沈阳市

Why this place

Shenyang was the Manchu capital before the Qing crossed the wall in 1644, so it holds the palace they built first — smaller and more intimate than Beijing's, and the tombs of the founding emperors. It is also the heavy-industry heart of the northeast, with a museum that tells that story bluntly.

What to see

• The Mukden Palace — the Qing imperial palace before Beijing, with Manchu and Tibetan details
• Zhaoling and Fuling, the tombs of Hong Taiji and Nurhaci, in wooded parks
• The 9.18 Historical Museum, on the 1931 Mukden Incident that began the occupation of Manchuria
• The Former Residence of Zhang Xueliang, the general who kidnapped Chiang Kai-shek in 1936

What to eat

• Laobian dumplings — Shenyang's signature dumpling house
• Northeast stews (luan dun) and pickled cabbage (suan cai)
• Grilled skewers and cold noodles, the local street food

How to plan

Two days: palace and tombs, then the museums.

Best time

May–June and September–October; winter is long and very cold