Shenyang Off The Beaten Path

2 more images

nowadays, Gong Ren Cun (workers' village) has been a memorial place to show the socialist industry heritage. More than 50 years ago, Shenyang absolutely was called the first city of china heavy industy that has contribute all its power and money to the new built country. at that time, the workers had a high position in the social life, and govenment developed a huge community to build the worker's apartments and other facilities. It was named as Gong Ren Cun.

Gong Ren Cun has been the pride of the worker class before the Opening-up, now, it is just a old name for these nostalgic people to remind.

The Hunhe or Hun River looks like a little river on the maps of China, even on the maps of Liaoning, and I had seen the brown waters from the comfort of my speeding taxi on the way in from the airport. I have this thing about rivers, and whenever I visit cities with a river, I always end up on the bank for a walk. For most Chinese cities – as with many other cities in Asia – rivers have yet to become a desirable urban feature. Even in cities like Seoul and Brisbane, the riverfornts have only begun to develop in recent decades.
However, the Hun River at Shenyang has to be one of the foulest rivers I have come across in China, and that is saying something. Getting to the riverside was a major task involving crossing several six-lane divided highways, four highway slip roads and then joining a long gaggle of cyclists crossing the bridge after a long day at work. I began to regret my determination to see the Hunhe, as my nose gradually detected its presence long before there was any visible evidence I was close.
The fetid stench grew stonger as I approached, but I had diced with death too much crossing the highways to give up without seeing it. I made it onto the end of the bridge, where, 6 metres below, the swollen brown river stank its way past Shenyang. Whether this is a river or a unique chemical mixture could not be determined, but it did make me wonder where on earth it gets so polluted, given that there is not much industry upstream of Shenyang other than the city of Fushun.

it's very beautiful downtown park built by japanese in 1910s. after anti-japan war, it was changed into zhongshan park as many city's.

it is a central place in the city. many people gather here for walking, exercising, singing and giving speech.

Though this site is on tourist maps of Shenyang, it is on the northern edge of the city. Though not the most interesting place I have found in Liaoning, in a city with few sites such as Shenyang, it is welcome enough.
The entry for adults is 14rmb, and with that one gets to see the remains of a 7200 year old site with some exhibits recreating the life of that time.
The site is on two parts, the first is that of the old houses, some rebuilt with wood and straw, the other site containing the discovered artifacts, one of which is a beautiful, small and somewhat burned wood carving showing a totem of a bird or something.
I went in the last week of March when Shenyang is still not too colourful. No doubt in early summer, when the leaves are green, it will be quite a nice place to visit.
It is located to the west of BeiLing Park.
One nice extra is a beekeeper on the way in, selling fresh honey. I didn't try any, but it looked good.

This is the most STRANGE road in the world, maybe. When you drive a car or ride a bycicle here...you will find it easier to slide 'up' than to go 'down'...how come? Sorry, have no idea...

it was built in 1915 by japanese, which is a symble of shenyang water supply system.

the concrete surface of the tower is a aged yellow, very beautiful.

shenyang has had four white towers in the north, south, east and west. the west tower had been destructed. some years ago, govenment built it again to raise the travel market nearby.

it's a very small and quiet park in the shadow of high building. near beihang commercial street. you turn left, go through the building and find this charming place