The area around Chifeng was the heartland of the Khitan Liao dynasty (907–1125 CE), one of the most significant steppe empires of the medieval world. The Liao controlled a vast territory stretching from modern Mongolia to the Yellow Sea, and their capital Shangjing — the Supreme Capital — was located in what is now Balin Left Banner, within the Chifeng prefecture. The ruins of Shangjing, though unexcavated in most areas, still show the outline of the old city walls spread across the steppe; the site museum has good collections of Liao-period coins, ceramics, and architectural fragments.
Several tomb complexes from the Liao period dot the countryside around Chifeng. The most accessible is at Balin Left Banner, where two imperial tombs can be visited alongside the Shangjing ruins. The painted murals inside the tomb chambers — hunting scenes, court life, and Buddhist iconography — survived in reasonable condition and provide a vivid picture of Khitan aristocratic life. Getting here requires a car; the site is about two hours from central Chifeng.