Liaoning

Liaoning is the gateway to northeastern China, set between the Bohai Sea and the border with North Korea. A trip to Liaoning takes you to the palaces of the Manchu emperors in Shenyang, to the beaches and promenades of Dalian, and into an industrial region that helped shape modern China.

Shenyang and the Manchu Legacy

Shenyang, formerly Mukden, was the Manchu capital before they conquered Beijing in 1644 and founded the Qing dynasty. After the Forbidden City, the Mukden Palace is the second-largest surviving imperial palace in China and showcases Manchu architectural elements such as the octagonal Dazheng Hall. The tombs of the early Qing rulers, Fuling and Zhaoling, lie in sprawling parks and are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The September 18 Museum commemorates the Mukden Incident of 1931, which marked the start of the Japanese occupation of Manchuria. Today Shenyang is a center of machine building. It is also a lively big city with night markets and Beiling Park, where dancers and tai chi groups gather every morning.

Dalian and the Coast

Dalian, at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, is considered one of the most livable cities in China. Russian and Japanese colonial-era buildings line Zhongshan Square, and a coastal road winds past cliffs, swimming coves, and Tiger Beach Park. Neighboring Lüshun, once Port Arthur, was a major battleground of the Russo-Japanese War. Farther east lies Dandong on the Yalu River, where from the riverside promenade you can look across to North Korea; the easternmost section of the Great Wall also begins here at Hushan. Dalian's rocky coastline and Bangchuidao Beach are good for swimming in summer. Near Huludao in the west of the province, the old town of Xingcheng is surrounded by a fully preserved Ming-era wall.

Food, Getting There, and the Best Time to Visit

Northeastern cuisine is hearty: braised dishes with sauerkraut, filled jiaozi, and guobaorou, crispy fried pork in a sweet-and-sour sauce. In Dalian it's all about seafood, from sea urchins to grilled clams. Shenyang and Dalian have international airports and are linked to each other and to Beijing by high-speed rail. The best time to visit is between May and October; winters are long and bitterly cold, especially inland.