Liuzhou Casual Trip (Part 1)
2021.5.2–6
Because some friends were in Liuzhou, a group of five of us—Old Shi and his wife, Old Zhang and his wife, plus myself—decided to take advantage of the May Day holiday and go for a stroll in Liuzhou.
On the afternoon of the 2nd, we gathered at Shenzhen Futian High-Speed Rail Station, and at 5 p.m. we smoothly boarded the train and set off. Since it was a last-minute decision and we didn't buy tickets together, I ended up in an adjacent carriage from the two couples. After the train departed, Old Zhang specially brought over some watermelon, and we chatted casually for a few minutes. But shortly after he returned, Old Shi's wife, Teacher Zhang, hurried over and said that during a stop, Old Shi and Old Zhang had gotten off to smoke and missed the train—they were left behind at Humen South Station. I was startled; the train had only been running for about ten minutes from Shenzhen. I quickly went over and sat in their seats in the carriage. While calling them at Humen South Station, I also quickly searched the train schedule on my phone. The next available train was the next morning; if they caught that one, they wouldn’t arrive in Liuzhou until noon the next day. Just as I was pondering, the two smokers called back excitedly, saying that several other people had also been left behind at Humen South Station for the same reason—so there were quite a few kindred spirits in the same predicament. Over the phone, they seemed to have found a good excuse for this unique but helpless experience. They said they had contacted someone and decided to rent a car with two other people to drive to Liuzhou—about 600 kilometers—and they'd arrive by a little after 2 a.m. We told them to be careful, then started teasing these two eccentric smokers, who became the laughingstock of our remaining trip.
Our high-speed train arrived in Liuzhou right on time at 10 p.m. A friend from Liuzhou drove us to the Shenhang Hotel by the Liujiang River. After showering at the hotel, I went to bed early.
The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, the two smokers were presumably still asleep catching up on rest. Seeing that it was still early, I went out alone for a walk along the nearby Liujiang River. The river was very clean, and the path along the embankment was quiet and deep—very pleasant.
Walking to the riverbank, I suddenly noticed there were water buses here—quite unique. I studied the water bus stops for a while and decided to try it out when I had time.
When I returned to the hotel, the other four had already finished breakfast. The two smokers were at the hotel entrance recounting their bizarre experience, but they firmly refused to tell their wives the real cost of the rental car. They agreed on a made-up, very low figure that only their wives would believe, and split it three ways. Just then, our friend arrived to pick us up, so everyone quickly changed the subject. He drove us to Longtan Park, and we asked him to go back so we could be more free. Entering Longtan Park, there were lakes and hills. The hills looked very much like those in Guilin—rolling and rounded, all part of karst landforms. The trees cast dense shade, and birds sang above and below. We walked across covered bridges and over small streams, and before we knew it, it was already 2 p.m. According to our friend later, Longtan Park is huge, and we had only covered a little less than half of it.
After leaving Longtan Park, we took a taxi to Liuhou Park. You can’t say you’ve been to Liuzhou without eating snail noodles. So on the way, we had the taxi stop at a snail noodle shop recommended by the driver, and we all had a hearty meal of snail noodles. They really have a unique flavor. Everyone liked them a lot—definitely a representative taste recommended by a local driver. Then we walked to Liuhou Park, but unfortunately the Liuhou Temple was under renovation, so we could only stroll around the park. We discussed it and, since Liuzhou is famous for its interesting stone textures and shapes, we decided to go to the Qishi (Strange Stone) City.
We took a taxi to Qishi City. It was quite large, and there were all kinds of strange stones—some looked like landscape paintings, others like Buddha statues. The prices were mostly reasonable. I bought a stone for 100 yuan—very cheap—as a souvenir of Liuzhou, though it was a bit heavy. Then we took a taxi back to the hotel to rest.
At 6 p.m. we left the hotel again and walked to the Dongdi Cruise Pier next door. We picked up the cruise tickets our friend had booked in advance. The boat set off at 8:30 p.m. for a night tour of the Liujiang River. The artificial waterfalls and lights on both banks of the river were quite nice. The locals said that the most distinctive feature of Liuzhou is its over twenty bridges across the Liujiang River, each with a different design. Adorned with lights, they vividly showcase the prosperity and abundance of this city with a strong industrial foundation.
The night tour ended around 9 p.m. We went to the nearby Shuangyuhui (Twin Fish Wharf), where a friend came to join us for barbecue. Liuzhou’s night market was bustling and lively, with barbecue stalls everywhere. Many people were driving Wuling Hongguang MINI EVs, which are produced locally in Liuzhou. They came in various colors, compact and cute, and looked very stylish. It’s said that Liuzhou offers various incentives for small EVs, like free charging and parking, low usage costs, and easy parking—making them a distinctive feature of the city.
On the third day, the 4th, after breakfast at the hotel, our friend drove us to the Sanjiang National Forest Park by the Liujiang River. It was drizzling in the morning. The road by the river wound through dark green hills and alongside the quietly flowing Liujiang River, with the fine rain adding a dreamy feel. The road along the way was neat and clean. The car stopped near a cliff on the opposite bank of the Liujiang River. The cliff was covered with small trees, and the patterns on the cliff complemented the trees perfectly, looking just like a landscape painting. The great Tang dynasty poet Liu Zongyuan once served as governor of Liuzhou and wrote the line “Beneath the great cliff lie many fine stones.” This is one of the ancient Eight Scenes of Liuzhou: “Longbi Huilan” (Dragon Wall and Rippling Waves).
Then we continued driving to the Duleyan Scenic Area. First we visited Kaiyuan Temple, then explored three stalactite caves, which were quite nice. Afterward, we strolled casually through the park within the scenic area. Because of the drizzle, it was very quiet, and scenic views were everywhere.
Around noon we left, and our friend drove us back to the hotel to rest. We planned to leave the hotel again at 6 p.m., just in time to see the night scenery. At dusk we left the hotel on time and walked along the Liujiang River to the Yaobu Ancient Town. The riverside path was serene and long. We walked down the embankment and along the boardwalk by the river. The reflections of various buildings on the opposite bank shimmered in the water, showing the city’s economic strength. Soon we neared the ancient town. It was just getting dark, and the sound of rushing water was heard from afar. The artificial waterfall was right at our feet. Walking along the small stone path wet by the waterfall, under the colorful lights, was a unique experience. We entered the ancient town and wandered among the crowds without any particular aim. In the distance, we saw a magnificent building with the inscription “Longcheng Tower.” It turns out that Liuzhou was also called “Longcheng” (Dragon City) in ancient times.
On a sign in the ancient town, we saw a marker for the Confucian Temple. We decided to go there. It was quite close in a straight line, but because we had to go around a small hill, we walked a bit farther. In the center of Liuzhou, there are various small, rounded hills covered with small trees. The Liujiang River winds a few turns through the city. The interplay of hills and water gives the city a lively spirit. Near the Confucian Temple, there were pagodas, temples, hills, and water. Standing on high ground to enjoy the night view was also a pleasure.
That evening, we met up with a friend and ate the currently very popular Vietnamese crab legs in Liuzhou. People in Liuzhou drink heavily and boldly. At an outdoor table, several women were eating together, and beside their feet there were already several cases (each case of 12 bottles) of empty beer bottles. We were quite amazed, but the local men said this was perfectly normal.
(To be continued)
