The northeastern province of Liaoning consists of wooded mountains in the northeast and west, the vast Liaoning Plain in its heart, and the West Liaoning Corridor-a narrow strip of plain along a 2,100-km-long coast of the Bohai Sea. Dalian, Dandong, Yingkou, Jinzhou, Jinxi and Xingcheng are major seaboard cities, and there are 7 national scenic resorts. Liaoning was the cradle of the Manchu people who established China's last dynasty, the Qing Empire. The local historical legacy includes 180 cultural sites under national or provincial protection. A major industrial base, Liaoning boasts a steel-making industrial center in Anshan, a coal-mining center in Fushun, and a first-class harbour at Dalian. Major tourist cities are Shenyang, Dalian, Dandong, Anshan, Jinzhou and Benxi.

Abbreviation: Liao
Area: 145,900 square km
Population: 41.7 million

THE PROVINCE'S MEAN TEMPERATURE ()

Month City	Jan	Feb	Mar	April	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Shenyang	-12.0	-8.4	0.1	9.3	16.9	21.5	24.6	23.5	17.2	9.4	0.0	-8.5
Dalian	-4.5	-2.9	2.4	9.5	15.6	19.7	23.0	24.0	20.0	13.7	5.8	-1.0

Shenyang

Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, and a major industrial city. In 1625, Nurhaci, founder of the Jin, moved his capital to Shenyang, which later became the capital of the Manchus before they took control of central China. Much of Shenyang's rich historical heritage is attributed to the Qing's formative years.

Former Imperial Palace

First built in 1625 for Nurhachi, and inherited by his son Abahai Huang Taiji), the Former Imperial Palace of Shenyang is one of two royal complexes extant in China today. The splendid and distinctly ethnic architectural style of the palace, which includes Dazheng (Grand Politics) Hall, the Ten Princes' Pavilion, Chongzhen (Golden Chimes), Phoenix Chamber, and Qingning (Pure Tranquility) Pavilion, are still in perfect shape. On Saturday afternoons during the May October period, the Former Imperial Palace is the venue for the show of the parade of a grand royal procession.

Zhaoling & Fuling Mausoleums

The Zhaoling, also known as Northern Mausoleum as it is in the northern suburbs of Shenyang, was the tomb of the second Qing emperor, Huang Taji, and his consorts. Buried under the Fuling of Eastern Mausoleum were the remains of Nurhachi and his wife, Empress Xiaoci.

Sept. 18 Incident Museum

The museum, housed inside the Monument to the September 18 Incident at the Marco Polo Bridge, recaptures the incident launched by Japanese militarists and exposes Japanese atrocities in the war that ensued.

Weird Slope of Shenyang

The 100-metre-long Weird Slope is found near Qingshuitai Town in the northern suburbs of Shenyang and the Shenyang-Changchun Expressway, and 35km from downtown Shenyang. The weirdness about it is that auto drivers and bicyclists can effortlessly slide up the slope but have to go down the distance by stepping on the accelerator or pedaling real hard. The slope is part of a scenic zone that also includes the Xiangshan Mountain, the Chain Bridge and the Peng'en Temple.

Summer Palace-on-the-Water

This is China's largest indoor recreational center-on-the-water, and the largest amusement park-on-the-water in Asia.

Dalian

The beautiful seaside city of Dalian on the southern tip of Liaodong Peninsula is a nice sightseeing, recuperating and holidaymaking destination. It is particularly suitable for convention or awarded tours. Dalian is skirted on three sides by the sea, and its long coast opens onto a myriad of islands. The landscape is fabulous, the weather pleasant, and the urban environment neat and tidy. When night falls the city takes on an enchanting look. Dalian is the venue of a series of annual large-scale events, including Dalian International Fashion Festival, the festival to greet New Year with firework displays, International Marathon competition, and International Locust Watching Festival.

Dalian Beach

The beach, lying in southern Dalian, is a celebrated summering place in north China and a national scenic resort. Major scenic spots: Wooden-Club Isle, Hutan (Tiger's Beach) Amusement Park, Beida (Grand North) Bridge, Yanwo (Swallow Nestle) Peak, Fojiazhuang Park, Forest Zoo, Xinghai (Star Sea) Bay, Xinghai Park, Shenya Marine World, and Heishi (Black Rock) Reefs. A seaside highway runs by all these attractions.

Xinghai Park

Xinghai is the largest seaside park of Dalian which consists of a seashore park and a bathing ground.

Lushunkou Scenic Resort

Lushunkou is a national scenic resort and a famed military harbour which in the westernmost part of Dalian and the southernmost tip of Liaodong Peninsula. The largest of its kind in Dalian, the Lushukou Scenic Resort comprises 8 scenic zones, including reefs, islands, mountains, Snake Isle and Bird Isle. Russian and Japanese occupation, and the Japanese-Russian War of 1894-1895, has bequeathed Lushun with quite a few landmarks, including Wanzhong Cemetery, Baiyushan Pagoda, Lushun Prison, and Russian pillboxes at Eastern Jiguan Mountain.

Jinshitan Beach National Tourist & Holiday Resort

It has a flat 7.5km-long bathing ground covered with fine sand, a modern golf club, and a hunting club.

Shenya Marine world

An aquarium of world caliber close by the Xinghai Park, the Shenya Marine World's 118-metre-long undersea tunnel enables visitors to observe this world of 10,000 fish and sea creatures in 200 species at close proximity.

Bingyu Holiday Resort

Holidaymaking and sightseeing are perfectly combined in the Provincial Bingyu Holiday Resort in north Zhuanghe City, which is suggestive of the quaint peculiarities of the Stone forest of Yunnan and the graceful allure of the landscape of Guilin. In winter, the sports facilities of Bingyu attract a constant stream of winter sports buffs.

Dalian Fashion Festival

Dalian International Fashion Festival, which takes place in September every year, sets the stage for a keenly contested competition among fashion designers from all over the world and word-famous fashion models. Among the other activities held during the festival are full-length variety shows in City Square, a world fashion exhibition, garment export negotiations, and parades of fashion models.

Anshan

Nicknamed "Capital of Chinese Steel Industry", Anshan in central Liaoning is a major iron and steel industrial base. In recent years, it has also been rising as a new tourist destination.

Qianshan Mountain

A famous mountain 18km to the southeast of Anshan in northeast China, the 708. 3-metre-high Qianshan Mountain is densely wooded, and abounds in flora and fauna. Among its scenic spots is a new discovery-a nature ought statue of the Buddha, which stands meters tall. The place has since become the venue of Qianshan Great uddha estival, which takes place in June every year.

River in Cave

A river 3,000 meters long, 2 meters deep and wide enough for 20 to 30 boats, is found flowing through a giant 5 million-year cave 35km from downtown Benxi. The cave is also filled with countless stalagmites and stone flowers, pillars and curtains. Access to the cave is by regular tourist buses running between Shenyang and Benxi during weekends and holidays.

Fengguo Temple

The Fengguo Temple possesses the largest single-floor ancient wooden hall in China. When it was completed in 1020, it was known as the Temple of the Great Buddha, or Temple of Seven Buddhas. Enshrined in the Mahavira Hall are 7 Liao-dynasty statues of Buddhas sitting cross-legged on lotus thrones. Each statue is more than 9 meters in height.

Ancient City of Xingcheng

One of the four well-preserved Ming dynasty cities, Xincheng was a major defense fortress in the late Ming. Its city wall and many buildings are in Ming and Qing architectural styles.

Yalu River

As the boundary between China and Korea, the Yalu River flows across the city of Dandong for approximately 300km. From the city's Yalu Bridge and Yalu Park one can feast his eyes on the fascinating landscape on both sides of the river.

Ice-and-Snow Tour

Winter sightseeing is a hot tourist program in northeast China. From December to February, the land of Liaoning Province teems with winter sports lovers. This is particularly the case with Qipan Mountain of Shenyang, and Bingyu of Dalian, where visitors can go skating, skiing, winter swimming, and sleighing, and discover local folklore by attending ice lantern shows, folk singing and dancing (including walking on stilts, model boat dance, and yangge dance).

SOUVENIRS

Shell mosaics of Dalian: Mosaics fashioned out of seashells are extolled as "three-dimensional traditional Chinese painting".

Feather Patchwork of Shenyang: By incorporating traditional Chinese painting techniques, artists of Shenyang have turned feather patchwork scrolls into something as refined and appealing as Chinese painting and calligraphy.

Jade Carvings of Xiuyan: Xiuyan County in Anshan abounds in a kind of jade that is extolled as the "national stone" of China, and local artists have come up with a good variety of high grade jade carvings which sell briskly at home and abroad.

Fruits of Liaoning: Liaoning's fruits include apples from Dalian and Yingkou, Golden peaches from Dalian, pears from Beizhen of Jinzhou, white pears from Huludao and Suizhong, and apricots and plums from Gushan of Dandong.

Sea Delicacies of Liaoning: The sea off Dalian abounds in quality seafood, such as abalones, sea cucumbers, scallops, prawns, crabs and sea urchins. The big fish of Dandong, the jellyfish of Yingkou, and the clams of Panjin are known worldwide for their good tastes.