Pagodas from different eras, a temple from the Qing dynasty, and collections ranging from jade to ceramics give Chaoyang a rich cultural and historical character. The landscape is also part of the picture: the Phoenix Mountain Tourist Area combines nature with archaeological sites. When planning your trip, it helps to decide first whether architecture and museums or landscapes and plant life should be the main focus.
Old Town and Historical Connections
Chaoyang Old Town is a provincially recognized historic and cultural district in the central part of Shuangta District. Its origins date back to the Former Yan period during the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period. The protected core area covers 28.89 hectares. This makes the old town a distinct historical highlight; the pagodas and temples mentioned here add individual buildings and their respective eras to the picture.
Youshun Temple is located near Chaoyang. Construction began in 1699, and the temple was completed eight years later. In 2006, it was included in the sixth group of nationally significant cultural heritage sites in China as a building from the Qing dynasty. The dates and subsequent designation tell different parts of its story: the temple’s origins and its recognition as cultural heritage.
Murong Street, formerly called Shuangta Ancient Street, connects the South and North Pagodas, Youshun Temple, Guandi Temple, and the ruins of Yandu’s city wall. As Chaoyang’s cultural and tourism center, it is associated with exhibitions, exchange, and retail. Several historic landmarks therefore sit alongside a broader cultural and tourism offering on this street.
Pagodas, Architecture, and Museum Collections
Chaoyang North Pagoda was built around 485 CE on the site of the former palace of Longcheng from the Sanyan period. Within the municipality, it is described as a 42.6-meter-high, thirteen-story brick pagoda. Closely spaced eaves and brick reliefs on the main structure give its architecture a clear vertical profile.
The North Pagoda Museum was established in December 1990. Its current building was newly constructed from 2003 onward and completed in 2006; its design is inspired by the Han and Tang dynasties. The permanent exhibition “古塔千秋展” draws on more than 200 selected artifacts from the North Pagoda and surrounding sites. It covers the origins, architectural forms, development, and historical significance of Chinese pagodas. The exhibition offers a thematic introduction to the architecture, while the pagoda itself lets visitors see its architectural form firsthand.
Chaoyang South Pagoda is also nearby. It is a south-facing, square, hollow brick pagoda from the Liao dynasty, with 13 closely spaced stories of eaves. As a provincially recognized cultural heritage site, it represents a different architectural style from the North Pagoda. In October 2004, a Liao-dynasty burial chamber was also discovered during work on underground utility lines near the South Pagoda. It contained Buddhist relics and other Buddhist artifacts.
The Chaoyang Museum, within the municipality, offers a broader perspective across time. Its collections on display include jade objects from the Hongshan culture, ceremonial bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and horse harnesses and hair ornaments from the Sanyan period. They are joined by Tang Sancai, Liao-Khitan ceramics, and paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The collections thus span early cultures through later dynasties.
Phoenix Mountain and the Landscape
The Phoenix Mountain Tourist Area lies east of the urban area of Chaoyang and borders its central urban area. It covers 67.84 square kilometers and is designated as a National Forest Park and a Class AAAA scenic area. The area contains 27 archaeological and cultural sites from various periods, including sites from the Hongshan and Xiajiadian cultures, as well as 18 cultural heritage attractions. Nature and cultural history stand side by side here.
A total of 790 plant species have been recorded at Phoenix Mountain: 763 angiosperms, 12 gymnosperms, and 15 fern species. Forest covers 85 percent of the area. Fengguan offers sweeping views of the landscape. These details give the scenic area a different perspective from the city’s closely connected architectural and museum themes.
Near Chaoyang, the upgraded urban section of the Daling River also shapes the landscape with long embankments, dense vegetation, winding paths, broad stretches of water, and numerous seagulls. If you are looking for a hotel in Chaoyang, you can first narrow down your options based on your interests: pagodas and collections, historic urban districts, or landscapes and plant life.
Getting There: The Regional Context
Within Shuangta District, the airport, high-speed rail, and national and provincial highways connect the region with its surrounding areas. Direct flights connect it with Shanghai. The high-speed train journey takes 1.5 hours to Shenyang, two hours to Dalian, and two hours to Beijing. The district is a transportation hub between China’s heartland, the northeast, and Inner Mongolia. Check the schedule for your chosen mode of transport for your travel dates.
Discover more destinations: Yingkou, Dandong, Huludao, Tianjin, Fuxin, Panjin, Liaoyang, Anshan
For the main travel overview: Liaoning.
