Liaoning Province Travel Guide: China’s Northernmost Coastal, Riverine and Border Tourist Resort

Liaoning Province, abbreviated as “Liao”, is a provincial-level administrative region of the People’s Republic of China, with Shenyang as its provincial capital. It is located in the southern part of Northeast China. As of July 2024, Liaoning governs 14 prefecture-level cities, including 59 urban districts, 16 county-level cities, 17 counties and 8 autonomous counties. Local Chinese dialects in Liaoning belong to Beijing Mandarin, Northeast Mandarin and Jiao-Liao Mandarin, while ethnic languages such as Manchu and Mongolian still remain in use regionally.
The general landform of Liaoning follows the pattern of “six parts mountains, one part water and three parts farmland”. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south; mountains and hills lie on the east and west, sloping gently toward the central plain. The province features a temperate monsoon climate.
The earliest administrative establishment of Liaoning dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when the State of Yan set up Liaodong and Liaoxi Commanderies. In the first year of the Zhiyuan reign of the Yuan Dynasty, Liaoyang Province was established, marking the beginning of provincial-level governance in Liaoning. In the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing court implemented major official system reforms in Northeast China and founded Fengtian Province. In 1929, Fengtian Province was renamed Liaoning Province. In June 1954, Liaodong and Liaoxi Provinces were abolished and merged into the current Liaoning Province.
Located at the core of the Bohai Rim and Northeast Economic Circle, Liaoning is an important old industrial base of China confirmed by the State Council and a key region for promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era. As China’s northernmost coastal province and the only land–sea dual passage in Northeast China, it sits at the heart of Northeast Asia and serves as a vital intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Boasting geographical advantages of being coastal, riverine and border-adjacent, Liaoning acts as a crucial gateway connecting Northeast China to the world. It has a comprehensive and well-developed transportation network: expressways cover all counties on the mainland; there are 6 major ports including Dalian Port, plus 8 civil aviation airports such as Shenyang Airport. Endowed with distinctive regional culture, Liaoning is the birthplace of Qing-dynasty culture and home to 6 World Cultural Heritage sites.
Liaoning boasts abundant tourism resources.Famous mountain scenic areas include Qianshan Mountain, Fenghuang Mountain, Wulu Mountain, Longshou Mountain, Hui Mountain, Dagu Mountain and Bingyu Valley.Lake attractions cover Sargu Lake, Tang River and Qing River.Coastal landscapes feature Dalian waterfront, the eastern coast of Jinzhou, Huludao and the Yalu River.Karst cave scenery consists of Benxi Water Cave and Zhuanghe Immortal Cave.Famous hot spring resorts include Tanggangzi Hot Spring, Wulongbei Hot Spring and Xingcheng Hot Spring.Unique natural wonders embrace the coastal karst landforms of Jinshi Beach, Snake Island, Bird Island, the Strange Slope and Echoing Mountain.There are more than 50 humanistic scenic spots represented by imperial mausoleums, ancient temples, monasteries and historical city relics in Shenyang.Major tourist resorts include Dalian Jinshi Beach, Jieshi Scenic Area in Huludao, Hui Mountain in Shenyang, Bingyu Valley in Zhuanghe, Xianyu Bay in Wafangdian and Baisha Bay in Gaizhou.
Six sites in Liaoning are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Jiumenkou Great Wall, Mukden Palace, Zhaoling Mausoleum, Fuling Mausoleum, Yongling Mausoleum and Wunü Mountain City.
As of December 2023, Liaoning had 577 national A-level tourist attractions, among which 6 are AAAAA-level scenic areas: Shenyang Botanical Garden, Dalian Tiger Beach Ocean Park, Dalian Jinshi Beach Scenic Area, Benxi Water Cave Scenic Area, Anshan Qianshan Scenic Area, and Panjin Red Beach Landscape Corridor Scenic Area.