Liaoyang

{{Further|Xiangping}}

File:Battle of Liaoyang1621.jpg captured Liaoyang in 1621 and made it the capital of his empire until 1625.]]

Liaoyang is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in northeast China, dating back to before the Warring States period, and the site of the city has not changed ever since.{{cite news |title=国务院正式批复！辽阳成为第135座国家历史文化名城 |url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_10314055 |publisher=thepapaer.cn |date=7 December 2020}} Under the Yan state and the Qin and Han dynasties, Liaoyang (then known as Xiangping) was the capital of Liaodong Commandery and the political center of the Liaodong region. During the Three Kingdoms period, the city was the focus of Sima Yi's devastating Liaodong campaign. From the 5th to 7th centuries, Liaoyang was on the northern edge of the Goguryeo kingdom. Remains of Yodong and Baegam, the old Goguryeo cities, can still be seen near the modern city. This was the site of a major battle between the Tang and Goguryeo in 645 AD.

Liaoyang rose to prominence during the Liao dynasty. Several buildings in the city date to this period. Among these is the White Pagoda (baita), which dates back to 1189 in the Liao Dynasty with additions during the Yuan dynasty.{{cite web

| url = http://www.abookaboutchina.com/location/Baida-White-Pagoda-Park

| title = Baida White Pagoda Park Travel Guide

| publisher = A Book About China

| access-date = 26 March 2012

}} The Liaoyang White Pagoda sits in Baita Park within Baita district in the centre of the city. Next to the park is Guangyou Temple, one of the oldest and largest temple complexes in the north east of China covering some {{convert|60,000|m2}}.

Under the Jurchen Jin dynasty, the city served as their empire's eastern capital under the name Dongjing ({{lang|zh-hant|東京}}).Theobald, Ulrich. China Knowledge. "[http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Song/jinn-map.html Chinese History - Jin Dynasty 金 (1115-1234): Map and Geography]". Accessed 19 Oct 2012.

In the 17th century, the Manchu people rose up against the Ming dynasty of China. Liaoyang was one of the first Ming cities to fall and Nurhaci, the new Emperor of the Later Jin dynasty, made his capital there naming the city Dongjing in 1621. He also moved the tombs of several family members to Liaoyang and they can still be seen in Dongjingling, just east of the city. As the Manchu expanded, they again moved the capital to Shenyang in 1625. After this Dongjing faded in importance. Today, remains of the city walls can still be seen and a small museum stands within the reconstructed south gate.

The year 1900 saw the Boxer Rebellion in China. Russian troops camped in Liaoyang city, burning the ancient Guangyou temple. On the August 24 September 1904,{{Clarify|date=August 2018}} the Battle of Liaoyang took place. This was a major battle of the Russo-Japanese war.

Liaoyang was one of the major centres of the Manchurian revival, a Protestant Christian revival which took place in Mukden (Shenyang) and the surrounding countryside in 1908.

The city was the site of widespread labor protests in March 2002 that were sparked by the bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation of the Liaoyang Ferroalloy Factory, or Liaotie. The protesters were workers from at least seven different factories, including failing textile, chemical, piston, instruments, leather, and precision tool plants. Their grievances involved local government corruption and widespread worker layoffs coupled with arrearage in employee wages, pensions and unemployment benefits. The activists demanded compensation for what they were owed, an investigation into the bankruptcy of Liaotie, and the resignation of the chairman of the local legislature, Gong Shangwu. The protests were eventually dispersed after several days by the government after declaring a curfew under martial law. Two of the workers' representatives, Xiao Yunliang and Yao Fuxin, were given prison terms of four and seven years, respectively. The government also responded by paying most but not all of the money that the workers were owed, and by ordering an investigation into the charges of corruption at Liaotie which culminated in the arrest and thirteen-year prison sentence of its manager, Fan Yicheng, for smuggling and fraudulent dereliction of duty. The provincial governor who approved the Liaotie bankruptcy was also imprisoned for accepting bribes, but Gong Shangwu evaded punitive action.Philip P. Pan, Out of Mao's Shadow, 2008: Simon and Schuster. ({{ISBN|1416537058}})

Within Liaoyang prefecture there are one county, five districts and one city.{{cite web

|url = http://www.liaoyang.gov.cn/view071.asp?id=6436&flbs=1

|script-title = zh:辽阳市人民政府网站

|access-date = 2008-05-30

|author = Liaoyang Municipal Government

|date = 2007-07-03

|language = zh

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071015103519/http://liaoyang.gov.cn/view071.asp?id=6436&flbs=1

|archive-date = 2007-10-15

}}

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Liaoyang, elevation {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2025)

|Jan high C = -3.6

|Feb high C = 1.1

|Mar high C = 8.3

|Apr high C = 17.6

|May high C = 24.3

|Jun high C = 28.0

|Jul high C = 29.9

|Aug high C = 29.1

|Sep high C = 24.9

|Oct high C = 17.1

|Nov high C = 6.9

|Dec high C = -1.1

|Jan mean C = -9.8

|Feb mean C = -4.8

|Mar mean C = 2.7

|Apr mean C = 11.6

|May mean C = 18.4

|Jun mean C = 22.8

|Jul mean C = 25.4

|Aug mean C = 24.3

|Sep mean C = 18.6

|Oct mean C = 10.7

|Nov mean C = 1.4

|Dec mean C = -6.8

|Jan low C = -15.1

|Feb low C = -10.3

|Mar low C = -2.8

|Apr low C = 5.4

|May low C = 12.4

|Jun low C = 17.5

|Jul low C = 21.1

|Aug low C = 19.9

|Sep low C = 12.8

|Oct low C = 4.8

|Nov low C = -3.6

|Dec low C = -11.8

|Jan record high C = 9.3 |Jan record low C = -35.6

|Feb record high C = 18.0 |Feb record low C = -34.9

|Mar record high C = 27.3 |Mar record low C = -19.8

|Apr record high C = 29.8 |Apr record low C = -12.1

|May record high C = 35.5 |May record low C = -2.1

|Jun record high C = 37.0 |Jun record low C = 5.4

|Jul record high C = 36.2 |Jul record low C = 12.5

|Aug record high C = 35.8 |Aug record low C = 8.3

|Sep record high C = 33.2 |Sep record low C = -0.3

|Oct record high C = 29.4 |Oct record low C = -8.9

|Nov record high C = 21.2 |Nov record low C = -24.7

|Dec record high C = 13.2 |Dec record low C = -27.1

|year high C = |year low C =

|year high F = |year low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 6.6

|Feb precipitation mm = 9.8

|Mar precipitation mm = 16.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 34.5

|May precipitation mm = 61.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 94.2

|Jul precipitation mm = 153.6

|Aug precipitation mm = 178.4

|Sep precipitation mm = 61.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 46.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 26.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 11.5

|Jan humidity = 61

|Feb humidity = 54

|Mar humidity = 49

|Apr humidity = 47

|May humidity = 52

|Jun humidity = 64

|Jul humidity = 75

|Aug humidity = 77

|Sep humidity = 71

|Oct humidity = 64

|Nov humidity = 62

|Dec humidity = 62

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 3.4

|Feb precipitation days = 3.2

|Mar precipitation days = 4.4

|Apr precipitation days = 6.7

|May precipitation days = 9.2

|Jun precipitation days = 10.8

|Jul precipitation days = 12.0

|Aug precipitation days = 11.2

|Sep precipitation days = 7.1

|Oct precipitation days = 6.5

|Nov precipitation days = 5.5

|Dec precipitation days = 4.0

|year precipitation days =

|Jan sun = 164.7

|Feb sun = 178.4

|Mar sun = 218.5

|Apr sun = 224.5

|May sun = 248.6

|Jun sun = 213.6

|Jul sun = 182.4

|Aug sun = 189.4

|Sep sun = 218.4

|Oct sun = 196.2

|Nov sun = 151.0

|Dec sun = 146.4

|year sun =

| Jan percentsun = 55

| Feb percentsun = 59

| Mar percentsun = 59

| Apr percentsun = 56

| May percentsun = 55

| Jun percentsun = 47

| Jul percentsun = 40

| Aug percentsun = 45

| Sep percentsun = 59

| Oct percentsun = 58

| Nov percentsun = 51

| Dec percentsun = 51

| year percentsun =

|Jan snow days = 4.9

|Feb snow days = 4.4

|Mar snow days = 4.0

|Apr snow days = 1.1

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0.5

|Nov snow days = 4.3

|Dec snow days = 5.3

|year snow days =

|source 1 = China Meteorological Administration{{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans |access-date=29 July 2023}}

{{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=China Meteorological Administration |language = zh-hans | access-date =29 July 2023}}

}}

The largest park within the city is Baita park. There are several historical sites to be visited. The new Liaoyang Museum, open to the public since 2009, contains many antiques. Guangyou temple beside the Baita (White Pagoda) has become one of Liaoyang's main tourism attraction in recent years. The first temple on the site dates back to 1145. The temple was destroyed by Russian troops during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion but was later rebuilt.{{cite web

| title = Guangyou Temple Scenic Area Travel Guide

| publisher = A Book About China

| access-date = 26 March 2012

| url = http://www.abookaboutchina.com/location/Guangyou-Temple-Scenic-Area

}} It houses a giant statue of Buddha made from sandalwood. There are two small museums for famous Liaoyang residents: Cao Xueqin, author of the book Dreams of a Red Mansion, and Wang Erlie, a notable Qing dynasty official. There is also a small museum just outside the city on the site of Dongjing, the old capital city. Gongchangling County, just east of the main city is noted for its hot spring resort, golf course and ski centre. Outdoor activities include the Tanghe River, Shenwo Reservoir Scenic Area and rafting on the Taizi river.{{cite web

| title = Liaoyang Travel Guide

| publisher = A Book About China

| access-date = 26 March 2012

| url = http://www.abookaboutchina.com/cityguide/Liaoyang

}} In the downtown area busy shopping malls can be found. The shopping area includes a total of five malls and pedestrianized streets with many Chinese brand name stores. On the streets, there are many interesting and delicious regional snacks. Within the shopping area are two streets with many Korean BBQ restaurants (Er-dao jie, Xingyun da jie).

Liaoyang is the headquarters of the 39th Mechanized Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of the three group armies that comprise the Shenyang Military Region responsible for defending China's northeastern borders with Russia and North Korea.

{{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in China}}

Liaoyang is twinned with:

• {{flagicon|US}} Los Gatos, California, United States
• {{Flagicon|US}} Joliet, Illinois, United States
• {{flagicon|South Korea}} Haman, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea

• Cao Xueqin, the author of Dream of the Red Chamber ({{lang-zh|s=红楼梦|p=hóng lóu mèng|labels=no}})
• Wang Erlie, a notable Qing dynasty official
• {{Nihongo|Toshiko Akiyoshi|秋吉 敏子 / 穐吉 敏子|Akiyoshi Toshiko}}, Japanese jazz pianist, born in Liaoyang in 1929
• Wang Junfeng, President of the All China Lawyers Association

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

• [http://www.liaoyang.gov.cn The Liaoyang Government website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060103134412/http://www.teach-in-china.cn/liaoyang.php Information about infrastructure, service facilities and tourism]
• [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9048098 Article about Liaoyang at the Encyclopædia Britannica, with much about the history]
• [http://chinachristiandaily.com/news/church_ministry/2020-10-19/century-old-liaoyang-church--liaoning_9644 Article about the Century-Old Liaoyang Church]

{{Liaoning topics}}

{{Liaoning}}

{{Prefectural-level divisions of the People's Republic of China}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Liaoning

Category:Prefecture-level divisions of Liaoning

Category:National Famous Historical and Cultural City