Liuzhou () is a
prefecture-level city in north-central
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in southern
China. Population: 1.4 million. Area: 5,250 km².
Geography
Liuzhou is located on the banks of the winding
Liu River, approximately 255 km from
Nanning, the provincial capital. Liuzhou is 3,535 kilometres from
Beijing, 2,033 km from
Shanghai and 727 km from
Hong Kong. Swimming in the river is a tradition of the city. In summer, floods from the mountain areas upstream bring sediment which colors the water yellow.
History
Liuzhou has a history of more than 2,100 years. The city was founded in 111 B.C. when it was known as Tanzhong. In 742 A.D. it became known as Longcheng (Dragon City), before finally changing to Liuzhou in 1736. The most famous historic figure is
Liu Zongyuan (773-819), who was a poet and politician in the
Tang Dynasty and who died in Liuzhou. He is commemorated by a park in the city.
Administrative divisions
Economy
Liuzhou is the second largest city in Guangxi and is the region's industrial center. According to statistics issued by the Liuzhou government, in 2004, the city’s GDP was 40.4 billion yuan.
Tourism
As with much of Guangxi, the landscape around Liuzhou is a mix of rolling hills, mountain peaks, caves and
karst scenery. It is an ideal base for exploring the minority villages in the area.
Transport
- Liuzhou has extensive rail connections with the rest of China. Hunan-Guangxi Railway (Hengyang - Pingxiang, a.k.a. Xiang-Gui Line), Jiaozuo-Liuzhou (Jiaozuo - Zhicheng - Liuzhou, a.k.a. Jiao-Liu Line) Railway and Guizhou-Guangxi Railway (Guiyang - Liuzhou, a.k.a. Qian-Gui Line) make Liuzhou the center of freight transportation in Guangxi.
Quotes
Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying
because, in the past, the city was known for its coffins, made from firwood, camphor wood, and sandalwood , which are said to preserve the body after death.
Guangzhou's "Cantonese" cuisine is famous worldwide, and
Hangzhou is known for its prosperity and the beauty of its location.
Suzhou is reputed to have the most beautiful people in China, so the line is sometimes given as "
Marry in Suzhou...".
Today many tourists buy miniature coffins, about 3 to 30 cm long, as souvenirs or good luck charms. The coffins are usually inscribed 升官发财 (shēng guān fā cái) which means 'win promotion and get rich". The second and fourth characters are homophones of 棺材 (guān cái) meaning 'coffin'.
Some miniature coffins are used as caskets to hold the ashes of ancestors.
People
- Liuzhou was the home of Li Ning (born 1963), gymnast and entrepreneur who lit the Olympic torch in Beijing in 2008.
Sister cities
