Liaoyang

Liaoyang is a prefecture-level city in east-central Liaoning province, China, located along the Taizi River. By car, it sits about an hour south of Shenyang, the provincial capital. The city hosts Liaoning University’s College of Foreign Studies and several vocational colleges, and it has a modern sports facility that holds a limited number of professional basketball and volleyball games. According to 2020 statistics, the population’s age breakdown is: 9.83% aged 0–14, 62.26% aged 15–59, 27.91% aged 60 and above, and 19.46% aged 65 and older.

One of northeast China’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, Liaoyang dates back to before the Warring States period, and its site has never moved. Under the Yan state, and later the Qin and Han dynasties, it was known as Xiangping and served as the capital of Liaodong Commandery, the political hub of the Liaodong region. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sima Yi’s devastating Liaodong campaign centered on the city. From the 5th to 7th centuries, Liaoyang lay on the northern edge of the Goguryeo kingdom; remnants of the old Goguryeo cities Yodong and Baegam remain near the modern city. A major battle between Tang and Goguryeo took place here in 645 AD.

The city gained prominence during the Liao dynasty, and several buildings from that era survive. The White Pagoda (baita), dating to 1189 in the Liao dynasty with Yuan additions, stands in Baita Park within Baita District at the city center. Next to the park is Guangyou Temple, one of northeast China’s oldest and largest temple complexes, covering about 60,000 square meters. Under the Jurchen Jin dynasty, the city served as the empire’s eastern capital, called Dongjing.

In the 17th century, the Manchu rose against the Ming. Liaoyang was among the first Ming cities to fall, and in 1621 Nurhaci, the Later Jin emperor, made it his capital, also naming it Dongjing. He moved several family members’ tombs here; they can still be seen at Dongjingling, just east of the city. As the Manchu expanded, they moved the capital to Shenyang in 1625, and Dongjing faded in importance. Today, remnants of the city walls remain, and a small museum sits inside the reconstructed south gate.

In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, Russian troops camped in Liaoyang and burned the ancient Guangyou Temple. The Battle of Liaoyang, a major clash of the Russo-Japanese War, occurred on August 24–September 4, 1904. Liaoyang was also a key center of the Manchurian revival, a Protestant Christian revival that swept Mukden (Shenyang) and the surrounding countryside in 1908.

In March 2002, widespread labor protests erupted after the bankruptcy and liquidation of the Liaoyang Ferroalloy Factory (Liaotie). Workers from at least seven factories—including failing textile, chemical, piston, instruments, leather, and precision tool plants—protested local government corruption, widespread layoffs, and arrears in wages, pensions, and unemployment benefits. They demanded compensation, an investigation into Liaotie’s bankruptcy, and the resignation of local legislature chairman Gong Shangwu. The government dispersed the protests after several days by declaring a curfew under martial law. Two worker representatives, Xiao Yunliang and Yao Fuxin, received prison terms of four and seven years. The government paid most but not all owed money and ordered an investigation into corruption at Liaotie, which led to the arrest and 13-year sentence of its manager, Fan Yicheng, for smuggling and fraudulent dereliction of duty. The provincial governor who approved the bankruptcy was imprisoned for accepting bribes, but Gong Shangwu faced no punitive action.

Administratively, Liaoyang prefecture includes one county, five districts, and one city.

The largest park in the city is Baita Park. Several historical sites are open to visitors. The new Liaoyang Museum, opened in 2009, holds many antiques. Guangyou Temple, beside the White Pagoda, has become a major tourist attraction in recent years; the first temple on the site dates to 1145, and though destroyed by Russian troops during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion, it was later rebuilt and houses a giant sandalwood Buddha statue. Two small museums honor famous Liaoyang residents: Cao Xueqin, author of *Dreams of a Red Mansion*, and Wang Erlie, a notable Qing official. A small museum just outside the city sits on the site of Dongjing, the old capital. Gongchangling County, east of the main city, is known for its hot spring resort, golf course, and ski center. Outdoor activities include the Tanghe River, Shenwo Reservoir Scenic Area, and rafting on the Taizi River. Downtown, five shopping malls and pedestrianized streets feature many Chinese brand-name stores, along with interesting regional snacks. Two streets—Er-dao jie and Xingyun da jie—are lined with Korean BBQ restaurants.