecture grew from 220,000 in 1753 to 2.21 million in 1840. In 1900, with the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion, Russian troops seized the opportunity to occupy Shenyang. In 1905, General Zhao Erxun of Shengjing petitioned the court and, after approval, established Shenyang's first bank, the Fengtian Official Bank. In the same year, after Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, Russian troops withdrew from Shenyang, and Japan acquired Russia's rights to the South Manchuria Railway. In 1910, the Fengtian Advisory Bureau was established in Shenyang, becoming the highest deliberative body of Fengtian Province.

3.4 Under the Fengtian Clique and the South Manchuria Railway

After the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911, the Xinhai Revolution broke out. Provinces successively joined the revolution. The Viceroy of the Three Northeastern Provinces, Zhao Erxun, relied on general Zhang Zuolin to suppress the revolutionaries. However, the Qing court soon collapsed, and the Beiyang Government was established. Shenyang's name changed several times before finally being designated Shenyang County.

After Yuan Shikai's death in 1916, warlords fragmented. Zhang Zuolin took control of the three northeastern provinces, and Shenyang became the ruling center of the Fengtian Clique led by him. In 1923, the Fengtian Municipal Administration was formally established by the Beiyang Government's Fengtian Clique, with Zeng Youyi serving as the first mayor of Fengtian City. At that time, over ten different Chinese and foreign newspapers promoted the interests of Japanese, British, French, and other groups. Shenyang's urban construction scale was then among the top in Asia. Japanese public opinion widely lamented that Tokyo's urban development lagged behind Shenyang's, calling it the "New Manchuria-Mongolia phenomenon." That year, Guo Moruo got off at Shenyang Station; the bustling streets and shops full of Japanese signs made him think he had arrived in Japan. On June 4, 1928, Zhang Zuolin was assassinated in a bombing at Huanggutun in Shenyang, orchestrated by the Japanese Kwantung Army, an event known as the "Huanggutun Incident." In the same year, Zhang Zuolin's eldest son, Zhang Xueliang, inherited his father's power and announced in Shenyang the Northeast Flag Replacement, accepting and submitting to the leadership of the Nanjing Nationalist Government, formally completing China's unification under the Nationalist Government and ending the operation of the Beiyang Government. In 1929, Fengtian City was renamed Shenyang City. On September 18, 1931, Japan itself blew up a section of the South Manchuria Railway and blamed it on the Northeastern Army, an event known as the "Liutiaohu Incident." On the same day, Japan used this as a pretext to launch the September 18th Incident (Mukden Incident). Northeastern Army Commander Zhang Xueliang ordered "non-resistance." Shenyang City and the entire Northeast were quickly occupied by the Japanese Kwantung Army, and Shenyang was renamed Fengtian City.

• Explosion site of the 1928 Huanggutun Incident
• Beidaying was the first location attacked by the Kwantung Army during the September 18th Incident
• The Fengtian Yamato Hotel on Naniwa Square

3.5 Manchukuo Period

In February 1932, after the Kwantung Army took control of the Northeast, Fengtian City was considered a candidate for the capital of Manchukuo. However, due to the entrenched influence of the Fengtian Clique in Shenyang and its status as the former Qing secondary capital, which was unfavorable for the stability of Manchukuo's rule and the establishment of its national status, Manchukuo instead made Changchun its capital. On March 1, 1932, Manchukuo was established. Subsequently, Shenyang's name was changed back to Fengtian City, and the Fengtian City Government was established.

In November 1932, the Fengtian City Government established an Urban Planning Committee to implement the "Greater Fengtian Capital Plan," planning and constructing roads and squares. The Manchukuo government modeled Shenyang after Osaka, Japan, carrying out large-scale industrial planning and construction in areas like Tiexi District. On December 1, 1937, the Fengtian SMR (South Manchuria Railway) Concession was transferred to the Fengtian City Government and incorporated into its administrative area.

In 1942, the Japanese army established the Fengtian POW Camp to detain Allied prisoners of war from the United States, Britain, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, and others. During the Manchukuo period, Shenyang's education, science, technology, and industry developed rapidly, with a large amount of industrial equipment shipped from Japan to Shenyang.

3.6 Second Chinese Civil War Period

In August 1945, the Soviet Red Army attacked Manchuria, followed by the end of China's War of Resistance against Japan. The city's name was restored to Shenyang. After Japan's surrender, Shenyang fell into chaos: factories shut down, shops closed, and citizens' lives became difficult. Industrialist Chen Chucai, along with prominent figures from various sectors, established the Shenyang People's Committee for Maintaining Local Public Order to preserve social stability. In early September of the same year, Commander Zeng Kelin and Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Department Tang Kai of the 16th Military District of the CCP's Ji-Re-Liao Military Region were ordered to lead their troops to be the first to advance into the Northeast and enter Shenyang. Main force units of the Eighth Route Army from Shandong and other areas organized a hundred thousand cadres to seize strategic locations in the Northeast and stationed themselves in Shenyang. In accordance with the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance signed with the Nationalist Government, the Soviet forces, on one hand, demanded that the CCP hand over administrative power in the Northeast and major cities along the Chinese Changchun Railway to the Nationalist Government. On the other hand, they also covertly supplied the CCP with a large amount of heavy weaponry. On November 25, at the request of the Soviet Red Army, the CCP's Northeast Bureau left Shenyang. In his directive "Establish Stable Base Areas in the Northeast," Mao Zedong proposed the policy of "giving up the main routes and occupying the two flanks." CCP party, government, military organs, and troops withdrew from Shenyang.On March 12, 1946, after the Soviet troops withdrew from Shenyang, the National Government appointed Dong Wenqi as the mayor of Shenyang to take over the municipal government and defense. At that time, Shenyang had a population of nearly 2.2 million, serving as the political, cultural, and economic center of Northeast China, a major hub for multiple railways, with nearly 200,000 workers, and had developed into China's most important heavy industry center. On May 23, Chairman of the National Government Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling flew from Beiping to Shenyang on the "Meiling" special aircraft for an inspection. This marked the first visit by a head of state to Northeast China since the Northern Expedition of the Republic of China. After the National Government took over Liaoning, it failed to effectively manage the industrial city cluster centered around Shenyang, leading to massive unemployment among workers, widespread bankruptcy of businesses, starvation, and widespread public discontent. In 1947, Shenyang was elevated to a municipality directly under the Executive Yuan, becoming one of the twelve such municipalities in the Republic of China. On January 17, 1948, the National Government established the Northeast Bandit Suppression Headquarters in Shenyang, with Wei Lihuang as the commander-in-chief and Du Yuming as the deputy commander-in-chief. In August 1948, due to changes in the situation of the Chinese Civil War, Shenyang's defense became critical, with tight power supply, skyrocketing prices, and the public transportation system paralyzed.

On September 12, 1948, the Liaoshen Campaign began. On the afternoon of October 29, 1948, the Shenyang Garrison Headquarters announced a curfew starting from 5 p.m. The following afternoon around 3 p.m., Nationalist generals such as Wei Lihuang and Zhao Jiaxiang left Shenyang by plane from Dongta Airport. At 1 p.m. on November 1, the Li Hongguang Detachment of the People's Liberation Army broke into the Tiexi District. On November 2, the People's Liberation Army took full control of Shenyang. The next day, the Shenyang Special Municipal Military Control Commission was established, with Chen Yun as its director. On May 1, 1949, the Shenyang Special Municipal Government was renamed the Shenyang Municipal People's Government.

3.7 People's Republic of China

In August 1949, Shenyang was designated as a municipality directly under the Northeast Greater Administrative Region and served as the location for the party, government, and military organs of the Northeast Greater Administrative Region. On June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out, and Shenyang became a military industry and material base for the Chinese People's Volunteers, making it an important bombing target for the U.S. military. To protect Shenyang's industrial foundation, the central government implemented the "South Factory North Relocation" plan, moving a large number of industrial facilities from Shenyang to Harbin, Qiqihar, and other places. After the Korean War ended, the relocated factories were not moved back to Shenyang, which adversely affected Shenyang's economic development. In 1954, Shenyang was established as the capital of Liaoning Province, formed by the merger of the former Liaodong and Liaoxi provinces. In 1956, the People's Republic of China publicly tried Japanese war criminals detained in China for their aggression during the war in Shenyang, known as the Shenyang Trials. In 1964, the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party decided to establish the Shenyang Administrative District. In 1968, Shenyang abolished the Huishan and Zhujiatun districts. On December 26, 1969, Liaozhong County and Xinmin County were placed under Shenyang's jurisdiction. After China's reform and opening-up in 1978, the country implemented a regional economic development strategy that favored the establishment of special economic zones in the southeastern coastal areas and accelerated the development of provinces and cities such as Guangdong and Shanghai. As a result, Shenyang's infrastructure investment significantly declined, and state-owned enterprises struggled to adapt to the market economy, leading to widespread economic impacts in Shenyang and the broader Northeast region. During this period, many state-owned enterprises in Shenyang went bankrupt, leading to economic depression and massive unemployment. In 1988, with the expansion of development, Shenyang was included in the coastal economic open zones by the State Council. On August 20, 1990, China's first expressway, the Shenyang-Dalian Expressway, was completed and opened to traffic. In 1993, Faku County and Kangping County, originally under Tieling City, were officially placed under Shenyang's jurisdiction, while Xinmin was upgraded from a county to a city.

In 2006, Shenyang hosted the World Horticultural Exposition, becoming the second city in China to host such an event. In 2008, Shenyang, as a co-host city for the Beijing Olympics, hosted some football matches. In 2010, the Shenyang Economic Zone, proposed by former Secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Li Keqiang, was established to drive the economies of eight surrounding cities, including Anshan, Fushun, Benxi, Yingkou, Fuxin, Liaoyang, and Tieling, with Shenyang at its core. In September 2011, the State Council officially approved the Shenyang Economic Zone as a national comprehensive reform pilot zone, the only one with the theme of "new industrialization," marking its elevation to a national strategy. In the "Shenyang City Master Plan (2011-2020)" released on June 26, 2012, the Shenyang Municipal People's Government proposed a ten-year development goal to elevate Shenyang from a regional central city in Liaoning to a national central city serving the Bohai region, the entire country, and the world. From July to August 2012, large-scale "market closure incidents" occurred in Shenyang, attracting domestic and international attention. In 2013, Shenyang, as the main venue, hosted the 12th National Games of China. On January 31, 2015, the Second Circuit Court of the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China was established in Shenyang, making Shenyang one of the first pilot regions for China's circuit court system. In 2016, Shenyang abolished Liaozhong County and established the Liaozhong District.

4. Geography

Shenyang is located in the southern part of Northeast China, with geographical coordinates between 122°25'–123°48' east longitude and 41°11'–43°2' north latitude. It spans approximately 115 kilometers from east to west and 205 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of about 12,859.89 square kilometers. To the east, it borders Fushun City; to the west, it adjoins Tai'an County of Anshan City, Heishan County of Jinzhou City, and Zhangwu County of Fuxin City; to the south, it connects with Benxi City and Liaoyang City; and to the north, it neighbors Horqin Left Back Banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as Changtu County, Kaiyuan City, and Tieling County of Tieling City.

4.1 Topography and Geology

Shenyang is situated on the alluvial plain of the Liao River and Hun River, characterized by flat terrain dominated by plains, with an average elevation of about 50 meters. The topographic framework of Shenyang was largely formed during the Mesozoic Yanshan tectonic period 200 million years ago, with the terrain gently sloping from northeast to southwest. The eastern part, adjacent to the Fanhe Depression of the Jingyu Platform Uplift, features low mountainous terrain, while the western part consists of plains bordering the Yanshan Platform Fold Belt. The highest point in Shenyang is Miaotai Mountain in Faku County, with an elevation of 447.2 meters. The lowest point is located in Yujiafang Town, Liaozhong County, at an elevation of 5.3 meters.

Shenyang lies at the convergence of the North China and Mongolia floristic regions, boasting a rich variety of plant species totaling 779. Surface vegetation includes warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests, Chinese pine forests, Chinese pine-oak forests, meadows, and swamp vegetation. However, due to human activities, little of the original vegetation remains, and most areas are now covered by secondary or planted forests. Shenyang has abundant soil resources. The original zonal soil is brown earth, which has developed into seven soil types: brown earth, meadow soil, paddy soil, aeolian sandy soil, alkaline soil, saline soil, and swamp soil. Additionally, Shenyang is rich in energy and non-metallic mineral resources, with 25 types of minerals available for development and utilization, including coal, iron, molybdenum, silicon, and zeolite. The southeastern part of Shenyang features a unique meteorite impact geology, and the world's largest known ancient stony meteorite is located in the Shenyang Meteorite Mountain National Forest Park.

4.2 Hydrology and Water Systems

Historically, Shenyang has been surrounded by three rivers: the Liao River to the north, the Hun River flowing through the south, and the Pu River in the middle. Among these, the Hun River is widely regarded as Shenyang's "mother river," and the "Evening Ferry on the Hun River" is one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Shengjing." Since the 19th century, with the continuous expansion of Shenyang's urban area, the city has excavated and constructed the South Canal, North Canal, and Weigong Open Channel, forming a ring-shaped water system. The three canals have a total length of 49.7 kilometers and are collectively known as the "Hundred-Mile Canal." The largest lake in Shenyang is Wolong Lake in Kangping County, formed during the late Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era, with a water area of 67 square kilometers. It is also the largest plain freshwater lake in Liaoning Province.

The source of Shenyang's water resources is the Dahuofang Reservoir. Located in the middle and upper reaches of the Hun River, a tributary of the Liao River, also known as Jingyue Lake, it is 68 kilometers from Shenyang. Completed in 1958, it serves as an important drinking water source for both Shenyang and Fushun. Shenyang faces water scarcity, with per capita water resources only one-sixth of the national average, and groundwater resources have been exploited to their limit. As of 2013, Shenyang's water distribution capacity was 1.7 million tons per day.

4.3 Climate and Environment

Shenyang has a warm temperate, semi-humid climate with significant continental characteristics, classified as a temperate monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 8.4°C, with a frost-free period of 183 days. Influenced by monsoons, precipitation is concentrated, temperature variations are significant, and the four seasons are distinct: summers are hot and rainy, while winters are cold and dry. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of -11.0°C, and July is the hottest, with an average temperature of 24.7°C. The extreme maximum temperature recorded was 38.4°C (on August 2, 2018), and the extreme minimum temperature was -32.9°C (on January 15, 2001). Annual precipitation ranges between 680 and 530 millimeters, decreasing from southeast to northwest. The area along the Hun River from the city center to Dongling is a high-rainfall zone, while the northern part of Xinmin County is a low-rainfall zone, with a difference of about 150 millimeters. Since 1906, the average annual precipitation in the city has been 715.5 millimeters, higher than in western Liaoning but lower than in the eastern mountainous areas. Compared to Chaoyang, Shenyang's average annual precipitation is about 50% higher, but 30% lower than that of Dandong. Precipitation is suitable in most years. Shenyang once faced severe air pollution issues; in 1988, the World Health Organization listed Shenyang as the world's second most polluted city. In 2000, Shenyang underwent large-scale renovations in industrial areas such as Tiexi, significantly reducing pollutant emissions. Regarding sewage treatment, by the end of 2018, the urban built-up area achieved a 100% sewage treatment rate. The city has been designated as a National Forest City and a National Environmental Protection Model City.

Meteorological Data for Shenyang (Average data from 1981 to 2010, extreme data from 1961 to 2000)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Record high °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) | 14.5 (58.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 29.3 (84.7) | 34.3 (93.7) | 39.3 (102.7) | 36.1 (97.0) | 35.7 (96.3) | 32.7 (90.9) | 29.2 (84.6) | 19.8 (67.6) | 5.5 (41.9) | 39.3 (102.7) | | Average high °C (°F) | -4.9 (23.2) | -0.3 (31.5) | 7.0 (44.6) | 16.9 (62.4) | 23.4 (74.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.6 (83.5) | 24.0 (75.2) | 16.2 (61.2) | 5.6 (42.1) | -2.2 (28.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | -11.2 (11.8) | -6.4 (20.5) | 1.3 (34.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 17.5 (63.5) | 22.2 (72.0) | 24.6 (76.3) | 23.8 (74.8) | 17.8 (64.0) | 9.9 (49.8) | 0.1 (32.2) | -7.9 (17.8) | 8.5 (47.3) | | Average low °C (°F) | -16.5 (2.3) | -11.9 (10.6) | -3.9 (25.0) | 4.5 (40.1) | 11.6 (52.9) | 17.1 (62.8) | 20.6 (69.1) | 19.4 (66.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 4.4 (39.9) | -4.5 (23.9) | -12.7 (9.1) | 3.4 (38.1) | | Record low °C (°F) | -33.1 (-27.6) | -27.2 (-17.0) | -21.7 (-7.1) | -12.5 (9.5) | 0.2 (32.4) | 6.9 (44.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 8.0 (46.4) | 1.0 (33.8) | -8.3 (17.1) | -22.5 (-8.5) | -30.2 (-22.4) | -33.1 (-27.6) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 6.9 (0.27) | 8.6 (0.34) | 20.6 (0.81) | 39.5 (1.56) | 53.1 (2.09) | 92.5 (3.64) | 173.6 (6.83) | 169.2 (6.66) | 64.6 (2.54) | 39.4 (1.55) | 20.3 (0.80) | 10.2 (0.40) | 698.5 (27.49) | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3.5 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 9.2 | 11.9 | 13.5 | 10.9 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 89.3 | | Average Relative Humidity (%) | 62 | 56 | 52 | 51 | 55 | 66 | 78 | 78 | 71 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 63 | | Monthly Sunshine Hours | 162.5 | 179.3 | 221.8 | 236.3 | 256.0 | 238.6 | 206.8 | 218.8 | 228.4 | 212.3 | 161.0 | 146.2 | 2,468 | | Percentage of Possible Sunshine | 56 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 57 | 53 | 45 | 51 | 61 | 62 | 54 | 52 | 56 |

5. Administrative Divisions

In the early years of the People's Republic of China, Shenyang was one of the 12 directly-administered municipalities under the central government. On June 19, 1954, Shenyang, along with Liaodong Province, Liaoxi Province, and the directly-administered municipalities of Lüda, Anshan, Fushun, and Benxi, were merged to re-establish Liaoning Province, with Shenyang as its capital, a status it retains to this day.

Shenyang currently administers 10 districts, 2 counties, and manages 1 county-level city on behalf of the province. Among these, Heping District, Shenhe District, Dadong District, Huanggu District, and Tiexi District are collectively referred to as the five inner-city districts.

• Districts: Heping, Shenhe, Dadong, Huanggu, Tiexi, Sujiatun, Hunnan, Shenbeixin, Yuhong, Liaozhong
• County-level City: Xinmin
• Counties: Kangping, Faku

In addition to the formal administrative divisions, Shenyang has established the following economic and functional management zones:

• Tiexi New Town (National-level Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone)
• Hunnan New Town (National-level Shenyang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone)
• Puhe New Town
• Shenyang Xihe Economic Zone (co-located with Tiexi New District)
• Shenyang Qipanshan International Scenic Tourism Development Zone

| Division Code | Division Name | Pinyin | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | of which: Ethnic Townships | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 210100 | Shenyang City | Shenyang Shi | 12,858.89 | 9,070,093 | Hunnan District | 110000 | 112 | 53 | 16 | 5 | | 210102 | Heping District | Heping Qu | 59.49 | 730,785 | Nanshichang Subdistrict | 110000 | 10 | | | | | 210103 | Shenhe District | Shenhe Qu | 59.52 | 782,628 | Huangcheng Subdistrict | 110000 | 11 | | | | | 210104 | Dadong District | Dadong Qu | 100.13 | 754,952 | Jinqiao Subdistrict | 110000 | 10 | | | | | 210105 | Huanggu District | Huanggu Qu | 66.18 | 877,287 | Huanghe Subdistrict | 110000 | 10 | | | | | 210106 | Tiexi District | Tiexi Qu | 286.05 | 1,335,935 | Dugong Subdistrict | 110000 | 14 | | | | | 210111 | Sujiatun District | Sujiatun Qu | 701.93 | 624,336 | Jiefang Subdistrict | 110100 | 12 | | | | | 210112 | Hunnan District | Hunnan Qu | 73.86 | 798,765 | Quanyuan Subdistrict | 110000 | 12 | | | | | 210113 | Shenbeixin District | Shenbeixin Qu | 884.37 | 619,375 | Xinchengzi Subdistrict | 110000 | 10 | | | | | 210114 | Yuhong District | Yuhong Qu | 409.29 | 1,066,062 | Yingbinlu Subdistrict | 110000 | 10 | | | | | 210115 | Liaozhong District | Liaozhong Qu | 1,644.80 | 395,017 | Pudong Subdistrict | 110200 | 4 | 16 | | | | 210123 | Kangping County | Kangping Xian | 2,167.05 | 278,384 | Shengli Subdistrict | 110500 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 4 | | 210124 | Faku County | Faku Xian | 2,280.62 | 340,933 | Jixiang Subdistrict | 110400 | 2 | 12 | 5 | | | 210181 | Xinmin City | Xinmin Shi | 3,296.61 | 565,634 | Xinliu Subdistrict | 110300 | 4 | 20 | | |

6. Economy

Shenyang has been the economic center of the Liaoning region in China since modern times. During the Beiyang period, the Fengtian Clique warlords invested heavily in developing industry, leading to rapid growth in Shenyang's industrial, commercial, and financial sectors. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shenyang was established as a national heavy industrial base focused on equipment manufacturing, emphasizing industrial development and undertaking large-scale infrastructure construction centered on the machinery industry. At that time, one-sixth of the nation's total industrial investment was channeled into Shenyang. Following the reform and opening-up, China implemented a regional economic development strategy that favored the establishment of special economic zones in the southeastern coastal areas and accelerated the development of provinces and cities like Guangdong and Shanghai. This led to a significant decline in the central government's proportion of infrastructure investment in Shenyang. State-owned enterprises struggled to adapt to the market economy, resulting in a weakened economic strength for Shenyang. In 1986, the Shenyang Explosion-proof Equipment Factory became the first state-owned enterprise in the People's Republic of China to declare bankruptcy, triggering a wave of SOE bankruptcies.

In the early 21st century, to change its relatively backward economic development situation, Shenyang once pinned its hopes on industries like tourism and finance but ultimately reaffirmed the "Industry Establishes the City" development policy. In 2002, the central government designated Shenyang as the nation's sole advanced equipment manufacturing base. In 2003, the State Council of the People's Republic of China elevated the strategy of revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast China to a national policy, aiming to address the development difficulties faced by Liaoning Province, centered on Shenyang. On April 6, 2010, with the approval of the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission officially designated the Shenyang Economic Zone as a "National Comprehensive Supporting Reform Pilot Zone for New Industrialization." Currently, the Shenyang Economic Zone, with Shenyang at its core, surpasses the average levels of Liaoning and even northern China in multiple key economic indicators such as economic growth, having developed into a core region with significant supporting and driving roles. In recent years, due to factors like industrial structure, local governance, and the surrounding international situation, the regional economy, including Shenyang's, has experienced a severe downturn. In 2022, Shenyang's GDP was 769.58 billion yuan, with the primary industry accounting for 4.4%, the secondary industry for 37.5%, and the tertiary industry for 58.1%.

6.1 Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, and Fishery

As early as the Xinle period over 7200 years ago, agricultural activities had already emerged in Shenyang. After the Han Dynasty, Shenyang remained one of the most agriculturally developed areas in the Liaoning region. Up until the late Qing Dynasty, food crops, oil crops, and cash crops were successively developed in Shenyang. In the late Qing, General Shengjing Zhao Erxun established the Fengtian Agricultural Experiment Station to revitalize industry. In the late 1990s, Shenyang gradually developed urban agriculture and has achieved results in areas such as facility agriculture, export-oriented agriculture, and leisure/tourism-oriented agriculture. Currently, Shenyang's grain crop structure is dominated by rice and corn, accounting for over 98% of total grain output. In 2022, the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery in Shenyang was 67.38 billion yuan. This included crop cultivation output value of 30.66 billion yuan, forestry output value of 820 million yuan, animal husbandry output value of 30.03 billion yuan, fishery output value of 2.96 billion yuan, and service output value for agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery of 2.9 billion yuan. The sown area for grain crops was 544,000 hectares.

6.2 Industry

Shenyang possesses a comprehensive industrial system with equipment manufacturing as its mainstay, covering 165 industrial categories. Since modern times, it has been one of China's most important industrial bases, often called the "Ruhr of the East." Shenyang's modern industry began with the establishment of the Fengtian Machine Manufacturing Bureau in 1896. In July 1923, the Fengtian Municipal Administration planned the Huigong Industrial Zone, Shenyang's first industrial zone. After the Xinhai Revolution, Shenyang's industry developed further. Japanese capital and Chinese national capital successively established pillar industries such as military industry, automobile manufacturing, minting, machinery manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, railway industry, textiles, smelting, and chemicals, laying the foundation for Shenyang's industrial development. By 1945, before Japan's surrender, Shenyang's large-scale industrial development had reached considerable scale, evolving into an important industrial base with significant strategic importance for Liaoning and China. After the end of China's War of Resistance against Japan, as the main industrial equipment was dismantled and taken back to the Soviet Union as war reparations, Shenyang's industry essentially lost its production capacity.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shenyang was listed as a key city in the First Five-Year Plan. Its industry developed rapidly, centered on the Tiexi District, becoming China's most important machinery and equipment base. The national emblem on the Tiananmen Gate Tower, China's first jet fighter, the first surface-to-air missile, the first rocket engine, the first CNC machine tool, the first underwater robot, and the first carrier-based fighter jet were all produced in Shenyang. After the reform and opening-up, due to reasons related to the social security system, operational mechanisms, etc., Shenyang's industrial development entered a trough. Industrial enterprise competitiveness declined year by year, engineering equipment aged, unemployment rates rose sharply, social order deteriorated, and severe brain drain occurred, making it representative of the "Liaoning Phenomenon." In 2003, under the impetus of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, the State Council established the Northeast Revitalization Office. In the same year, Shenyang confirmed the "Industry Establishes the City" development policy as the main theme for urban development. Since the Shenyang Economic Zone was designated by the State Council as China's only national comprehensive supporting reform pilot zone with the theme of "new industrialization," Shenyang's industry has regained vitality. In 2015, the State Council approved the construction of the China-Germany (Shenyang) High-end Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park, making it a model for the efficient alignment of "Made in China 2025" and "Germany's Industry 4.0."

Currently, Shenyang's industry is mainly focused on automobile and parts manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, electronic information, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and agricultural product deep processing, aviation, steel, and non-ferrous metal deep processing. In the aviation industry, Shenyang Aircraft Industrial Group is one of the main bases for aircraft design and manufacturing in China's aviation industry. In equipment manufacturing, Shenyang Machine Tool Group is the world's largest machine tool enterprise by sales, while Northern Heavy Industries Group is China's largest national defense equipment manufacturer. Furthermore, in high-tech industries, Neusoft Group has developed into China's largest software outsourcing provider. In the transportation industry, Brilliance Auto Group has become an important base for small and medium-sized passenger vehicle production, and the BMW Tiexi Plant is BMW's largest manufacturing base in the world.

6.3 Commerce

Shenyang's commerce flourished in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Since the opening of Shenyang's first shop, the Tianheli Silk Workshop, on Siping Street, Shenyang, as the secondary capital of the Qing Dynasty and an important town in the Liaoning region, leveraged its geographical, transportation, and canal shipping advantages to develop industries like grain processing, distilleries, oil mills, timber logging and trade, and silk shops. After the Russo-Japanese War broke out, Japanese merchants continuously entered Shenyang. By the late Qing and early Republic of China period, Shenyang had gradually developed into the largest railway transportation hub and goods distribution center in the Liaoning region. Commercial districts gradually formed, and commerce became increasingly prosperous. Commercial capital from Zhili, Shandong, Shanxi, Jilin, and other places arrived one after another, using Shenyang as a logistics center to procure and transport goods from various regions. In 1918, under the instruction of the Beiyang Fengtian Clique, then Acting Governor of Fengtian Province Wang Yongjiang opened north and south markets within the Fengtian Commercial Concession. Among them, the North Market, with large-scale commercial investment in its early development, quickly grew into a commercial district with relatively complete industry categories, becoming one of the most prosperous commercial districts in Liaoning and nationwide. In the 1920s, Shenyang's commerce formally developed into a structure comprising three major commercial areas: the old Shengjing city, the South Manchuria Railway附属地 (affiliated area), and the Fengtian Commercial Concession.

Currently, Shenyang serves as a central city and commodity distribution center in the Bohai Rim region. It holds significant influence within the Bohai Rim, especially in central Liaoning. For example, Sanhao Street plays a major role in the IT market, and Wu'ai Market holds significant influence in daily necessities and general merchandise. Sanhao Street, as the distribution center for electronic products in Liaoning Province, can be considered a hub in the entire electronics sales channel. According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's consumption power rating for 30 mainland Chinese cities, Shenyang is rated as an AA-level city. Shenyang has a history of numerous time-honored brands, such as Laobian Dumplings, Baofayuan, Majia Shaomai, Ganlu Dumplings, and Cuihualou. Currently, Shenyang's main commercial districts are concentrated in areas like Zhongjie, Taiyuan Street, Xinghua Street, and Changjiang Street in the urban area.

6.4 Finance

Shenyang's financial industry began with the money shops (qianzhuang) of the Qing Dynasty, with the Chang'an Temple area being the largest silver market in the city at that time. In the late Qing, due to varying reserve levels among private money shops, money stores, and draft banks (piaohao), the indiscriminate issuance of promissory notes (pingtie) was widespread, leading to disorder in Shenyang's financial system. After the Boxer Rebellion, the Qing court, to unify currency management, established the jointly operated (official-merchant) Three Eastern Provinces Official Bank (Dongsansheng Guanyinhao) in Shenyang, the city's first bank-like institution. During the late Qing and early Republic of China period, foreign banks successively opened in Shenyang, including 22 foreign financial institutions such as HSBC, Yokohama Specie Bank, Citibank, Banque de l'Indochine, and Chosen Bank. After the Second Zhili–Fengtian War, the Frontier Bank (Bianye Bank) moved to Shenyang, becoming a representative of modern national capital banking in Shenyang. Around the time of the September 18 Incident, Japanese capital and national capital banks like the Bank of Manchukuo and Zhicheng Bank also began operations in Shenyang.

On August 5, 1986, the Shenyang Trust and Investment Company initiated bond trading and mortgage businesses, establishing China's earliest securities exchange market: the Shenyang Securities Exchange Market. After the establishment of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, the Shenyang municipal government proposed setting up a stock exchange in Shenyang, but this was rejected by then Vice Premier of the State Council Zhu Rongji. In 1998, the People's Bank of China Shenyang Branch was established, serving as a dispatched institution of the head office to perform central bank functions in the Liaoning region of China.Currently, Shenyang is home to 112 financial institutions at the branch level or above, including 11 corporate headquarters and 93 regional headquarters at the provincial level or higher. In April 2010, the State Council proposed that the Shenyang Economic Zone should "conduct a national comprehensive pilot program to optimize the financial ecosystem, accelerate the construction of a regional financial center, and drive the optimization of the financial ecological environment across the entire Liaoning region." Since then, the Shenyang Economic Zone has become China's third financial reform and innovation pilot demonstration zone, following the Pudong New Area and the Binhai New Area. Starting in 2014, the Shenyang Economic Zone launched a pilot reform to optimize its financial ecosystem, aiming to build itself into a financial center in the Bohai Rim region through policies such as financial integration within the zone. Existing local financial institutions in Shenyang include Shengjing Bank, Shenyang Rural Commercial Bank, and Zhongtian Securities.

7. Transportation

Shenyang is situated at the junction of the Bohai Rim Economic Zone and Northeast China, connecting the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, the Liaoning Coastal Economic Belt, and the Northeast region. Its unique geographical location has fostered Shenyang's development into the largest railway, highway, and aviation transportation hub center in the Bohai Rim region. Shenyang boasts a well-developed network of expressways and railways. The Shenyang-Dalian Expressway (Shen-Da Expressway), connecting Shenyang to Dalian, was the first expressway in the People's Republic of China, earning the title "China's First Road." Five major railway trunk lines converge in Shenyang and connect to eight branch lines, providing access to all parts of the country. It is also a crucial route for international transport links to North Korea and Russia. Shenyang is the largest aviation hub in Northeast China, operating regular flights to 69 domestic cities and 19 cities in countries including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Russia, and Canada.

7.1 Highways

Shenyang is the largest highway transportation hub in the Liaoning region of China, possessing a developed expressway network that connects it to major surrounding cities. Five national highways pass through Shenyang: National Highways 101, 102, 202, 203, 230, and 304. Within the Chinese National Expressway Network, four main lines pass through Shenyang's jurisdiction: G1 Beijing-Harbin Expressway, G15 Shenyang-Haikou Expressway, G25 Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway, and G91 Liaozhong Ring Expressway. Additionally, there are three connecting lines: the Shenyang-Jilin Expressway, G1113 Dandong-Fuxin Expressway, and G2511 Xinmin-Luobei Expressway, as well as one urban ring road: G1501 Shenyang Ring Expressway. Furthermore, Asian Highway 1 also passes through Shenyang.

The urban traffic network in Shenyang is comprehensive. Since the Central Ring Road (now the First Ring Road) was approved in 1932, Shenyang has successively constructed four ring roads. Among them, the Third Ring Road is the Shenyang Ring Expressway. The Fifth Ring Expressway is still in the planning stage. The Liaozhong Ring Expressway is also known as the Shenyang Sixth Ring Expressway. Currently, Shenyang has formed a traffic network with the First Ring Road, Second Ring Road, East-West Expressway, North-South Expressway, Qingnian Street-Beiling Street, and Nanjing Street-Huanghe Street as its main arteries. Presently, Shenyang is a radial city centered on Municipal Government Square, with Qingnian Street-Beijing Street-Beiling Street as its north-south axis and Beiyi Road-East-West Expressway-Dongling Road as its east-west axis.

7.2 Railways

Shenyang is the largest railway hub in the Liaoning region of China and the headquarters of the China Railway Shenyang Group. It is not only situated at the convergence of four major railway trunk lines of China State Railway Group: the Beijing-Shenyang Railway, Shenyang-Dalian Railway, Shenyang-Jilin Railway, and Shenyang-Dandong Railway, but also at the convergence of several high-speed railways: the Beijing-Shenyang Passenger Dedicated Line, Harbin-Dalian Passenger Dedicated Line, Qinhuangdao-Shenyang Passenger Dedicated Line, Shenyang-Dandong Passenger Dedicated Line, and Shenyang-Baishan Passenger Dedicated Line. The five main railway hub stations within Shenyang are the top-class stations: Shenyang Station, Shenyang North Station, Sujiatun Station, as well as Shenyang South Station and Shenyang West Station. Other major stations handling passenger services include Shenyang East Station, among others. Sujiatun Station is a marshalling yard.

The old station building of Shenyang Station was first built in 1907 and was once named "Fengtian Station." It is now a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Shenyang Station underwent a large-scale expansion and renovation in 2010. The expanded Shenyang Station is the originating station for the China State Railway Group's Shenyang-Jilin Railway, Shenyang-Dandong Railway, and the Shenyang-Fushun Intercity Railway, and also sees the passage of the Harbin-Dalian High-Speed Railway.

The old station building of Shenyang North Station was first built in 1911 and was once called "Liaoning General Station." Its former site is listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The newly built Shenyang North Station in 1986 is the largest passenger station in Liaoning. The Beijing-Harbin Railway, Shenyang-Dalian Railway, Shenyang-Jilin Railway, Qinhuangdao-Shenyang Passenger Dedicated Line, and Harbin-Dalian High-Speed Railway pass through here. It is one of China's five major railway transportation hubs and enjoys the reputation of "Liaohe's First Station."

7.3 Aviation

Shenyang Dongta Airport was first established on October 16, 1920, and is the earliest airport in the Liaoning region. Since then, Dongta Airport became the primary airport for Shenyang's air transport. In 1950, Dongta Airport was converted into a joint military-civilian airport. On April 16, 1989, the civilian facilities at Dongta Airport were closed, and its civil aviation operations were transferred to Taoxian Airport. In the same year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China's Liaoning Regional Administration was established in Shenyang, serving as the government department responsible for managing civil aviation affairs in the Liaoning region.

Currently, Shenyang's air transportation primarily relies on Taoxian Airport, located in Taoxian Town, Hunnan District in the south. It serves as a shared airport for major and medium-sized cities in central Liaoning, including Shenyang, Fushun, Benxi, Anshan, Tieling, and Liaoyang. It is recognized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China as a regional hub airport for Liaoning, China. Shenyang Taoxian Airport currently operates 147 routes, including 124 domestic routes and 23 international/regional routes. It connects to 19 cities including Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo in Japan; Seoul, Busan, Jeju, and Daegu in South Korea; Frankfurt in Germany; Los Angeles in the USA; Vancouver in Canada; and Pyongyang in North Korea. Airlines such as Lufthansa, ANA, Korean Air, Air Koryo, Asiana Airlines, and S7 Airlines have all opened routes to Shenyang. The newly built T3 terminal at Taoxian Airport covers an area of 253,000 square meters and was officially put into use on August 15, 2013.

In addition to Taoxian International Airport and Dongta Airport, Shenyang also possesses Beiling Airport, Yuhong Quansheng Airport, Huaxiang Airport, Sujiatun Hongbaoshan Airport, Xinmin Agricultural Airport, Liaozhong Airport, and Faku Caihu Airport, among others.

7.4 Public Transportation

The earliest public buses in Shenyang appeared in March 1919, operated by the Manchuria Automobile Transportation Company founded by Japanese businessman Shiga Toshiaki, running routes between Fengtian Railway Station and the Japanese concession. Currently, Shenyang has 229 public bus routes. In 2022, Shenyang's annual urban public bus passenger volume reached 380 million. In 1951, Shenyang began constructing a trolleybus public transportation system. In 1998, due to a severe fatal accident involving trolleybus wire detachment and electrocution, Shenyang's trolleybus system ceased operations in June 1999. Shenyang operated midnight bus services from February 14, 2007, to July 31, 2011, and overnight bus routes from May 1, 2007, to July 31, 2011. Except for a few routes, most public buses in Shenyang are self-service (unmanned ticketing), with fares mostly set at 1 yuan. Shenyang once operated air-conditioned buses with a fare of 2 yuan. All air-conditioned routes were canceled in the summer of 2009. In the winter of 2013, heated air-conditioned buses were promoted, still with a fare of 1 yuan. In 2015, some routes gradually replaced their buses with new air-conditioned models, and the fare was adjusted to 2 yuan. Shenyang's bus IC card and subway stored-value card were once not interchangeable. In September 2013, Shenyang issued the "Shengjing Tong" card. The Shengjing Tong is a stored-value card usable on public buses, trams, and the subway, and can also be used in over seventy cities nationwide that have joined the National City Public Transport Card Interconnection system.

In the early stages of reform and opening up, the earliest taxis appeared in Shenyang. In 1984, Shenyang introduced over a hundred sedans and established taxi companies. Starting from the mid-1990s, Shenyang developed the taxi industry on a large scale and controlled the total number of taxis within 20,000. Volkswagen Santana, Volkswagen Jetta, and Brilliance Auto Zhonghua successively became the main taxi models in Shenyang. Currently, Shenyang primarily uses mid-range models such as Brilliance Zhonghua and Beijing Hyundai. The current taxi fare in Shenyang is a starting price of 9 yuan for the first 3 kilometers, with a distance fare of 1 yuan per 500 meters. During night hours (22:00-06:00 the next day) and when using air conditioning in summer, the starting price is 10 yuan for the first 3 kilometers, with a distance fare of 1 yuan per 455 meters. An additional stepwise empty-return fee applies: for distances exceeding 15 kilometers up to 20 kilometers, a 30% surcharge on the distance fare is added; for distances over 20 kilometers, a 50% surcharge is added. Shenyang also has public bicycles and shared electric scooters from providers like Hellobike, Meituan Bike, and Qingju Bike.

7.5 Rail Transit

The construction of rail transit in Shenyang began during the Qing Dynasty. In the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign (1907), Shenyang began constructing a horse-drawn railway system (English: Wagonway), jointly operated by the Okura Zaibatsu (Japanese: 大倉財閥) and the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce. On January 4, 1908, the Shenyang horse-drawn railway system was completed, opened for operation, and continued to run. In August 1925, due to the expiration of their operating contract, the Okura Zaibatsu and the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce agreed to dissolve the company and gradually dismantled the railway, phasing out the operation of the horse-drawn railway system.The origins of the Shenyang Metro can be traced back to 1938. At that time, the Osaka Municipal Electric Bureau in Japan prepared a detailed planning and design document for the Fengtian Metro network (Japanese: 奉天市地下鉄道), which included four lines with a total length of 52 kilometers. Although this plan was comprehensive, it was never implemented. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the construction of the Shenyang Metro gained new development opportunities. In 1965, the project received official government approval, and construction work began shortly thereafter. During this phase, the construction of the Shenyang Metro demonstrated renewed vitality and momentum. However, due to the Cultural Revolution and subsequent issues related to equipment and funding, the project was halted. In the late 1990s, Shenyang made a third attempt to prepare for metro construction, but it failed to proceed due to the lack of national approval. Shenyang's application for metro project approval was finally approved by the National Development and Reform Commission on November 7, 2005. The currently operational Shenyang Metro began construction in 2005, making Shenyang the first city in Northeast China to open and operate a metro system. The Shenyang Metro currently includes Line 1, Line 2, Line 9, Line 10, and Line 4. As of September 2023, the Shenyang Metro operates five lines with 111 stations and a total operational length of 163.7 kilometers.

Shenyang planned to build a light rail system in 1990, which received approval in 1993. However, due to the requirements outlined in the 1995 "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Suspending the Approval of Urban Underground Rapid Transit Projects," the project ultimately did not commence.

Shenyang's tram system was first established in March 1924. In October 1925, the first tram line, running from Huaiyuan Gate through Taiqing Palace to Xiaoxibian Gate, was completed and opened for operation. At that time, all trams were imported from the German company AEG. In the 1950s, Shenyang's tram system experienced phased development. However, due to the rapid increase in other modes of transportation, such as trolleybuses, trams—which were characterized by high operational noise, complex road maintenance requirements, interference with other vehicles, and relatively outdated technology—struggled to continue developing and gradually gave way to other transportation methods. The Shenyang tram system was completely dismantled after 1974. At the end of 2011, Shenyang began rebuilding its tram system. In August 2013, the first phase of the project opened for operation, becoming the first modern tram network in mainland China. Currently, it operates six lines and is the tram system with the longest operational mileage. After an extension in 2021, it became the first tram system to operate across cities (Fushun).

8. Education

Traditional education in Shenyang began during the Liao Dynasty, when both official and private schools were established. In the second year of the Ming Chongzhen era (the third year of the Later Jin Tiancong era), Huang Taiji established a Confucian temple in Shenyang to encourage learning and held imperial examinations. In the 58th year of the Qing Kangxi era, the Assistant Prefect of Fengtian Prefecture founded the Cuisheng Academy, which became the highest institution of learning in the Shengjing region during the Qing Dynasty. In modern higher education, Shenyang pioneered trends in Liaoning and even northern China.

Modern higher education in Shenyang began with the establishment of Fengtian University during the Guangxu era. Guided by the principle of "Chinese learning as the foundation, Western learning for practical use," General Zeng Qi prepared to establish Fengtian University in the 28th year of the Qing Guangxu era (1902). The institution aimed to absorb modern science and technology while upholding feudal ethics and traditional Chinese culture. During the late Qing and early Republican periods, General Zhao Erxun of Shengjing founded several higher education institutions in Shenyang, including the Shengjing Military Academy, Fengtian Law and Politics School, Fengtian Preparatory School for Studying Abroad, and Fengtian Provincial Women's Normal School. Later, during the Fengtian Clique's rule, Feng Yong founded Feng Yong University. During the Manchukuo period, various schools and educational institutions were newly established by the Japanese in Shenyang, including the Manchuria Medical University, Fengtian National Agricultural University, and South Manchuria Middle School.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shenyang established several science and engineering universities following the Soviet model. Among these, Northeastern University is a Project 985 university directly under the Ministry of Education, Liaoning University is a Project 211 university, and the China Criminal Police University is directly under the Ministry of Public Security. As of 2022, Shenyang has 45 regular higher education institutions, 29 secondary specialized schools, 47 vocational high schools, 32 technical schools, 317 regular high schools, and 285 primary schools, with a total student enrollment of 1.401 million.

Major Undergraduate Universities in Shenyang

• China Medical University
• China Criminal Police University
• Liaoning University
• Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts
• Shenyang Conservatory of Music
• Northeastern University
• Shenyang Jianzhu University
• Shenyang Aerospace University
• Shenyang University of Technology
• Shenyang Ligong University
• Shenyang University of Chemical Technology
• Shenyang Pharmaceutical University
• Shenyang Agricultural University
• Shenyang Normal University
• Shenyang University
• Shenyang Medical College
• Shenyang Sport University
• Shenyang Institute of Engineering

In the 32nd year of the Qing Guangxu era (1906), the Qing government established the Fengtian Agricultural Experiment Station in Shenyang to promote industry, making it the first scientific research and experimental institution in Fengtian Province at the time. During the same period, Japanese forces set up an observatory inside the Tangzi Temple near Fumen Gate in Fengtian to conduct meteorological and seismic observations. In May 1978, the Shenyang Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was established as a dispatched agency to liaise and coordinate research institutes in Liaoning and Shandong provinces. Currently, in terms of scientific research, the city has 14 national key laboratories and 14 national engineering (technology) research centers.

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9. Culture

As the capital of the Later Jin and the Qing dynasty before their entry into the Shanhai Pass, Shenyang possesses a profound historical and cultural heritage and has been designated by the State Council as a National Famous Historical and Cultural City. Shenyang's culture originated in the late Ming dynasty, flourished throughout the Qing dynasty, and is a culture jointly created by various ethnic groups, primarily the Manchu, in the Shengjing region, known as "Shengjing Culture." In the late Ming period, Huang Taiji won over Mongol nobles through marriage alliances and other means, infusing Shengjing culture with Mongol characteristics. To resolve conflicts between the Manchu and Han ethnicities, Huang Taiji adopted measures such as changing the ethnic and state names and learning from and imitating Han systems to absorb Han culture, leading to the early development of Shenyang's culture as a collaborative creation of Manchu, Han, and Mongol peoples. In modern times, Shenyang's culture has been deeply influenced by modern industrial and commercial civilization and colonial culture. Its culture leans more towards that of the Beijing-Tianjin region and differs significantly from the cultures of other northeastern provinces.

9.1 Quyi (Folk Performing Arts)

Shenyang is the birthplace of many traditional opera arts. Historically, other folk performing arts originating in the Liaoning region have also been developed and preserved in Shenyang. Important representatives of Shenyang's Quyi include: Fengtian Dagu (drum singing), Peking Opera, Pingju Opera, Yangge (folk dance), and Acrobatics. Among these, the Quyi forms listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in Shenyang are the Tang School of Peking Opera, the Han School of Pingju Opera, and Northeast Dagu. Shenyang is renowned as the "Hometown of Pingju Opera." Shenyang Pingju Opera, also known as Fengtian Laozi, flourished during the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns of the Qing dynasty and is representative of Pingju Opera beyond the Great Wall. From the late Qing to the early Republic of China, many teahouses and theaters were built in Shenyang and surrounding towns, gradually accommodating performances by Laozi artists. The rulers at the time did not ban Pingju art. After the establishment of the Republic of China, Pingju Opera developed rapidly. Shenyang successively established stages, teahouses, and theaters in places like the North Market and South Market, providing favorable conditions for the development of Pingju Opera. In 1959, the Shenyang Pingju Theater was established. Han Shaoyun, Hua Shulan, and Xiao Junting, who worked at the Shenyang Pingju Theater, developed artistic styles recognized as the three major schools in the Pingju world. Currently, the development of Shenyang Pingju Opera has hit a low point, facing issues such as few students and a sluggish market.

Shenyang Yangge began to develop during the Ming and Qing dynasties. During this period, narrative singing arts like Pingci, Dagu, Xiangsheng (crosstalk), and Lianhualao gradually formed within Shenyang, and Errenzhuan (song-and-dance duet) also developed progressively. Starting in 2003, Zhao Benshan organized Errenzhuan performances at the Shenyang Grand Stage, established the first Liu Laogen Grand Stage, and subsequently opened chain theaters in various locations. Shenyang Yangge is a local folk art formed during the Ming and Qing dynasties by inheriting the tradition of Dayangge since the Tang dynasty. In its early stages, Shenyang Yangge was a street performance by a small number of folk artists who made a living by performing, later gradually becoming an entertainment activity during festivals or temple fairs. In addition to inheriting the traditional artistic style of Eastern Liaoning Dayangge, Shenyang Yangge also absorbed the stilts art from Southern and Western Liaoning. Currently, Shenyang Yangge has become a popular folk performing art activity, and the Yangge Festival has become a major event in Shenyang.

9.2 Festivals and Folk Arts

Shenyang is the birthplace of Manchu Qing culture and Guandong culture, often called the "Cradle of a Dynasty, Capital of Two Emperors." Historically, many folk customs and arts imbued with Manchu culture are reflected in Shenyang. During traditional festivals, Shenyang has a tradition of holding lantern festivals and temple fairs. In northern China, during the agricultural slack season in winter, there is a tradition of visiting lantern festivals and viewing festive lanterns. After the Qing army entered the Shanhai Pass, Shenyang, as a secondary capital, co-hosted lantern festivals with Beijing. In the late Qing dynasty, Shenyang's lantern culture reached its peak, with the Imperial City Lantern Festival held on Siping Street in Shenyang's Fangcheng (walled city) described as "Watching the Running Horse on Siping, the Myriad Alleys Empty for Three Days." Shenyang temple fairs are traditional folk activities integrating commerce, entertainment, and beliefs. Among them, the Imperial Temple Fair held at the Shisheng Temple during the Lantern Festival is an official folk activity famous for hosting Tibetan Buddhist rituals known as "Tiao Buzha." The Dongyue Temple, Niangniang Temple, and Yaowang Temple are known as Shenyang's three major folk temple fairs.

Folk arts and beliefs in Shenyang listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage include Dizhang Caihua (architectural painting), Xibe Folk Tales, Beishi Wrestling, and the Xili Mama Belief Custom. Due to issues like employment for inheritors, Dizhang Caihua faces low popularity and a lack of successors. Currently, important representatives of Shenyang's folk arts include paper pleating techniques, Liaoning embroidery techniques, and gourd carving techniques.

9.3 Cuisine

Liaoning Cuisine (Liaocai) is fully represented in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning. Liaocai is fundamentally characterized by fresh and savory flavors, excels in cooking methods like "braising, stewing, and quick-frying," and is typically known for being well-cooked, fragrant, crispy, and having glossy sauces. It favors ingredients such as wild delicacies from the mountainous areas of Eastern Liaoning and fresh seafood from the Liao River and Bohai Sea. Simultaneously, having served as the Shengjing (prosperous capital) of the Qing dynasty, Shenyang holds a special historical status and is a multi-ethnic city. Its culinary flavors have been influenced by cuisines from across the country, including imperial court cuisine and official mansion cuisine, and also combine the diverse dietary characteristics of Han, Manchu, Mongol, Hui, Korean, and other ethnic groups. During the late Qing period, Shenyang developed the imperial banquet known as the Shengjing Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.

Notable snacks include Laobian Dumplings, grilled chicken skeletons, hand-pulled noodles, grilled beef, Laoshanji Haicheng meat pies, the Manchu snack Naja White Meat and Blood Sausage, the Hui Muslim Ma's Shaomai (steamed dumplings), Huoshao (baked pastry), etc.

Represented by the vicinity of Xita Street, known as the "World's Second Largest Korean-style Street," Shenyang has numerous Korean restaurants offering various Korean ethnic and Korean-style dishes, such as Korean barbecue, Xita Cold Noodles, and Ddeok (rice cakes). Among these, the charcoal grill barbecue that blends Chinese and Korean cuisines is particularly distinctive. Additionally, Japanese cuisine also has a relatively high presence in Shenyang.

9.4 News Media

China's modern newspaper industry emerged during the Hundred Days' Reform period. Coastal cities like Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangzhou successively saw waves of Chinese-run newspapers. Due to factors such as its geography, culture, and social development, Shenyang missed the first wave of Chinese-run newspapers. In the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (1905), the Fengtian Provincial Gazette, a semi-weekly publication overseen by General Zhao Erxun of Shengjing, was officially launched, becoming the first national newspaper in the modern Liaoning region. In 1906, the Japanese Nakajima Masao, under the banner of "promoting Sino-Japanese relations and enlightening the people," founded the Shengjing Times in Fengtian. It continued publication for 38 years, becoming the longest-running Chinese newspaper in modern Liaoning. From the late Qing to the early Republic of China, with changes in political power, Shenyang successively published newspapers such as the Fengtian Gazette, Commerce and Industry Daily, Greater Asia Gazette, and Shengjing Daily. Shenyang has multiple newspapers including Liaoning Daily, Liaoshen Evening News, Times Business News, Huashang Morning Post, Shenyang Daily, and Shenyang Evening News. Among these, Liaoshen Evening News, Shenyang Evening News, and Huashang Morning Post have relatively large circulations.

The earliest radio station in Shenyang was established in 1928 when the Fengtian warlords founded the Fengtian Broadcasting Radio Station, which was the most powerful radio station in the country at the time. After the September 18th Incident, the Japanese Kwantung Army occupied the Fengtian Broadcasting Radio Station, later handing it over to the Japanese Fengtian Hatobayashi Company to operate, broadcasting under the name "Fengtian Broadcasting Bureau." After the establishment of Manchukuo, the Manchuria Telegraph and Telephone Company was set up in Northeast China and took over the radio station. By 1938, the Manchukuo authorities upgraded the Fengtian Broadcasting Bureau to the Fengtian Central Broadcasting Bureau and expanded it in October 1938. After China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japan, seven radio stations broadcast in Shenyang. After the Communist Party of China occupied Shenyang, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station moved from Binjiang to Shenyang and was later renamed the Fengtian People's Broadcasting Station. On September 1, 1954, the Fengtian People's Broadcasting Station was dissolved, and the Liaoning People's Broadcasting Station was established based on its personnel and equipment. On October 1, 1959, Liaoning Television (then called Shenyang Television) was completed and officially began broadcasting, becoming one of the earliest five television stations in the People's Republic of China. On December 18, 2009, Liaoning People's Broadcasting Station, Liaoning Television Station, and Liaoning Education Television merged to form Liaoning Radio and Television. Liaoning Satellite TV began broadcasting via satellite on January 1, 1997, and currently covers the entire Liaoning province and over 200 cities across China's provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, with partial coverage also in Japan, South Korea, Australia, and North America. Shenyang Television Station was established on December 1, 1979, and is one of the earlier city television stations established in the People's Republic of China. On June 21, 2010, it merged with Shenyang People's Broadcasting Station to form Shenyang Radio and Television. On January 1, 2012, Liaoning Radio and Television and Shenyang Radio and Television achieved so-called "strategic cooperation," essentially a merger. Currently, the channels and frequencies of both entities, except for their main channels/frequencies, are operated cooperatively and all use the designation "Liaoning Radio and Television."

9.5 Historical Sites and Cultural Heritage

Shenyang city contains numerous cultural relics from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Shenyang Imperial Palace and the Three Imperial Tombs of Shengjing, making it one of the cities in China with the most World Heritage Sites outside of Beijing. The Xinle Site is a cultural village site from the Neolithic matrilineal clan commune society. It was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in the fifth batch in 2001. As the site was discovered within the dormitory area of the Xinle Electric Factory, it was named the Xinle Site. In 1984, the "Xinle Site Museum" was established at the site.The Shenyang Imperial Palace was initially constructed in 1625 and largely completed by 1636. Located in the heart of the old Ming and Qing-era city within Shenhe District, Shenyang, it served as the imperial palace of the Later Jin before their move inside the Shanhai Pass and later as the secondary capital palace after the Qing dynasty relocated its primary capital to Beijing. It is one of only two surviving ancient imperial palace complexes in China. After extensive renovations and expansions during the Qianlong Emperor's reign, it covers an area of approximately 60,000 square meters. Since 1926, the complex has been gradually converted into a museum, now known as the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum. Compared to the Forbidden City in Beijing, Shenyang's Imperial Palace exhibits a distinctive architectural style blending Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan influences and is divided into eastern, central, and western sections. In 1743, during an eastern tour to Shengjing (Shenyang), the Qianlong Emperor found its palaces too modest compared to Beijing's Forbidden City and thus planned their expansion, leading to the largest renovation and enlargement in the palace's history. In 1961, the State Council of the People's Republic of China designated the Shenyang Imperial Palace as one of the first Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. In July 2004, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang."

The Three Imperial Tombs of Shengjing refer to the three early Qing dynasty imperial mausoleums: the Fuling Tomb and Zhaoling Tomb in the suburbs of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, and the Yongling Tomb in Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County, Fushun. The Fuling Tomb, located in the northeastern suburbs of Shenyang, is the mausoleum of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Later Jin. The entire tomb complex is backed by mountains, grand in scale, and set in beautiful scenery. The Zhaoling Tomb is the joint burial site of Hong Taiji, the first emperor of the Qing dynasty, and his empress, Xiaoduanwen. It is the largest of the three imperial tombs outside the Shanhai Pass.

The Shenyang Marshal Zhang's Mansion, also known as Zhang's Mansion or the Young Marshal's Mansion, consists of a central courtyard and eastern and western courtyards. The central courtyard is a traditional three-section siheyuan (courtyard residence) and served as the official residence of the Fengtian warlord Zhang Zuolin and his son Zhang Xueliang during the Republic of China era. Construction began in 1914, and in 1996, it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. On January 10, 1929, in the mansion's "Tiger Hall," Zhang Xueliang executed Yang Yuting and Chang Yinhuai, who had sought to seize military and political power in Northeast China.

The Shenyang Cemetery for Martyrs of the Korean War covers an area of 120,000 square meters and includes martyr tombs, a martyr memorial hall, and a martyr monument. The martyr tombs occupy 40,000 square meters and are divided into eastern, western, and northern sections, where 124 renowned heroes, model soldiers, and meritorious individuals from the Korean War are buried. Among them are special-class heroes Huang Jiguang and Yang Gensi, and first-class heroes Qiu Shaoyun, Sun Zhanyuan, and Yang Liandi. The front of the monument in the cemetery is inscribed with calligraphy by Dong Biwu: "Eternal Glory to the Martyrs of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea." The back features a seven-character regulated verse by Guo Moruo: "Glorious martyrs, all meritorious servants, their radiance undying, their spirit eternal. South of the Yalu River, flowers bloom like brocade; by the North Tomb's garden, grass forms a carpet. The heroic spirit endures for millennia, the internationalist spirit summons the multitude. Towering mountains bow in reverence, vowing to turn paper tigers into dust."

9.6 Municipal Cultural Venues

9.6.1 Museums

The Japanese established the Fengtian National Museum in 1931, Shenyang's first museum. Today, Shenyang's museums include comprehensive ones like the Liaoning Provincial Museum, as well as specialized or professional museums such as the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, Shenyang Xinle Site Museum, September 18th History Museum, Shenyang Marshal Zhang's Mansion Museum, China Industrial Museum, Shenyang Finance Museum, Shenfei Aviation Expo Park, Shenyang Steam Locomotive Museum, Shenyang Mint Museum, Shenyang Shengjing Stele Forest Exhibition Hall, and Old Shenyang Museum. Among these, the September 18th History Museum officially opened on September 18, 1999, and includes a monument erected by postwar Japanese orphans expressing gratitude to their Chinese foster parents.

9.6.2 Libraries

The earliest library in Shenyang was the Wensu Pavilion located within the Shenyang Imperial Palace. The Wensu Pavilion is the largest library built within an imperial palace, housing rare editions such as the Wensu Pavilion Copy of the Complete Library in Four Sections and the Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books. It was constructed during the Qianlong Emperor's expansion of the Shenyang Imperial Palace, modeled after the Tianyi Pavilion library in Ningbo, with the plaque inscribed "Wensu Pavilion" in the emperor's own calligraphy.

Shenyang's first modern public library was the Fengtian Library, founded by Zhang Heling and established in the 33rd year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign (1907). The Fengtian Library was the first modern public library in the Liaoshen region and pioneered public library development in the entire Northeast, even predating the establishment of the capital's library, which had a national public library function.

As of 2018, Shenyang had 21 public libraries. The main ones include the Liaoning Provincial Library, Shenyang City Library, and various university libraries. Districts, counties, and cities generally have their own libraries, and most district libraries and their self-service lending points are interconnected with the Shenyang City Library for borrowing and returning books (except for Liaozhong District, temporarily). Major archives include the Liaoning Provincial Archives, Shenyang City Archives, and Shenyang Urban Construction Archives.

9.6.3 Science Education Venues

By the end of 2014, Shenyang had established 27 municipal science venues and possessed 15 national-level science and technology education bases. Major science venues include the Liaoning Science and Technology Museum, Shenyang Science Palace, Shenyang Science Park, and Shenyang Astronomy Palace. The Liaoning Science and Technology Museum is a key cultural construction project in Liaoning Province. Construction of the new building began in July 2011, and it opened in April 2015. It is currently one of the larger science education venues in Liaoning Province and even nationally. Shenyang Science Palace is a comprehensive science education base in Shenyang that integrates science exhibitions, exchange training, conference exhibitions, and high-tech entertainment. It houses a giant-screen 4D science cinema, a dome theater, and seven exhibition halls including one for basic sciences.

10. Sister Cities

• Japan Sapporo (Hokkaido)
• Japan Kawasaki (Kanagawa Prefecture)
• Italy Turin (Piedmont)
• United States Chicago (Illinois)
• Germany Düsseldorf (North Rhine-Westphalia)
• Russia Irkutsk (Irkutsk Oblast)
• Philippines Quezon City (Metro Manila)
• Mexico Monterrey (Nuevo León)
• Israel Ramat Gan (Northern District)
• South Korea Gongju (South Chungcheong Province)
• South Korea Seongnam (Gyeonggi Province)
• South Korea Chuncheon (Gangwon Province)
• Cameroon Yaoundé (Centre Region)
• Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City
• South Korea Gumi (North Gyeongsang Province)
• Greece Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki Regional Unit)
• Malaysia Johor Bahru (Johor)
• Czech Republic Ostrava (Moravian-Silesian Region)
• Czech Republic Zlín (Zlín Region)
• Poland Katowice (Silesian Voivodeship)
• Japan Hamamatsu (Shizuoka Prefecture)
• Russia Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan)
• Russia Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Oblast)
• South Korea Daejeon Metropolitan City
• South Korea Incheon Metropolitan City
• Argentina La Plata (Buenos Aires Province)
• United Kingdom Belfast (Northern Ireland)
• Uruguay Florida (Florida Department)

The following are domestic cities in China that have currently established sister city relationships with Shenyang City.

• Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Ürümqi City
• Guangdong Province Guangzhou City
• Fujian Province Xiamen City
• Jilin Province Jilin City
• Tianjin Municipality Tianjin City
• Shaanxi Province Yan'an City

The following are international cities that have currently established partner city relationships with Shenyang City.

• United States New York (New York State)
• Brazil Marabá (Pará State)

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