Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County 罗城仫佬族自治县

Setting and landscape

The county is karst country with a mild climate, free of severe winter cold or summer heat, and forest covers 71.44 per cent of the land. The Wuyang (武阳江), Dongxiao (东小江) and Jian (剑江) rivers pass through.

History

The first county here, Huangshui (黄水县), was set up in 533 under the Southern Dynasties; Luocheng took its present name in 972 under the Song. In 1857 Dacheng kingdom (大成国) rebels took Luocheng and renamed it Chaoyang County (朝阳县), and Qing troops restored the old name in 1861. The State Council approved the Mulao autonomous county on 30 August 1983; it was formally inaugurated in January 1984.

Luocheng was the first post of Yu Chenglong (于成龙), an early Qing official remembered for honesty, who served as county magistrate from 1661 to 1667 before rising to viceroy of Liangjiang. The county also claims to be the birthplace of the Zhuang folk singer Liu Sanjie (刘三姐).

What to see

Mianhua Tiankeng (棉花天坑), a 4A resort at Shendong hamlet in Siba town (四把镇), 15 km from the county town, combines a karst sinkhole, Changsheng Cave (长生洞) with its stalactites, and the Mulao village of Shendong. At Tianmen Mountain (天门山), in Yuanmeng hamlet (元蒙屯) about 4 km from Huaiqun town (怀群镇), a cave gate 80 m high and over 40 m wide spans the Yuanmeng River (元蒙河) under an arched roof hung with stalactites.

The Yu Chenglong Clean Government Culture Exhibition Hall (于成龙廉政文化展示馆) opened in 2014 on the north side of Chenglong Lake Park (成龙湖公园), with the Mulao Museum (仫佬族博物馆) to its east. Its six halls follow Yu's career from Luocheng onwards.

Food and festivals

The Mulao Yifan Festival (依饭节) is held every three to five years after the start of winter in Dongmen and Siba. The central table holds water buffalo and cattle carved from taro and sweet potato, five-colour sticky rice and twelve farm products.

Wild hairy grapes (毛葡萄) grow mainly in the western townships, and Luocheng was named China's home of wild hairy grapes in 2000. The wine made from them is amber to deep red and sweet with a slight acidity. Yu Chenglong is said to have urged villagers to brew from this wild fruit instead of grain, earning him the nickname "Yu Grape Wine". Tianlongquan liquor (天龙泉酒) and beef strips are other local products.

Getting oriented

The county seat is Dongmen town (东门镇). Guilin lies to the north and Liuzhou to the south. The Zhicheng–Liuzhou railway (枝柳铁路) stops at Niubi (牛毕), and the Rong–He expressway (融河高速) crosses the county.

Highlights

• Mianhua Tiankeng 棉花天坑: 4A karst sinkhole resort in Siba town with Changsheng Cave and a Mulao village.
• Tianmen Mountain 天门山: Cave gate 80 m high over the Yuanmeng River near Huaiqun town.
• Yu Chenglong Clean Government Culture Exhibition Hall 于成龙廉政文化展示馆: Six halls on the Qing official who began his career as Luocheng magistrate in 1661.
• Yifan Festival 依饭节: Mulao festival held every three to five years after the start of winter.
• Wild hairy-grape wine 野生毛葡萄酒: Amber wine from wild grapes; Luocheng named China's home of wild hairy grapes in 2000.