Old industrial city in NE China glows with new vitality

SHENYANG, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Emmanuel Loriot, consul general of France in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, visited the Shenyang Palace Museum on June 10 as part of the "Hello, Shenyang" Sino-French cultural exchange event.

First built in 1625, the museum is one of the two well-preserved ancient palace complexes in China.

"The Shenyang Palace Museum is magnificent. Walking through the palace and Shenyang Middle Street, I deeply feel that Shenyang is not only a famous historical and cultural city but also full of vitality, passion, openness, and tolerance," said Loriot.

A hub of heavy industry, Shenyang is also home to the ancient Xinle ruins dating back some 7,200 years and dozens of revolutionary sites, making it a place of unique culture and character.

"The value of the Shenyang Palace Museum is no longer limited to palaces and pavilions, it is also a witness of excellent traditional Chinese culture, which continues the historical context, carries the city's memory, and highlights the city's cultural strength," said Chu Guoqing, director of the Shenyang cultural heritage protection and research association.

In recent years, Shenyang has focused on improving the historical and cultural elements and features of buildings, protecting and repairing historic buildings, and fostering diversity.

After the renovation and upgrading of Shenyang Middle Street, which has a history of nearly 400 years, the antique plaques along the street and the large 3D LED screen complement each other, presenting urban vitality to visitors.

Wartime heroes such as Huang Jiguang and Qiu Shaoyun were buried in the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang.

"Remembering heroes is a tradition of this city for more than 70 years," said Wu Tao, director of the cemetery's management center.

Between 2014 and 2021, the remains of 825 CPV martyrs were brought back from the Republic of Korea and laid to rest in the cemetery.

Striving to create a city of innovation and technology, Shenyang also boasts a deep industrial culture.

"In the process of contributing many 'firsts' in the industrial history of the country, Shenyang has formed the industrial cultural characteristics of responsibility, dedication, and service," said Wang Rongwei, curator of the Industrial Museum of China.

Amid the city's transformation, hundreds of old factories were also reinvented into cultural and creative industry parks or culture parks, which have become good destinations for recreation.

At the former site of Shenyang Hongmei Monosodium Glutamate Factory, the remaining buildings of the factory have been recreated into a cultural park, becoming an incubator for young entrepreneurs.

"Back then, trains brought raw materials and transported monosodium glutamate products. Today, the old trains have become popular internet-famous restaurants, and the old factory area has been transformed into a museum," said Sun Mingjun, general manager of the Shenyang Hongmei cultural and creative park.