Shenyang, the flagship city of Liaoning province, is not typically a destination that travellers or expatriates first think about when pondering Chinese cities. Nonetheless, Shenyang has its own culture points and attractions that boost its fame among those of us who live in China and are “in the know.” We’re here to give Shenyang some well-deserved love and encourage more travellers and expatriates to give this charming city a visit. So, what is Shenyang famous for?
With a population of over 9 million people just within the main city, this megalopolis is actually home to a staggering 23 million people when counting the full suburban and rural areas. Even though the five inner urban districts are likely to have given Shenyang most of its fame, owing to rich contributions in science and industry Shenyang is also famous for how far its rich history extends into suburbs and rural areas where some interesting things have been discovered: 8,000 year old human remains, for example, as well as artifacts belonging to the neolithic Xinle people. It was only more recently (well, 2300 years go) that Shenyang was born out of Hou City, which was home to several dynasties, earning it the honorable title of Shengjing or “rising capital.”
Today, Shenyang is famous for its many museums, attractions, shopping areas and food. For those more active, Shenyang’s people have an obsession with football, basketball and many other sports. As you might have guessed, we’re not focusing on any of that. If you ask the whisky lovers in Shenyang “hey, what is Shenyang famous for?” you’re only going to get one answer:
Whisky Networking Shenyang
Now into its fourth year, Whisky Networking Shenyang is a regular event that has been hosted since its inception by Mudy G. Don’t worry, we aren’t being disrespectful by clipping his name; Mudy G. has a name that’s as long and culturally rich as Shenyang’s! His full name includes a first name of 9 syllables, 17 middle names and a triple barrelled family name – made up from no less than 4 different languages. Also, don’t let the name fool you; he’s not “moody” at all, despite that being how you pronounce it.
How It All Began
Whisky Networking Shenyang first started in April 2018 when Mudy G. decided that Shenyang needed more of a whisky culture. Sure, of course Shenyang had whisky, but anything you might see at a bar was placed high on a shelf and gathering dust because nobody bought it; there was simply not enough demand for the “good stuff.” So, leveraging the collective wisdom of those in the Oak and Barley WeChat groups, alongside other Whisky Networking events, Mudy G strove to make those bottles less ornamental and more practical (as in, drinking them instead of looking at them). is Shenyang Famous For?
While those of us in Shenzhen treat whisky nights more like opportunities to glug expensive bottles, Mudy G took a more educative approach. His whisky networking nights included sharing whiskies that were previously unseen in Shenyang as well as helping people understand more about whisky in order to describe and judge them.
In His Own Words
“Whisky can actually be quite intimidating for most people. There are so many different types, styles, aromas and flavours. More often than not, a first whisky experience (typically a cheap blend) can be so disappointing that people simply avoid whisky unless its flavour is overpowered with a sugary soft drink.
I’d been lucky to have been able to try many different styles of whisky so I understood that there is always a style that people will like – they just need help discovering that style. That’s what I wanted to share with people. The opportunity to find a style that suits them. Building knowledge within our Shenyang whisky community to give people the confidence to explore whiskies was my mission.”
Mikey’s Diner
It’s fair to say that while Mikey’s is the spiritual home of Shenyang Whisky Networking, other venues such as Milo’s German Restaurant, Taverna Vigna Italian Restaurant, and Suerte have all taken turns playing as host. Yet, there’s a special kind of magic that always brings the whisky loving community back to Mikey’s. While Shenyang is famous for its own local cuisines, Mikey’s makes fantastic burgers served by friendly staff. The owners are also warm and generous: ¥15 Asahi pints, or their happy hour where for ¥50 you can have unlimited refills on Asahi! This is why, across all photos taken at whisky networking events here, there are plenty of bottles and glasses present. While we would never want to call the attendees at Shenyang’s event unsophisticated, we will give them the benefit of the doubt and imagine those beers are for palate cleansing purposes only.
Sophie’s World Bar
Sophie’s World Bar also deserves a special shout-out for hosting some of the whisky networking events. In the expatriate community, Shenyang is famous for Sophie’s, having been a dedicated hangout for as long as expats have called Shenyang their home.
Sophie’s actually opened in 1996 and has been a Shenyang staple ever since, making it an obvious choice for a networking event.
A Typical Event
Shenyang’s whisky enthusiasts arrive at the venue starting from 7 P.M. and go until late. Some arrive earlier to eat at the venue while getting a head start sipping/chugging their whiskies (and maybe beer).
Ticket prices are typically between ¥158 to ¥198 for a flight of whiskies, depending on the night’s theme. Pretty good deal, yeah? So…
Ritual Head Shaving
There’s a bit of rivalry between different Whisky Networking events, and the rivalry between Shenyang and Wuhan is pretty fierce. So fierce in fact that Mudy G. has committed to shave his head at Mikey’s bar, at the next Shenyang Whisky Networking event – if this article can achieve more page views on our WeChat Official account than the Wuhan article achieved.
We’re counting the first 3 days of the article being live, which would equate to 3227 page views on the English language version, and 613 on the Chinese language version.
So if you’d like to see Mudy G, balded into a Lucas clone, then get sharing the WeChat official article with everyone you know. We’ll post an update at the bottom of this article on Saturday 23rd July at 6pm, 3 days after this is published, and if a balding is going to happen, we’ll add some snaps of that too, when they are available.
Would You Like to Attend?
If you’re in or near Shenyang and your interest is piqued, you are welcome to reach out to Mudy G. to sign up for the next Whisky Networking China Shenyang Chapter!
There is a fixed number of tickets available for each event so they normally sell out within a couple of days. The August meet up has yet to be announced, so feel free to use the QR code below to add Mudy G. on WeChat. He’ll add you to his group so you can know when events are taking place and how to get a ticket. See you there!
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What is Shenyang Famous For?
