Liaoning province, abbreviated as 'Liao', is situated on the southern part of northeast China. It is in a temperate zone and adjoins Jilin, Hebei provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is bordered along the Yalu River by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). It covers a total area of 145,900 square kilometers (56,332 square miles) and its borderline is over 200 kilometers long. Liaoning is a vital communication channel of Northeast China, as well as an important gateway leading to the Eurasian Continental Bridge.
'Liao' is an ancient name for this region, which was ruled by the Liao Dynasty (916 - 1125) from 907 to 1125. 'Ning' means 'peacefulness'. The modern province was established in 1907 as Fengtian province and the name was changed to Liaoning in 1929. The Liaoning province has a long-standing history and time-honored culture. The discovery of the fossilized ape man's skull on the Mt. South Jinniu in Dashiqiao of Yingkou proves that ancestors of the human race labored, lived and multiplied on this land about 280,000 years ago.
Flanked by mountains and highlands in the east and west respectively, Liaoning consists essentially of central lowland. A southward extension of the eastern highlands forms the Liaoning Peninsula. The central part of the province has abundant water and fertile soil, and the plain is the main farming area and commodity grain base of the province.
Liaoning features temperate continental monsoon climate with a long winter, a warm summer and a short spring and autumn. It has an annual rainfall of 714.9 millimeters (28.1 inches), annual average temperature of 4 to10 degrees Centigrade (39.2 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) with a frost-free period of 140 to 200 days.
Liaoning Great Wall: Hushan Great Wall & Jiumenkou Great Wall
There are over 11,300 cultural remains in Liaoning, including 19 national-level key protection units and 159 provincial-level key protection units. Besides, there are 14 natural reserves with in the province. Some of the folk festivals attract the attention of both domestic and foreign visitors such as the Dalian Costume Festival. In paleontology, Liaoning is well known for its extraordinary fossils from the Lower Cretaceous period.
In the capital city Shenyang, the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum is a highly recommended attraction.The port city of Dalian, located on the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, is a tourist destination in its own right, with beaches, resorts, zoos, seafood, shopping, Russian and Japanese-era architecture as well as streetcars, a rare sight in China.
