Liuzhou

Liuzhou
—  Prefecture-level city  —
Liuzhou Airport
Location of Liuzhou Prefecture within Guangxi
Liuzhou Location of Liuzhou Prefecture within Guangxi
Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E / 24.317; 109.383
Country	China
Province	Guangxi
Area
- Total	2,027 sq mi (5,250 km2)
Population (2004)
- Total	1,400,000
Time zone	China standard time (UTC+8)
Website	http://www.liuzhou.gov.cn/

Liuzhou (Chinese: 柳州; pinyin: Liǔzhōu; Wade-Giles: Liuchow) 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

• Liucheng County
• Liujiang County
• Luzhai County
• Rong'an County
• Rongshui County
• Sanjiang County

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 Airport provides flights to major cities in China.
• 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.
• China National Highway 209

Quotes

Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying

Born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou

because, in the past, the city was known for its coffins, made from firwood, camphor wood, and sandalwood ^[1], 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. ^[2]

People

• Liuzhou was the home of Li Ning (born 1963), gymnast and entrepreneur who lit the Olympic torch in Beijing in 2008.
• Chinese gymnast, Jiang Yuyuan was also born in Liuzhou.

Sister cities

• Muntinlupa, Philippines
• Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
• Passau, Germany
• Bandung, Indonesia

References

External links

• Official Website (in Chinese and English)
• Pictures
• Introduction to Liuzhou

v • d • e Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regions History • Politics • Economy • Music Prefecture-level cities Baise • Beihai • Chongzuo • Fangchenggang • Guigang • Guilin • Hechi • Hezhou • Laibin • Liuzhou • Nanning • Qinzhou • Wuzhou • Yulin See also: List of Guangxi County-level divisions

Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E / 24.317; 109.383