Shenyang, lying to the east of the Songliao Plain, in the middle of Liaoning Province and north of the Hunhe River outlet (branch of Liaohe River), has a very important geographical position. It is the capital city of Liaoning Province, as well the provincial center of politics, economics, culture and transportation. Shenyang is also a heavy industry city well-known in the nation. Shenyang got its name due to its location in the north of the Hunhe River (called“Shenshui”in old times). There will be 10 Olympic football games held here.

Shenyang has a population of 6,710,000, including many minorities. Besides Han Chinese, 32 minorities live in this city, including Manchu, Korean, Muslim, Xibo and Mongolian. It has 9 subordinate districts, 1 county-level city and 3 counties.

Shenyang is a famous city with a long history and splendid culture. This city has been situated there for more than 2,000 years and especially flourished at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. At that time the first emperor started to expand his territory from this place and it became the capital city of two Shenyang Ancient Palace Chapter 7 Olympic Cities 199 emperors. Remaining historic and cultural relics include: Shenyang Ancient Palace, the Imperial Tombs (Fu Tomb and Zhao Lin), 4 Towers built at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Taiqing Palace, Wugoujingguang Dagoba, Yongan Stone Bridge, the residence of the Chief Commander, Ci’en Temple and Nanguan Catholic Church.

Natural scenic spots include Qipan Mountain, Forest & Wild Animals Park, Huishan Scenic Area, and Shenyang West Lake. There is also a huge piece of an ancient meteorite in Dongling District, Shenyang. It is a“ visitor from outer space” that arrived 1.9-billion years ago, weighing about 200 tons. Nearby there are numerous meteorites forming the largest such grouping in the world. On one amazing slope vehicles can smoothly climb up the slope without turning on the engine.

People in Shenyang love football games, which are widely organized in this city. Wulihe Stadium once held the Top 10 National Football Games and witnessed an historic moment when China National Football Team for the first time entered the World Cup secondary contests. Three keys are the focus of the massive sports service system in Shenyang: constructing an organized athletics system, providing good sports facilities for people, and frequently organizing large sporting events.

Each year more than 4,000 sports events of different levels are organized here and many have become very popular, including Ten Thousand Runners, the Dragon Boat Race and Winter Swimming in the River. Building one’s health and pursuing a quality life are habits of Shenyang residents.