Liuzhou
| Liuzhou 柳州 Liujcouh |
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| — Prefecture-level city — | |
| 柳州市 Liujcouh Si |
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 Liuzhou
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| Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E | |
| Country | China |
| Province | Guangxi |
| Area | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 7,211.2 sq mi (18,677 km2) |
| Population (2010 census) | |
| • Prefecture-level city | 3,758,700 |
| • Density | 521.2/sq mi (201.2/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,029,946 |
| • Metro | 1,029,946 |
| Time zone | China standard time (UTC+8) |
| Website | http://www.liuzhou.gov.cn/ |
Liuzhou (Chinese: 柳州; pinyin: Liǔzhōu, Zhuang: Liujcouh) is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in southern China. The prefecture's population was 3,758,700 in 2010, including 1,029,946 in the built up area made of 4 urban districts. Its total area is 18,777 km² and 667 km² for built up area.
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[edit] Geography
Liuzhou is located on the banks of the winding Liu River, approximately 255 km from Nanning, the provincial capital. Liuzhou is 537 km from Hong Kong, 1,415 km from Shanghai and 1,852 kilometres from Beijing.
By road, it is about 167 km to Guilin,167 km to Hechi,237 km to Nanning,373 km to Fangchenggang,448 km to Beihai.
It is about 580 km to Guiyang, 672 km to Changsha,703 km to Guangzhou,943 km to Chongqing,1066 km to Kunming, capital cities of provinces nearby.
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.
[edit] History
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 (龙城, "Dragon City"), after the Long River, before finally changing to Liuzhou ("Liu Prefecture") after the Liu River 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 formerly transliterated as Liuchow and was the site of Liuchow Airfield, used by Nationalist Chinese and American Army Air Forces in World War II.[1] 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.[1]
[edit] Administrative divisions
[edit] 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 2004, the city’s GDP was 40.4 billion yuan.
[edit] Tourism
As with much of Guangxi, the landscape around Liuzhou is a mix of rolling hills, mountain peaks, caves and karst scenery. It is an ideal base for exploring the minority villages in the area.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Liuzhou (1971−2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 14.2 (57.6) |
15.5 (59.9) |
19.0 (66.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
29.1 (84.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
33.5 (92.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
27.7 (81.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
17.7 (63.9) |
25.05 (77.09) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.7 (54.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.6 (70.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.1 (66.4) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9.5 (49.1) |
17.56 (63.60) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 47.2 (1.858) |
57.9 (2.28) |
87.9 (3.461) |
149.8 (5.898) |
244.4 (9.622) |
238.3 (9.382) |
194.3 (7.65) |
177.0 (6.969) |
66.0 (2.598) |
68.4 (2.693) |
50.2 (1.976) |
33.8 (1.331) |
1,415.2 (55.717) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 13.4 | 14.2 | 16.6 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 16.0 | 15.4 | 14.4 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 156.3 |
| Source: Weather China | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport
- Liuzhou Airport 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 - Liuzhou, a.k.a. Qian-Gui Line) make Liuzhou the center of freight transportation in Guangxi.
- China National Highway 209
[edit] Military
Liuzhou is headquarters of the 41st Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of the two group armies that comprise the Guangzhou Military Region responsible for the defense of China's southern coast and its border with Vietnam.
[edit] Quotes
Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying
because, in the past, the city was known for its coffins, made from firwood, camphor wood, and sandalwood,[2] 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 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 3 to 30 cm long, as souvenirs or good luck charms. The coffins are usually inscribed 升官发财 (shēng guān fā cái) which means 'win promotion and get rich". The second and fourth characters are homophones of 棺材 (guān cái) meaning 'coffin'.
Some miniature coffins are used as caskets to hold the ashes of ancestors.[2]
[edit] 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 was also born in Liuzhou.
[edit] International relations
[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities
Liuzhou is twinned with:
[edit] References
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b Du Feibao, Du Bai, Lin Nianpei; Things Chinese, China Travel and Tourism Press, 2002, ISBN 7503218568
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Liuzhou |
- Official website (in Chinese and English)
- Introduction to Liuzhou
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