辽阳市

Why this place

Liaoyang is older than Shenyang and was the Manchu capital before it — Nurhaci's first palace is here. It holds the White Pagoda, a Liao-dynasty brick tower from the eleventh century that is one of the finest in the northeast.

What to see

• The White Pagoda (Baita) — an 11th-century Liao brick tower, 71 metres tall
• The Dongjing City ruins and Nurhaci's early palace
• The Liaoyang mural tombs, from the Han and Wei periods

What to eat

• Northeast home cooking
• Liaoyang is known for its pickled vegetables and its liquid-fermented bean paste

Best time

May–October