Liaoyang County 辽阳县

Setting and landscape

The county belongs to the Qian Mountains (千山) range and counts 126 peaks. The highest, Dahei Mountain (大黑山) near Shuiquan (水泉), rises to 1,181.2 m and is the highest point in Liaoyang prefecture; Motian Ridge (摩天岭), at 968.8 m on the Benxi border, carries large forests. The Taizi River (太子河) flows through the county. The county government gives a mean annual temperature of 8.4°C and about 572 mm of rain a year.

History

From the Warring States to the Later Yan the area belonged to Xiangping county (襄平县) of Liaodong. In 1653 the Qing set up Liaoyang Prefecture and Liaoyang County, and in 1664 the county was raised to a zhou; it became a county again in 1914. After being merged into the city in 1968, the county was restored on 15 April 1980 from Liaoyang's Shoushan district. It has since given up land to its neighbours: Gongchangling (弓长岭) became a district in 1984, and Lanjia town (兰家镇) passed to Hongwei (宏伟区) in 2009. The celebrated scholar Wang Erlie (王尔烈) was born in the county.

What to see

Mount Shou (首山), at the county seat, is described locally as the first peak of the Qian Mountains, and is linked with a halt by the Tang emperor Li Shimin (李世民). Battles fought here include Sima Yi's (司马懿) campaign against Gongsun Yuan (公孙渊), the Tang campaign against Goguryeo and fighting in the Russo-Japanese War. Qingfeng Temple (清风寺) on the southern slope was rebuilt in 1571 on a Tang site and repaired in 1779 and 1857. Its gate, main hall and side halls are Ming and Qing buildings; the main hall keeps a Ming hip-and-gable roof, and a lacebark pine grows behind it. Wang Erlie wrote the plaque "昙花香远" ("the scent of the night-blooming cereus carries far"). The temple has been a provincial protected site since 1988.

Local products

Shoushan stone (首山石), formerly called soapstone (皂石), comes mainly from Jidongyu Manchu Township (吉洞峪满族乡) next to Xiuyan (岫岩). It is soft and oily in texture, close to Fujian's Shoushan stone (寿山石), and is cut for seals and carvings; the name was adopted in September 2016.

Getting oriented

The Changchun–Dalian railway and the Shenyang–Dalian expressway run north–south through the county, and the Benxi–Liaoyang–Liaozhong expressway and the Liaoyang–Benxi railway cross it east–west. The county lies about 15 km from Liaoyang city and 20 km from Anshan (鞍山).

Highlights

• Qingfeng Temple 清风寺: Rebuilt in 1571 on Shoushan; provincial protected site since 1988.
• Mount Shou 首山: Called the first peak of the Qian Mountains; scene of several historic battles.
• Dahei Mountain 大黑山: 1,181.2 m, the highest peak in Liaoyang prefecture.
• Shoushan stone 首山石: Soft carving stone from Jidongyu used for seals.