The Dongjing City Site preserves the earthwork footprint of the Manchu palace complex built by Nurhachi during Liaoyang's brief tenure as the Qing Dynasty's first capital. Between 1621 and 1625 this site was the administrative centre of a state that was in the process of organising itself for the conquest of China; what remains now is a series of earthen walls and foundation outlines across roughly three-quarters of a square kilometre.
The site is marked but underdeveloped — there is no reconstruction and minimal interpretation — which means visitors with an interest in early Qing history will find more than casual visitors. The earthworks are visible and the scale of the original compound legible to anyone who takes the time to walk the perimeter. A small adjacent museum provides context for the remains and documents Liaoyang's position in early Manchu political geography.