Liuzhou 柳州市

Setting and landscape

The Liu flows south around the Liubei (柳北) peninsula, turns north and north-east, loops back to the south-west and finally leaves to the south-east. On its south bank, Liyu Peak (立鱼峰), about 156 metres above sea level, is tied to the legend of the folk singer Liu Sanjie (刘三姐). The Xiangqiao Karst National Geopark (香桥岩溶国家地质公园) in Luzhai (鹿寨) has caves, underground rivers, natural bridges and sinkholes.

History

Remains in Bailian Cave (白莲洞), 12 kilometres south-west of the city, span 37,000 to 7,000 years ago; Chinese Wikipedia calls the museum there China's first cave museum. The Han founded Tanzhong County (潭中县) here in 111 BC, and in 634 the Tang renamed Nankunzhou (南昆州) as Liuzhou, the origin of the name. The Tang writer Liu Zongyuan (柳宗元) served as prefect; Liuhou Park (柳侯公园) in the city centre is named after him, and its Liuhou Shrine (柳侯祠), a national key cultural relics protection unit, holds his tomb of clothing and cap. From November 1938 to May 1939 Liuzhou hosted the Korean Provisional Government.

What to see

The main hall of Liuzhou Industrial Museum (柳州工业博物馆), a converted two-storey sawtooth textile workshop, shows more than 6,000 machines and products used or made in Liuzhou since 1902. The Chengyang Eight Villages (程阳八寨) are Dong villages whose landmark is the Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge (程阳风雨桥), with wooden drum towers, the old Helong Bridge and a Dong folk-craft museum in Yan village; Dazhai hosts a hundred-family banquet at major festivals.

Food and local products

Luosifen (螺蛳粉) is rice noodles served in a river-snail broth with set toppings; the craft of making it has been on the national intangible-heritage list since 2021. The Miao and Dong prize sour pork, fish and duck: for sour pork, salted meat is mixed with chilli powder, glutinous rice and sweet wine lees and packed into stone-weighted wooden barrels, turning sour and sweet after two months, then stir-fried or roasted over charcoal. Rongshui fragrant duck (融水香鸭) is a nationally recognised local breed.

Getting oriented

The city government sits in Chengzhong District (城中区). The Hunan–Guangxi, Hengyang–Liuzhou, Guizhou–Guangxi and Jiaozuo–Liuzhou railways meet here, and intercity trains link Liuzhou with Nanning and Guilin.

Highlights

• Liuhou Park and Shrine 柳侯公园: City-centre park named after Liu Zongyuan; the Liuhou Shrine, with his tomb of clothing and cap, is a national key cultural relics protection unit.
• Liuzhou Industrial Museum 柳州工业博物馆: Main hall in a converted sawtooth textile workshop, with more than 6,000 industrial items from 1902 onward.
• Chengyang Eight Villages 程阳八寨: Eight Dong villages whose landmark is the Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge, with drum towers and the Helong Bridge.
• Bailian Cave 白莲洞: Cave site 12 km south-west of the city spanning 37,000 to 7,000 years ago, with a museum that Chinese Wikipedia calls China's first cave museum.
• Luosifen 螺蛳粉: Rice noodles in river-snail broth; the making craft is national intangible heritage (2021).