Liuzhou

Liuzhou(/ljuːˈdʒoʊ/;Chinese:柳州, IPA Pronunciation:[ljòʊ.ʈʂóʊ]) is aprefecture-level cityin north-centralGuangxiZhuang Autonomous Region,People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 4,153,500 as of 2023 census,including 2,519,051 in the built-up area made of five urban districts. Its total area is 18,594 km(7,179 sq mi) and 3,559.4 km(1,374.3 sq mi) for the built-up area.
Liuzhou is located on the banks of the windingLiu River, approximately 255 km (158 mi) fromNanning, the regional capital. By road, it is about 167 km (104 mi) toGuilin, 167 km (104 mi) toHechi, 237 km (147 mi) toNanning, 373 km (232 mi) toFangchenggang, 448 km (278 mi) toBeihai.
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.
The river can be deep.  Normally, the depth is 60–70 metres (200–230 ft) but can as deep as 90 metres (300 ft) before it floods over the wall. In 2000 a bus, with 78 passengers, fell over the side of a bridge. There were no survivors.
Liuzhou has ahumid subtropical climate(KöppenCfa/Cwa), with mild winters and long hot summers, and very humid conditions year-round. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 10.5 °C (50.9 °F) in January to 29 °C (84 °F) in August, while extremes have ranged from −3.8 to 42 °C (25 to 108 °F). Rain is both the heaviest and most frequent from May to August, when nearly two-thirds of the annual rainfall occurs.
TheLiujiang men(Chinese:柳江人) are among the earliest modernhumansfound inEast Asia. Their remains were discovered in theTongtianyang Cave(通天岩) inLiujiang County, Guangxi.Liujiang man is a Late PleistoceneHomo sapiens sapiens.
Liuzhou has a history of more than 2,100 years. The city was founded in 111 B.C. when it was known asTanzhong(潭中; 'Center of Deep Pool').
In 742 A.D. it became known asLongcheng(龙城; 'Dragon City'), after theLong River, before finally changing to Liuzhou (柳州; 'WillowPrefecture') after theLiu Riverin 1736.
The most famous historic figure isLiu Zongyuan(773–819), who was a poet and politician in theTang dynastyand who died in Liuzhou. He is commemorated by a park in the city.
Liuzhou was the site ofLiuchow Airfield, used by Nationalist Chinese andAmerican Army Air ForcesinWorld War II.(At that time the airfield was closer to the centre, where the zoo is now.) It was captured by theJapanesearmy on 7 November 1944 during theBattle of Guilin–Liuzhouand recaptured by Nationalist Chinese forces on 30 June 1945 prior to theSecond Guangxi Campaign.
Liuzhou has direct administration over 10 county-level divisions: 5districts, 3countiesand 2autonomous counties:
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.
Among important companies based in Liuzhou are:
As with much of Guangxi, the landscape around Liuzhou is a mix of rolling hills, mountain peaks, caves andkarstscenery. It is an ideal base for exploring the minority villages in the area.
In recent years (post-Covid-19 pandemic, 2022/3) some tourists engage inCulinary tourismsince Liuzhou is the birthplace of Guangxi's most famous dish,Luosifen.
Liuzhou is the headquarters of the75th Group Armyof thePeople's Liberation Army.
Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying生在苏州, 活在杭州, 吃在广州, 死在柳州.
because, in the past, the city was known for its coffins, made from firwood, camphor wood, and sandalwood,which are said to preserve the body after death.Guangzhou's"Cantonese" cuisineis famous worldwide, andHangzhouis known for its prosperity and the beauty of its location.Suzhouis 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 (1.2 to 11.8 in) long, as souvenirs or good luck charms. The coffins are usually inscribed升官发财(shēng guān fā cái) which means 'get promotion and get rich". The second and fourth characters arehomophonesof棺材(guāncái) meaning 'coffin'.
Some miniature coffins are used as caskets to hold the ashes of ancestors.