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Guides for the Business Traveler
Shenyang (2007)
4 hours in Shenyang (2007)
2007 Business Traveler 4-Hour Guide Sponsored by Korean Air. Gary Bowerman enjoys the sights of Shenyang: imperial splendors, dynastic marvels and a mighty Mao.
 | Sun Yat-Sen Square One of China's largest cities, and capital of Liaoning province, Shenyang was originally built as an 11th-century Mongol trading hub, and more recently became a major industrial center of Northern China. Today, this city is being extensively remodeled to be more attractive to visitors, but its central gathering place since the Cultural Revolution, Sun Yat-sen Square (Zhongshan Guangchang), is still intact. Located on Zhongshan Lu, and within easy walking distance of most hotels, Sun Yat-sen Square is where locals gather morning, afternoon and evening to sit and think, watch the world go by, practice tai chi and catch up on the day's gossip. For visitors, the most noticeable point of interest is the large statue of an overcoat-wearing Chairman Mao, on a pedestal towering over assembled statues of weapon-wielding soldiers, peasants, and workers. This is certainly one of the most striking large Mao images you will find in today's China. |  | Liaoning Provincial Museum A brisk walk east along Beiwu Ma Lu leads to this concrete building. Rebuilt and reopened in 2004, the museum houses an impressive collection of historical pieces, mostly from the Qing Dynasty era. The large, circular layout gives plenty of space to the 18 categorized sections, exhibiting collections of paintings and calligraphy, bronzes, ceramics, lacquerware, oracle bones, and coins. On the third floor is a dinosaur exhibit inspired by the late-Jurassic era specimen said to have been unearthed in Liaoning Province. Entry RMB20
|  | Imperial Palace Modeled on Beijing's Forbidden City, though with more obvious Manchu influence and Mongolian-style detailing, Shenyang's Imperial Palace (Gu Gong) is the city's premier attraction. Touted as China's second-largest palace it is, in truth, only around one-tenth as large the Tiananmen Square original. Comprising around 645,834 square feet of floor space, it is still impressive in scale.
Construction of the palace began in 1625 under the orders of Emperor Nurhachi, and was completed in 1636. The centerpiece of the palace is the octagonal Dazheng Hall, from where it is said that the Manchu order to invade China was first issued. The room, though in rather ill repair, has a splendidly ornate ceiling and impressive imperial throne. Adjacent is the palace's other main attraction, the Pavilion of Ten Kings. In the courtyard are the Banner Pavilions, which have been converted into a mini-museum exhibiting 18th-century military artifacts, armor, and colorful flags representing the eight divisions of the Manchu army. Elsewhere in the palace, which also doubles as a museum, are displays of jade and ivory carvings, musical instruments, antique furniture and paintings and calligraphy. Entry RMB49 |  | Zhang Residence This eye-catching courtyard house on Chaoyang Lu, south of the Imperial Palace, was once the home of warlord Zhang Zuolin and his mischievous son, Marshal Zhang Xueliang. The impressive European-style villa looks like a cross between a business tycoon's city abode and the covert headquarters of a powerful military association, and there is more than a hint of the sinister world that the its original powerful warlord inhabitants dominated. Zhang Zuolin died in the small study in the courtyard, after his private train was blown up by Japanese agents in 1928. Entry RMB28 |  | Imperial Tombs One of Shenyang's most popular sights, the Imperial Mausoleum is located outside the city, and comprises two ancient tombs: Beiling (North Tomb) and Dongling (East Tomb). Constructed in 1643, the North Tomb (entry RMB8) is officially claimed as the finest attraction in Shenyang, hence it can get very busy, especially on weekends and holidays. Set in a huge park, it is the burial place of Qing Dynasty founder Huang Taiji (1592–1643). Dongling Tomb (entry RMB15), built twelve years previously and accessible via a 108-step stone staircase, houses the Manchurian Emperor Nurhachi and Empress Yehenala, and is set in a forested park area five miles from downtown Shenyang. Entry RMB49 |
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