东北旅游之沈阳

Shenyang is the largest city in northeast China and the fifth largest in the nation. It is estimated that the urban population of the city is four million. Known as the “Gateway to Northeast China”, Shenyang is an important manufacturing and logistics hub for the region. Located in the northeast of Liaoning Province, Shenyang is close to a wide variety of natural resources and home to a large number of Chinese and foreign industrial companies.

During the 17th century Shenyang was used by the Qing Emperor Huang Taiji as the base from which he plotted the overthrow of the Ming Dynasty. It was only after this that he moved south to Beijing (in those days called Dadu). Today Shenyang’s most famous historical monument is the emperor’s palace, which resembles a small scale “Forbidden City”.

For most of the 20th century Shenyang was one of the main drivers of the Chinese economy. Today it is still home to some of its largest state-owned enterprises. It was only after the reformation policies implemented by Deng Xiaoping that the southern Chinese provinces started to take over this role. As a result of this policy shift, Shenyang suffered during the 1980s as many of its residents found themselves unemployed. Currently the central government is pursuing policies to regenerate the entire area, and investment is returning to Shenyang at a quick pace. Today major industries in the city include machinery, chemicals, electronics and software. A lot of the investment comes from Korea and Japan, although large western companies have also based themselves in the city.

Well known universities in the city include Liaoning University and Shenyang Normal University. Liaoning University is located in the heart of the town, while Shenyang Normal is further out towards the northern suburbs. Facilities for foreign students in the town are good, as are connections to other cities in China.