Liuzhou (; , IPA Pronunciation:) is a
prefecture-level city in north-central
Guangxi
Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
Zhuang Autonomous Region,
People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 3,758,700 in 2010, including 1,436,599 in the built-up area made of 4 urban districts. Its total area is and for the built up area.
Geography
Liuzhou is located on the banks of the winding
Liu River
The Liu River (, pinyin: Liǔ Jiāng, literally: ''Willow River'') is a tributary within the Pearl River system in Guangxi, China. It is formed by the confluence of the Rong and Long rivers in Fengshan. It flows south through Liuzhou and then t ...
, approximately from
Nanning
Nanning (; ; za, Namzningz) is the capital and largest city by population of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of ...
, the regional capital. By road, it is about to
Guilin, to
Hechi, to
Nanning
Nanning (; ; za, Namzningz) is the capital and largest city by population of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of ...
, to
Fangchenggang
Fangchenggang ( ''The port of Fangcheng'') is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The city was formerly called "Fangcheng Pan-Ethnicities Autonomous County" (25 December 1978 – ...
, to
Beihai
Beihai (; Postal romanization: Pakhoi) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi, People's Republic of China. Its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin has granted it historical importance as a port of internation ...
.
Swimming in the river is a tradition of the city. The river is normally green, but sometimes in summer, floods from the mountain areas upstream bring sediment which colors the water yellow. In early 2012, a cadmium spill upstream caused serious pollution worries.
[http://www.danwei.com/panic-buying-of-water-in-liuzhou-a-report-from-the-ground/ Panic buying of water in Liuzhou – a report from the ground]
The river can be deep. Normally, the depth is but can as deep as before it floods over the wall. In 2000 a bus, with 78 passengers, fell over the side of a bridge, and into of water.
Liuzhou Bridges 6 – Hudong Bridge
/ref>
Climate
Liuzhou has a humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
( Köppen ''Cfa''), with mild winters and long hot summers, and very humid conditions year-round. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from in January to in August, while extremes have ranged from . Rain is both the heaviest and most frequent from May to August, when nearly two-thirds of the annual rainfall occurs.
History
Liujiang cave skull-b. Homo Sapiens 68,000 Years Old.jpg, Liujiang cave skull from the National Museum of Natural History
唐开元寺遗址.JPG, Kaiyuan Temple , ruins of Tang dynasty
柳侯祠 Ancestral Temple of the Marquis Liu.jpg, Liuhou Ancestral Hall , "Ancestral Hall of Liu Noble"
抗战期间被日军破坏焚烧状况图.png, Liuzhou by Japanese Army Situation Map
The Liujiang men () are among the earliest modern humans found in East Asia. Their remains were discovered in the Tongtianyang Cave () in Liujiang County, Guangxi. Liujiang man is a Late Pleistocene ''Homo sapiens sapiens''.
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 (), after the Long River, before finally changing to Liuzhou () after the Liu River
The Liu River (, pinyin: Liǔ Jiāng, literally: ''Willow River'') is a tributary within the Pearl River system in Guangxi, China. It is formed by the confluence of the Rong and Long rivers in Fengshan. It flows south through Liuzhou and then t ...
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.
Liuzhou was the site of Liuchow Airfield
Liuzhou Bailian Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the city of Liuzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
Airlines and destinations
See also
*List of airports in China
*List of the busiest airports in China
*Li ...
, used by Nationalist Chinese and American Army Air Forces in World War II.[''Hump Express'', Vol. 1, 25.]
Liuchow Victory Complete as Chinese Force Enters Smashed and Burned City
". India China Division, Air Transport Command, 5 July 1945. (At that time the airfield was closer to the centre, where the zoo is now.) It was captured by the Japanese army on 7 November 1944 during the Battle of Guilin–Liuzhou and recaptured by Nationalist Chinese forces on 30 June 1945 prior to the Second Guangxi Campaign.
Administrative divisions
Liuzhou has direct administration over 10 county-level divisions: 5 districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, 3 counties and 2 autonomous counties
Autonomous counties () and autonomous banners () are county-level autonomous administrative divisions of China. The two are essentially identical except in name.
There are 117 autonomous counties and three autonomous banners. The latter are fo ...
:
* District:
** Chengzhong District ()
** Liunan District ()
** Liubei District ()
** Yufeng District ()
** Liujiang District ()
* County:
** Liucheng County ()
** Luzhai County ()
** Rong'an County ()
* Autonomous county:
**Rongshui Miao Autonomous County
Rongshui Miao Autonomous County (; Standard Zhuang: ) is under the administration of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The seat of Rongshui County is Rongshui Town. It borders the prefecture-level divisions of Qiandongnan (Guizhou) ...
()
** Sanjiang Dong Autonomous 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 2015, the city's GDP was 231.1 billion yuan.[http://www.hktdc.com/info/mi/a/mpcn/en/1X072H6F/1/Profiles-Of-China-Provinces-Cities-And-Industrial-Parks/Liuzhou-Guangxi-City-Information.htm Liuzhou ( Guangxi ) City Information]
Among important companies based in Liuzhou are:
*LiuGong
LiuGong, officially Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co., Ltd., is a Chinese multinational
construction machinery manufacturing company headquartered in Liuzhou, China. It is the world's 10th-largest construction equipment manufacturer by market share ...
- a multinational construction machinery manufacturer
* SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile - a joint venture between General Motors, SAIC Motor and Liuzhou Wuling Motors
Tourism
As with much of Guangxi, the landscape around Liuzhou is a mix of rolling hills, mountain peaks, caves and karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
scenery. It is an ideal base for exploring the minority villages in the area.
*Rongshui: Rongshui Miao Autonomous County is located in the north of Liuzhou prefecture, away from Liuzhou and from Guilin. The territory is inhabited by Miao, Yao, Dong, Zhuang, Han nationality.
*Dayaoshan scenic area is in Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, from the city of Liuzhou. It has a scenic area of over .
*Sanjiang lies to the north of Liuzhou near the Hunan border. It is a Dong minority area and is surrounded by picturesque ethnic minority villages.
*LiuZhou Industrial Museum () was set up on the original site of the former Cotton Textile Factory No.3, and opened in 2012.
*Well acclaimed Liuzhou Forest City
Liuzhou Forest City is a planned city in Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
Geography
Liuzhou is located on the banks of the Liu River, at an approximate distance of 255 km (158 mi) from Nanning, the regional capital. Liuzhou Fore ...
will be built to the north of Liuzhou, in the mountains of Guangxi.
Transport
*Liuzhou Bailian Airport
Liuzhou Bailian Airport is a dual-use military and civil airport serving the city of Liuzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
Airlines and destinations
See also
*List of airports in China
*List of the busiest airports in China
*Li ...
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 Railway ( Jiaozuo - Zhicheng - Liuzhou, a.k.a. Jiao-Liu Line) Railway and Guizhou-Guangxi Railway (Guiyang
Guiyang (; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), historically rendered as Kweiyang, is the capital of Guizhou province of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the center of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, ...
- Liuzhou, a.k.a. Qian-Gui Line) make Liuzhou the center of freight transportation in Guangxi.
* China National Highway 209
*Liuzhou Metro
Liuzhou Rail Transit () is a monorail rapid transit, metro system currently under construction in Liuzhou, Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, China. Currently Lines 1 and 2 are under construction using monorails manufactured under a JV betw ...
is under construction.
* Liuzhou-Wuzhou Railway is a newly released railway line, linking the cities of Liuzhou with Wuzhou.
Military
Liuzhou is the headquarters of the 41st Group Army
The 75th Group Army ), formerly the 41st Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 75th Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground force ...
of the People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
, one of the two army groups that comprise the Guangzhou Military Region responsible for the defense of China's southern coast and its border with Vietnam.
Quotes
Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying .
:''Born in Suzhou
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
, 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,[Du Feibao, Du Bai, Lin Nianpei; ''Things Chinese'', China Travel and Tourism Press, 2002, ] 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
Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...
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 long, as souvenirs or good luck charms. The coffins are usually inscribed () which means 'get promotion and get rich". The second and fourth characters are homophones of () meaning 'coffin'.
Some miniature coffins are used as caskets to hold the ashes of ancestors.[
]
Notable 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.
See also
* List of twin towns and sister cities in China
References
External links
* (in Chinese and English)
Introduction to Liuzhou
{{authority control
Cities in Guangxi
Prefecture-level divisions of Guangxi