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Mukden
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Mukden
The city of Mukden was established in approximately 300 BCE, when Qin Kai of the Yan state (one of the seven states that fought for control of China during the Warring States period) wrested control of the Liaodong Peninsula from the Dong Hu, a nomadic Mongol tribe that occupied Northeast Mongolia and was once the dominant power in Mongolia. It was originally named as Hou City (Chinese: 候城), later becoming the Shen Prefecture (瀋州) in the Jin Dynasty and Shenyang Path (Chinese: 瀋陽路) in the Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, it became Shenyang Zhongwei (Chinese: 瀋陽中衛).
It was in 1625 when the Manchu leader Nurhachi, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, moved his capital to Shenyang and re-named it 'Mukden' that the city began to play a central political and economic role in Manchuria and thereafter, in the internal affairs of China. These days the city is also known as Shengjing (盛京) or Fengtian (奉天).
The name Mukden is taken from the Manchu word 'mukdembi' meaning 'to rise' and this is reflected by its Chinese name 'Shenyang' which means 'rising capital.' 'Shenyang' can also be taken to mean 'the city that rises to the north of Shen River' and comes from the Hun River on the city’s south side, which used to be called 'Shen' River. Archaeological findings show that humans resided in Shenyang as early as 7,200 years ago.
The ancient city of Mukden was home to the Xinle Civilization (新樂文化) - (5500-4800 BC) a Neolithic culture distributed around the lower Liao River on the Liaodong Peninsula. The culture showed evidence of millet cultivation and pig domestication. A Xinle village site was discovered in the Huanggu District of Shenyang (Mukden) and named 'Xinle' after an old travelers inn, in which whose grounds the remains were first discovered.
In 1973, excavations at the site discovered evidence for 40 Neolithic houses. Artifacts uncovered during the dig included stone tools, pottery, jade artifacts, bone tools, wood carvings and evidence of charcoal burning. In 1978 another dig uncovered yet more artifacts including one wooden carving that was some 7200 years old and is presumably a type of totem worshipped by the clan. No other find in the whole of Mukden has been older. The excavations also discovered two Khitan tombs from 1000 years ago.
It was the Liao Dynasty (遼朝) from 907-1125, also known as the Khitan Empire (契丹國), who ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia and areas of northern China. It was founded by the Yelü clan (耶律) of the Khitan people in the same year as Tang Dynasty collapsed (907), even though its first ruler, Yelü Abaoji, did not declare an era name until 916. Although it was originally known as the Empire of the Khitan, the Emperor Yelü Ruan officially adopted the name 'Liao (formally 'Great Liao') in 947-938. The name 'Liao' was dropped in 983, but readopted in 1066. Another name for China in English, Cathay, is derived from the name Khitan. The Liao Empire (in Manchuria) was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125.
Mukden Features:
The North, East, South and West Pagodas (北塔 Bei Ta, 南塔 Nan Ta, 东塔 Dong Ta, 西塔 Xi Ta) - built in the 1640's, these four pagodas stand each about 4km north, south, east and west of the Imperial Palace in the center of the old city. The North Pagoda (Bei Ta), built in 1643 contains a Great Hall and Fulan Temple and is decorated with intricate murals depicting Chinese deities.
Mukden Palace (故宫 Shenyang Gugong) in the Shenhe district. The former imperial palace first built in 1625 for Nurhachi and inherited by his son Abahai (Huang Taiji). The former imperial palace is one of two royal complexes extant in China today. The splendid and distinctly ethnic Manchu architectural style of the palace, which includes Dazheng (Grand Politics) Hall, the Ten Princes' Pavilion, Chongzhen (Golden Chimes), Phoenix Chamber and Qingning (Pure Tranquility) Pavilion, is a UNESCO world heritage site. In front of the palace lies a 17th century shopping precinct of 'Shengjing Ancient Cultural Street,' the Shenyang Lu - 'jing' meaning capital city.
In Zhaoling (昭陵) - Beiling Jie, in the Huanggu District of Mukden, is the site of the tomb of the second Qing emperor, Huang Taiji and his consorts. It was built over a period of eight years during the early 17th century. The site is a unique blend of traditional Manchu and Chinese architecture. The area is listed, along with the other imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing dynasty, as a UNESCO world heritage site and is one of 3 imperial tombs north of the great wall of China. Around the tomb is set out the extensive lands which include large areas of forest and several lakes.
The Fuling Tomb (福陵) - Dongling Lu, Dongling District of Mukden. This is the first tomb of the Qing Dynasty in which Nurhachi, the founder of the dynasty, is laid to rest beside his empress Yehenala. It dates to the early 17th century and is constructed in traditional Manchu style along lines of Chinese feng shui and is today, a UNESCO world heritage site. To the east of the tomb site a large area of park land forms Dongling Park.
The City walls, Shenyang Lu. The original city walls of Mukden/Shenyang were destroyed in the 1950's. Some small sections have been reconstructed to give an impression of the former city. These remains consist of two gates, Hauiyuanmen and Fujinmen, at either end of Shenyang Lu.
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