Liaoning

A coastal province at the southern end of the White Mountains and Black Waters — where the Qing dynasty originated and Northeast industry meets seaside scenery.

• History: Shenyang Imperial Palace was begun in 1625 as an early Qing palace and is now part of the World Heritage site "Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang". Hetuala in Fushun is one of the Qing origins. Dalian is a modern treaty-port and industrial port city; Binhai Road and Xinghai Square are modern seaside landscapes. The Yalu River Broken Bridge in Dandong is a witness to modern history. Liaoning has a large Manchu population; Manchu traditional dress, paper-cutting and more survive in Xinbin, Xiuyan and elsewhere. Local foods include Shenyang Laobian dumplings, Dalian seafood and Anshan Nangguo pears.
• Legend: The folk claim that Nurhaci "rose with thirteen suits of armour" is strongly legendary; the founding of the Later Jin regime is recorded in sources such as the Qing Shilu, and exact numbers and episodes follow historical records — legend alone cannot settle it. There are also folk tales of "immortals" on Mount Qian, which are legend.

• Shenyang Imperial Palace (Mukden Palace) — Dazheng Hall, Ten Princes' Pavilions, Phoenix Tower.
• Dalian Binhai Road — coastline around Xinghai Square, Yanwo Ridge and Fujiazhuang.
• Qianshan, Anshan — famous Northeast mountain; Immortal Terrace, Wuliang Temple and more.
• Benxi Water Cave — underground water-filled cave; the cave is constantly cool, bring a jacket.
• Red Beach, Panjin — seepweed wetland; best as an autumn red carpet.

Intercity travel is mainly by high-speed rail: Shenyang to Dalian takes about 2–3 hours at fastest, fares around a hundred yuan, subject to official publication. Shenyang Taoxian and Dalian Zhoushuizi airports have airport buses, metro or ride-hailing. Shenyang has a metro; the Imperial Palace is reachable via Metro Line 2 to a nearby station (subject to the latest route map). Dalian has metro, trams and buses; Binhai Road can be done by bus or cycling, buses mostly one to a few yuan, payable by transit card or ride code. Dandong, Benxi and Panjin rely on buses, taxis and tourist lines; rural and wetland sites have few buses, so check timetables in advance or charter a car. In winter coastal winds are strong and roads ice over — drive carefully. Fare-evasion fines follow each operator's official rules.

• Red Line: In Shenyang Imperial Palace and memorial halls do not touch exhibits or photograph in no-photography zones; along the Yalu border do not cross boundaries or photograph border-control facilities.
• Taboo: ① In Manchu folk villages and memorial places do not joke about ethnic dress or sacrificial objects; ② in coastal reef areas do not swim in the sea without authorisation or play in no-swimming zones.
• Good Manners: Visit palaces and museums quietly; in seafood markets ask the price first and confirm how it is charged; in winter ice-and-snow activities follow staff arrangements.
• Common pitfalls for visitors: ① Dalian's tides change fast, and reef paths flood at high tide — check the tide table; ② in winter Shenyang and Dalian have large temperature swings and strong winds, so a thin jacket alone will leave you cold — bring windproof clothing.

Best in spring and autumn; summer is the seaside season, winter the ice-and-snow season. Red Beach is best in autumn, subject to scenic-area notices. Benxi Water Cave is in single-digit degrees Celsius (subject to scenic-area publication) — bring a light jacket.