The word "沈阳市" is formed from three characters: "沈" refers to the Shen River, "阳" denotes the north bank of a river in Chinese geographical naming, and "市" means city, together specifying the urban settlement north of the Shen River.
Word Definition - 沈阳市
shěn yáng shìShenyang, sub-provincial city and capital of Liaoning Province 遼寧省|辽宁省[liáoníng shěng]