Shenyang is located in the central area of northeastern Asia , and is the central city of northeastern China . Early in 7,200 years ago, the predecessors of Shenyang had lived on this land. Long-standing history created brilliant culture and left the ancient Xinle Relics, Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty, imperial mausoleum, and many other famous resorts. Shenyang has become a well-known historic & cultural city.

At present, the municipal government is leading people of the entire city to constantly explore functions of city. It makes Shenyang, a super large city in China, become well-known at home and abroad for its advanced economy, culture, science & technology, commerce & trade, finance and transportation hub and solid industrial basis. Exclusive geological advantage makes it the core of middle city group of Liaoning and economic regions. Advantage in resources, talented people, science and technology helps the ancient city regain its vigor. Constructors of Shenyang are building a vigorous city for the 21st century.

There is an ancient Chinese saying: It's a pleasure to have friends coming from far away. In the meantime of constructing the modern, international metropolitan, any kind of friends from all over the world are welcome to Shenyang .

A city with competitive ability

Shenyang is one of the super-large cities and key industrial bases in China . It is also a center of economy, culture, science and technology, business and trade, finance as well as transportation in the northeast area. It is superior in geographical location, rich in resources, convenient in transportation and complete in urban functions. GDP totals RMB1238.1 billion yuan. Shenyang ranked the fifth in terms of comprehensive forces in the assessment on 219 Chinese cities conducted in 1998 by departments concerned. It was listed in the 53 most competitive cities over the world by the World Bank together with Beijing , Tianjin and Shanghai in 1999. [Pictures: The North side of Shenshui; Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji and Li Ruihuan visit Shenyang . The flower of the city is rose; The tree of the city is Chinese pine.

A city with multiple advantages

Since the reformation and opening to the outside world, Shenyang has been adhering to the principle of opening urban construction to the outside world to accelerate the urban construction. Investment to urban constructions has been increased and infrastructures are being completed every day. Urban functions are constantly being enlarged, which brings more and more perfect urban environment. At present, Shenyang has achieved good investment environment and is endowed with many advantages for the development of outward oriented economy construction.

Advantage of Location:

Shenyang lies in the central region of Northeast Asia , on the same equidistant radial line together with key cities in such countries as Japan , South Korea , North Korea , Mongolia and Russia etc.. Within the radius of 150 kilometers with Shenyang being the center locate the well-known steel capital of Anshan, the coal capital of Fushun, the coal and iron city of Benxi, the coal and power city of Fuxin, the oil city of Panjin, the light industrial and textile city of Dandong, the chemical fiber city of Liaoyang and the grain and coal base of Tieling, which constitutes the city group and economic zone with a population of 24 million in central Liaoning with Shenyang as the center.

Advantage of Carrier:

As a central city, urban functions and carrier ability makes the city of Shenyang a center of politics, economy, culture, science and technology, business and trade, finance as well as transportation in Liaoning or even in Northeast China . (Picture: Night Scene of Shifu Square Finance and Trade Development Zone)

Political Center : Shenyang is the capital city of Liaoning Province . The Provincial Committee, Provincial People's Congress, Provincial Government, Provincial People's Political Consultative Conference Office and departments directly under the control of various provinces are located in Shenyang .

Economic Center : The comprehensive economic strength of Shenyang ranks the fifth among all regions and cities of municipal level in China and the first in the Northeast. The GDP totaled RMB 101.31 billion yuan in 1999 and local financial income reached RMB 5.69 billion yuan. The GDP amounted to RMB 1116.1 billion yuan in 2000 and financial income was RMB 6.112 billion yuan.The GDP in 2001was 123.8 billion yuan and financial income is RMB 8 billion yuan

Cultural Center : Shenyang is a famous historical and cultural city, including not only Xinle Culture which traces its source back over 7200 years but also Manqing Culture which traces its source back more than 300 years. It is the cradle of cultures along Liaohe River drainage, which has finally formed Northeastern Chinese Culture.

Science and Technology Center : Shenyang is well-known overseas for its profound science and technology power. There are 428 scientific research institutions, 30 colleges and universities, 550,000 scientific and technical staff engaging in various fields. It has 8 engineering centers and experimental bases of state level, such as National Robot and Software Engineering Center etc. , being one of the main undertaking bodies of State Plan 863 and Torch Plan with comprehensive science and technology strength leading ahead in China .

Business and Trade Center : Shenyang has a very complete business and trade circulation system. It has 56 markets for means of production, 457 market fairs, which include 48 markets where an annual transaction of over RMB 100 million yuan is conducted. Such famous markets as Wuai Market, China Shoes Town, China Furniture Town and Shenyang Steel Market have become the great market in Northern China; There are 80 large commercial departments with an area over 5000 square meters represented by Shenyang East Asia Plaza, Zhongxing--Shenyang Commercial Building and Shenyang Commercial Town and 13 department stores with a sales volume over RMB 100 million yuan. Volumes of business and commodity top the first in the Northeast.

Financial Center : Shenyang is the place where situated Large Regional Bank of the Central Bank, which enables fast development of financial business. The return of money ranks the first among all large cities in China . There are 1945 financial institutions. Businesses of banking, securities and insurance are conducted actively. Various financial businesses are fast and convenient. As a city with financial business opened to the outside world, such foreign-funded financial institutions as the Dutch Commercial Bank etc. have formally opened to business in Shenyang.

Functional Advantage:

As one of the opening cities on Liaodong Peninsula approved by the State Council, Shenyang has an Economic and Technological Development Zone of 32 square kilometers, a New & High-tech. Industrial Development Zone of 154.8 square kilometers, a Finance and Trade Development Zone of 1.12 square kilometers, Hunhe Development Zone of 120.6 square kilometers and Qipanshan Development Zone of 203 square kilometers, which forms an important economic region with multiple functions combined together and enjoys relative national and local favored investment policies.

Resources and Supporting Advantage:

As a key industrial city in China , Shenyang has such rich natural resources as coal, oil, natural gas and iron mines etc buried underground. The neighboring 7 cities are also rich in steel, coal, chemical fiber and grains etc. in addition to its profound industrial foundation. It is strongly capable in terms of comprehensive supporting capacity.

Coal Mines: Shenyang has 2 large coal mines with a total reserve of 1.8 billion tons.

Oil: Shenyang has an oil reserve of 300 million tons. Three oil wells have been drilled, which produces more than a thousand tons of crude oil every day.

Iron Mines: Shenyang has an iron reserve of 25 million tons. Besides it also has such mineral resources as aluminum, granite and tenacious clay etc., which can be used for construction and comprehensive development.

Industries: Shenyang is the key industrial base in China , good in foundation and complete in industrial categories. The first, second and tertiary industries are relatively developed. The general economic development has stepped into prosperity in the year 1998. The GDP totaled RMB 101.31 billion yuan in 1999, 10.0 percent over the previous year and the local financial income reached RMB 5.69 billion yuan. The GDP amounted to RMB 111.61 billion yuan and the local financial income reached RMB 6.112 billion yuan. The comprehensive economic strength of Shenyang ranks the fifth among all regions and cities of municipal level in China and the first in the Northeast. GDP of Shenyang in 2001 is RMB 123,800 million.

The First Industry: The agricultural industrialization, agricultural science and technology and production are developing towards further processing, high efficiency, scale and market at a fast speed. The comprehensive rate of commodity for agricultural products has reached 76.4%. In 2000 the first industry has increased by RMB 7.1 billion yuan. The increased value in 2001 is RMB 7600 million Yuan.

The Second Industry: There are more than 5800 industrial enterprises in Shenyang engaged in over 140 fields, which has formed a complete industrial system with machining being dominant and such trade of business as metallurgy, chemical engineering, medicine, light and textile industry, electronics, automobile, airspace and construction materials included. In 2000 the second industry increased by RMB 49.4 billion yuan. The increased value in 2001 is RMB 52,400 million Yuan.

The Tertiary Industry: Tertiary industry develops fast in Shenyang. Such trade of business as trade, finance, information, tourism, transportation, communication, real estate and service etc have become the new economic growth pole for Shenyang. In 1999 the tertiary industry increased by RMB 49.78 billion yuan. The increased value in 2000 is RMB 5,550.2 million Yuan. The increased value in 2001 is RMB 6,190 million Yuan.

A sustainable development city

Shenyang is one of the 15 sustainable development cities in the world. In October 1997, Global City Sustainable Development Plan 1997 Annual Meeting was held in Shenyang by the United Nations, on which Shenyang Declaration was passed. In 1998 ShenYang was awarded Habitat Scroll of Honor by the United Nations. UN Deputy Secretary Mr. Claus Topfer came to Shenyang to attend international environment workshop in 1999 and signed the memorandum of understanding on behalf of UNEP and UNCHS with Shenyang Municipal Government.

Shenyang, the "Eastern Ruhr", is no longer short of "water or green". Dark smoke out of factories is hard to find. It has stepped out of the world top ten seriously polluted cities as assessment on ambient air of global large cities conducted by World Resource Research Institution. It was appraised as an excellent tourist city by the state in 1998. And in April 2000, it won the award of "International Local Action Award" by International Local Environmental Protection Committee.

A city with complete infrastructures

For years Shenyang has been devoting to the construction of urban infrastructures and greatly improved such infrastructures as municipal works, transportation, communication, energy and environmental protection etc..

Transportation and Post Service: Shenyang is an important hub of transportation and communication in the northeast of China. Taoxian International Airport will be built into the fourth largest airport in China. The current 78 airlines lead directly to main domestic cities and international airlines reach directly to Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand and Hongkong etc., which totals 26,000 sorties annually. Railroad density tops the first in China with the first class modern passenger station and marshalling yard in our country, joining the most important passenger and goods transportation hubs in all places of China.

The highway totals 5252kilometers, which includes expressway 236 kilometers. The round-the-city expressway joins with Shenyang-Dalian, Shenyang-Fushun, Shenyang-Benxi, Shenyang-Tieling and Shenyang-Shanhaiguan expressways, which constitutes an expressway network of "one round and five radiations". Watercourse leads Shenyang-Dalian Expressway to Yingkou in two hours and to Dalian in four hours.

Public Transportation: The total road length in urban districts is 1668kilometers covering an area of 28.660 million sq. m.. There are 174 permanent bridges and the No. 2 Round-the-city Highway , which formed an urban road system with relatively complete functions. Water supply system in the city is complete. The largest deferrization and demanganization water plant is capable of supplying 1.630 million tons of water a day. Gas rate covers 97.6% in the city. Daily gas supply capacity is 1.28 million cubic meters. Shenyang is the place where the northeast power network situated. The annual power consumption can be as large as 11.50 billion kWh. Heat supply covers 86 million sq. m. in urban districts and over 90% of the residence can get the heat through pipes. Urban forestation covers 25%, which is 4.7 sq. m. of green land for each person.

Urban Construction: There are 530 architectural design and construction enterprises in Shenyang , capable of researching, designing, constructing and assisting in auxiliary work. In the last year, the investment of real estate development and construction amounts to RMB 8.5 billion yuan. House construction covers 131.32 million sq.m. with 5.72 million sq. m. completed. Living area averaged by the population is 8.79 sq. m..

A city opened to the outside world

In recent years Shenyang has been implementing the development strategy of opening construction causes to the outside world. Cooperation with many cities and regions over the world has been expanded to accelerate urban construction. Since cooperation with Changjiang Group of Hongkong in 1997 for the construction of No. 2 Round-the-city Highway and bridges, with investment of US$ 170 million, cooperation with New World Group of Hongkong is also conducted to construct Wangjiazhuang New Wold Garden, cooperation with SR Group of the Republic of Korea with investment of US$ 300 million, which has been a successful example-greatest in funds introduced, largest in overseas funds, vastest in scale of opening and the most advanced in design in the history of urban construction in Shenyang. By the end of last year, 218 construction projects have been approved and carried out in the city with a total foreign contractual investment of USD 1.5 billion, and actually invested USD 1.2 billion.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 [Origin:Shenyang Government website]