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Shenyang (Shényáng, 沈阳), the capital of China's northeastern Liaoning Province, is as famous in the 21st century for its overly aggressive drivers as it was in the 17th century for its overly aggressive Manchu cavalry. At that time it was known as "Mukden" and was the capital of a Manchu state that first broke away from Ming Dynasty China, then conquered it, taking Beijing in 1644 and establishing China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing. 

Today, historical Shenyang is largely lost beneath the familiar organized chaos of China's post-Mao economic boom times. Still, the patient and persistent traveler will be rewarded. Amidst the flyovers and highways, office towers and neon signs, smog and famously awful Shenyang traffic, remnants of Manchu glory remain. 

First among Shenyang attractions is the Shenyang Imperial Palace (Mukden Palace). Begun in 1625 by Nurhaci, the founder of the Manchu state, the palace combines elements of the Forbidden City with Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan flourishes. Guaranteed never to be as crowded as Beijing's famed imperial palace, Shenyang's is almost as impressive. 

Manchu enthusiasts and casual visitors alike will also find the Manchu Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage site, worth a visit. The North Tomb, situated in pleasant Beiling Park (Běilíng Gōngyuán, 北陵公园), is the final resting place of Nurhaci's son Huang Taiji; his father's body lies in the East Tomb in wooded Dongling Park (Dōnglíng Gōngyuán, 东陵公园). 

Pre-Manchu history is well preserved in the Liaoning Provincial Museum (Liáoníng Shěng Bówùguǎn, 辽宁省博物馆); ancient buildings are few, but the venerable 13-story Pagoda of Buddhist Ashes (Shèlì Tǎ, 舍利塔), not far from the North Tomb, impresses both outside and inside (be sure to gain entrance for a viewing of a rather racy pair of entwined Buddhas). 

For a taste of the unusual, go to the Strange Slope (Guài Pō, 怪坡). Like the Strange Slope in Xiamen, this is a seemingly gravity-defying hill where parked cars are reportedly drawn uphill by forces unknown, while finding descent a challenge.  

Aside from hopping in a taxi, the easiest way to navigate the city for non-Chinese speakers is the two line Shenyang Metro running north-south and east-west and hitting a number of the key tourist destinations. City buses can be caught at both the North Train Station (Shěnyáng Běizhàn, 沈阳北站) and Shenyang (South) Train Station (Shěnyáng Huǒchēzhàn, 沈阳火车站). Bus No. 203 runs between the two.

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History

First established by General Qin Kai in the Warring States period (300 B.C.), Shenyang was originally known as Hou City. Situated in an area fraught with conflict, the city changed hands several times between the Khitan (Liao Dynasty) the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty) the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty) and finally the Manchu (Qing Dynasty), whose great leader Nurhaci or "Brilliant Khan Who Benefits All Nations," made the city his capital, naming it Mukden, meaning "rising capital."

Mukden remained the Manchu capital until the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when the Manchu leadership moved to Beijing. Still, the city retained prestige as home of royal family treasures and tombs of early Qing rulers.

As Russia pressed her military advantages in the late 19th century, the Qing were forced to concede and give her leave to build the South Manchurian Railway, used to ferry Russian troops and supplies to Manchuria and on to the Liaoning Peninsula, where Russia was positioning itself for what would become a struggle with Japan for dominance over northeastern Asia. Mukden became a Russian stronghold, but fell to Japan after the Battle of Mukden, at that time the largest yet fought by these two imperial powers.

After trouncing the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese used Mukden as a base for expansion into Manchuria. Using the apparently Japanese-staged Mukden Incident of 1931 as pretext for all-out invasion, the Japanese launched the offensive that would lead to the creation of the puppet state of Manchukuo and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

During the occupation, Shenyang became a center of heavy industry. After Japan was vanquished, Russian forces turned the city over to the nationalist Kuomintang, who made it a stronghold of their own. 

However, by 1948, Chiang Kai Shek's habit of usurping the chain of command by issuing orders directly to field officers, bypassing his senior officers, had so disorganized the army and demoralized the military leadership that they fell easily to the Communists' superior numbers and organization. 

The Shenyang-focused Liaoshen Campaign marked the Communists' first major victory. It was the beginning of the end for the Kuomintang, explaining the unusually large number of Mao-inspired displays around the city.

Today, Shenyang is an increasingly international center of industry where, as in so many Chinese cities, a fraught truce between breakneck development and traditional lifestyles create a landscape of nostalgic scenes contrasting against the growing pains of modern progress to paint a distinctly Chinese image of fast-forward urbanization.

Climate

Though July averages about 25°C and January -11°C, Shenyang's year-round high humidity makes heat more draining and cold more numbing. In terms of weather, spring and fall are the best times to visit, but winter's Snow and Ice Festival make it worthwhile to brave the icy chill.

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10-Feb-2012