Liaoning (辽宁) · 4 places · 3 cities
4 places in Liaoning, grouped by city. Under each one are two figures from the survey: how much daily life still goes on there, out of 100, and how far it has been turned over to visitors, out of 6.
Most common here: Old quarter of a city (3), Walled city (1). See all provinces, or the background on old towns.
2 places
Dalian (大连)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Dalian Dongguan Street (大连东关街)The old “Chinese town” of Dalian, a 120-year-old neighborhood built by Chinese merchants outside the Russian-Japanese colonial city center, with 100+ old courtyard homes, a 1908 mosque, and locals still eating Dalian seafood noodles in century-old shops.Lived-in 74/100 · Commercialised 2/6 · little known abroad · easy to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, quiet |
| Lushun Taiyanggou Historic District (旅顺太阳沟)A 120-year-old colonial garden city, built by Russians and Japanese as a military and residential district, with 200+ historic villas in Russian, Japanese, and European styles, tree-lined avenues, and locals still living in the former officers’ quarters, growing vegetables in the gardens.Lived-in 70/100 · Commercialised 2/6 · little known abroad · easy to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, quiet |
1 place
Huludao (葫芦岛)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Xingcheng Ancient City (兴城古城)One of only four complete Ming dynasty walled cities in China, a 1428 frontier fortress with intact walls, four gates, a drum tower, and a Confucian temple.Lived-in 76/100 · Commercialised 3/6 · little known abroad · easy to reach | Walled city | Lived-in, quiet |
1 place
Shenyang (沈阳)
| Place | Kind | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| Shenyang Fangcheng Old City (沈阳方城·中街·故宫周边)The birthplace of the Qing dynasty, a 400-year-old Manchu imperial city with the only imperial palace outside Beijing (UNESCO, 1625). Around the palace, 100+ old alleys hold Manchu and Han residents, 400-year-old food shops, and Zhongjie (1625), described as the oldest commercial street in northeast China.Lived-in 72/100 · Commercialised 4/6 · well known abroad · very easy to reach | Old quarter of a city | Lived-in, busy |
Which of These Is Still a Town
The two scores narrow the list, and the last step is local: which lanes are worth the walk, which day of the week the place is itself, and where to stay inside the walls. Tell our local team the provinces you will be in and they will say which of these hold up.