the word "liaodong" (formerly spelled liaotung) literally means "east of the liao region", referring to the warring states period yan commandery of liaodong, which encompassed an area from modern liaoning-jilin border in the north to the chongchon river in the south, and from just east of the qian mountains to the daling river in the west. the modern usage of "liaodong" however simply refers to the half of liaoning province that is east of the liao river.