Encountering Liuzhou
Even if you don't make any deliberate arrangements in your Guangxi itinerary, you still have a chance to encounter Liuzhou. Known as the 'Commercial Port of Central Guangxi', Liuzhou has always been a major transportation hub in Guangxi. Even today, with a well-developed road network, it remains closely connected to surrounding areas such as Nanning, Guilin, Yangshuo, Hechi, Tongdao in Hunan, Congjiang in Guizhou, and others, thanks to its advantageous central location in the autonomous region.
Although Liuzhou has plenty of mountains and waters, its fame does not come from that. In the minds of older generations, Liuzhou is often associated with 'Liugang' (Liuzhou Steel) and 'Liuqi' (Liuzhou Automobile). For food lovers, Liuzhou is the 'holy land' for tasting snail noodles. If you still remember the article 'The Snake Catcher' from your Chinese textbook, you might also recall Liu Zongyuan, the great poet who shares the same surname as the city, and who spent the last four years of his life here.
The Liujiang River winds around Liuzhou city in several large S-shaped bends, turning the city into a water town with river views everywhere. Climbing up the highest peak in the city, Ma'anshan, and looking north, you will immediately understand how fitting Liuzhou's nickname 'Pot City' is: the wide Liujiang River makes a U-shaped turn here, smoothly outlining an oval pot body. Inside the belly of the pot lies Liuzhou's center from ancient to modern times, featuring the ancient East Gate with its watchtower and city wall, the lively Qingyun Market with a strong local flavor, and the Wuxing Commercial Street lined with shops and high-rise buildings.
The south bank offers extended options for entertainment and leisure, where clusters of karst hills transform into parks one after another, providing citizens with many good places to spend their free time. Yufeng Park is a representative example, featuring the scenery of 'two mountains embracing a pool'. The two mountains are Yufeng Mountain on the west and Ma'anshan Mountain on the east, and the pool is Little Dragon Pool, which is said to be the place where Liu Sanjie became an immortal.
'Liuzhou's Governor Liu, planting willows by the Liujiang River.' To commemorate the great Tang dynasty poet Liu Zongyuan, a Liuhou Temple was built in Liuhou Park. Although it has a long history, the existing building is not particularly impressive—it was reconstructed in 1987 based on a Qing dynasty floor plan. What is truly worth the 10 yuan admission is the Southern Song dynasty stele 'Lizi Stele' preserved inside the temple. This stele features Su Shi's calligraphy, inscribed with Han Yu's essay, recounting Liu Zongyuan's deeds, and is therefore also known as the 'Three Perfections Stele'. Behind the temple there is also a cenotaph of Liu Zongyuan.
Liuzhou Industrial Museum is quite large. Outside the museum, there are 'retired' locomotives and green train cars converted into 'book bars'. On the lawn, there are creatively made swings and seesaws assembled from industrial parts.
If you want to enrich your night itinerary, consider taking a cruise to enjoy the city nightscape on the hundred-mile Liujiang River. You can go to the East Embankment Tourist Pier or the Liuhang Cruise Pier in Riverside Park, or take a walk along the river at Yaobu Ancient Town.
