Checking in at a Resort Hotel in Liuzhou: By the Hundred-Mile Liujiang River, a Toast to the River and Moon

Thousands of mountains stand around the wild, one river encircles the city!

Standing by the window of my room at the Liuzhou Park Hyatt Garden Hotel, the hundred-mile Liujiang River wraps Liuzhou into a pot shape. The hazy mountain streams and valleys blend with the brilliantly lit high-rises. Suddenly, I recall the lines by Song dynasty poet Liu Kezhuang. He wrote those verses after visiting Guilin, but they apply just as well to Liuzhou.

Liuzhou is a well-known industrial city, but beyond the concrete and steel, one can witness such tenderness along the hundred-mile Liujiang River—a perfect balance of toughness and softness. Before coming, I had no particular feelings about Liuzhou, but after arriving, I was deeply captivated. The most soul-stirring sight is undoubtedly the hundred-mile Liujiang River. Taking a cruise along the river, under the bright moon and gentle breeze, with green wine cups and red sleeves, stunning peaks on both banks and ancient charm everywhere, the musical fountain, artificial waterfall, Confucian temple, and historic buildings flash past, accompanied by the city's neon lights—truly irresistible, making one linger and forget to return.

After disembarking, taking a stroll around is another kind of scenery. Just blowing in the river breeze alone or quietly daydreaming feels wonderful. The city lights are still intense, but suddenly there is a magic that lets you temporarily set aside all mental burdens and simply enjoy the moment, where 'the ear meets it as sound, and the eye meets it as color.'

By the riverbank, under the bright moon and with a gentle breeze, I suddenly want to get drunk with the river and moon. Not far away is a food street. First, I have a bowl of authentic Liuzhou snail rice noodles to fill my stomach, then order some barbecue and appetizers, along with a few cans of iced beer. Thinking of nothing, just savoring the mesmerizing night scenery, I raise a cup to toast the river and moon—an unforgettable experience.

In the city, we are always filled with many things and emotions—family, work, relationships, money, and so on. We no longer have the time or energy left for our own souls. Perhaps, by going to an unfamiliar place, slowing down, and listening to our inner voice, we may realize that the pain is not that our souls are riddled with holes, but that we have chosen to ignore them.

Further into the food street is the Liuzhou Park Hyatt Garden Hotel I came to check in. It is a garden-style hotel—boisterous outside, yet serene and tranquil inside. Finding peace amid noise, it truly embodies the concept of 'the great hermit hides in the city.' Birds chirp, flowers bloom, and fish glide in the shallow waters, offering guests a reason for a slow life. Just sit on a garden chair, smell the flowers, savor life, and while resting with closed eyes, see yourself, see the multitude.

The interior design of the Liuzhou Park Hyatt Garden Hotel is excellent. Stepping inside, a long-lost feeling of refreshment comes uninvited—simple, grand, and tender. The room's arrangement has neither too much nor too little; nothing is more perfect than just the right amount, just like life. As night deepens, standing by the window, the view outside is an unbeatable river scenery. The hundred-mile Liujiang River sleeps hidden in the night, while the pot-shaped Dragon City is half seawater, half flame.

Tonight, I will sleep well!