Liuzhou

Liuzhou
柳州市 • Liujcouh Si
Prefecture-level city

Clockwise, from top: City center skyline by night, Dongmen ancient city gate, Longtan Park, Temple of Confucius, Chengyang Bridge, and a temple at Horse Saddle Mountain (马鞍山)

Location of Liuzhou City jurisdiction in Guangxi
Liuzhou

Location in China

Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E / 24.317; 109.383
Country People's Republic of China
Region Guangxi
Area
 • Prefecture-level city 18,677 km2 (7,211 sq mi)
Population (2010 census)
 • Prefecture-level city 3,758,700
 • Density 200/km2 (520/sq mi)
 • Urban 1,436,599
 • Metro 1,436,599
Time zone China Standard (UTC+8)
Website http://www.liuzhou.gov.cn/
Liuzhou

"Liuzhou", as written in Chinese
Chinese name
Chinese 柳州
Hanyu Pinyin Liǔzhōu
Postal Liuchow
Literal meaning Willow [River] Prefecture
Zhuang name
Zhuang Liujcouh
1957 orthography Liuзcouƅ

Liuzhou (/ˈljuːˈdʒoʊ/,[1] Chinese: 柳州) is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. The prefecture's population was 3,758,700 in 2010, including 1,436,599 in the built-up area made of 4 urban districts. Its total area is 18,777 km2 (7,250 sq mi) and 667 km2 (258 sq mi) for built up area.

Geography

Liuzhou is located on the banks of the winding Liu River, approximately 255 km (158 mi) from Nanning, the regional capital. By road, it is about 167 km (104 mi) to Guilin, 167 km (104 mi) to Hechi, 237 km (147 mi) to Nanning, 373 km (232 mi) to Fangchenggang, 448 km (278 mi) to Beihai.

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.[2]

Climate

Liuzhou has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with mild to warm winters and long, hot (but not especially) summers, and very humid conditions year-round. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 10.4 °C (50.7 °F) in January to 28.8 °C (83.8 °F) in July, while extremes have ranged from −1.3 to 39.1 °C (30 to 102 °F). Rain is both the heaviest and most frequent from May to August, when nearly two-thirds of the annual rainfall occurs.

Climate data for Liuzhou (1971−2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.8
(82)		 34.4
(93.9)		 34.1
(93.4)		 35.0
(95)		 36.7
(98.1)		 38.0
(100.4)		 39.1
(102.4)		 38.9
(102)		 38.5
(101.3)		 35.5
(95.9)		 33.1
(91.6)		 29.1
(84.4)		 39.1
(102.4)
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)		 25.0
(77)
Daily mean °C (°F) 10.4
(50.7)		 11.8
(53.2)		 15.4
(59.7)		 20.9
(69.6)		 24.8
(76.6)		 27.6
(81.7)		 28.8
(83.8)		 28.7
(83.7)		 26.9
(80.4)		 22.7
(72.9)		 17.5
(63.5)		 12.9
(55.2)		 20.7
(69.25)
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)		 9.5
(49.1)		 17.6
(63.7)
Record low °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7)		 0.0
(32)		 2.3
(36.1)		 6.7
(44.1)		 12.2
(54)		 17.7
(63.9)		 20.0
(68)		 20.0
(68)		 15.0
(59)		 8.3
(46.9)		 2.9
(37.2)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 −1.3
(29.7)
Average 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
(55.718)
Average 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

History

Kaiyuan Temple (开元寺, "Temple of Beginning")Ruins of Tang dynasty
Liuhou Ancestral Hall柳侯祠，"Ancestral Hall of Liu Noble"

Liuzhou has a history of more than 2,100 years. The city was founded in 111 B.C. when it was known as Tanzhong(潭中, "Center of Deep Pool").

In 742 A.D. it became known as Longcheng (龙城, "Dragon City"), after the Long River, before finally changing to Liuzhou (柳州,"Willow 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 City in World War Two destroyed and burned by Japanese Army Situation Map

Liuzhou was the site of Liuchow Airfield, used by Nationalist Chinese and American Army Air Forces in World War II.[3] 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.[3]

Liuzhou city center at 1948

Administrative divisions

Map

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 2009, the city’s GDP was 103.2 billion yuan.[4]

Among important companies based in Liuzhou are:

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.

Transport

Military

Liuzhou is the headquarters of the 41st Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of the two army groups that comprise the Guangzhou Military Region responsible for the defense of China's southern coast and its border with Vietnam.

Quotes

Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying 生在苏州, 活在杭州, 吃在广州, 死在柳州.

Born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou

because, in the past, the city was known for its coffins, made from firwood, camphor wood, and sandalwood,[5] 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 (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 are homophones of 棺材 (guān cái) meaning 'coffin'.

Some miniature coffins are used as caskets to hold the ashes of ancestors.[5]

People

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Liuzhou pronunciation". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  2. ↑ http://www.danwei.com/panic-buying-of-water-in-liuzhou-a-report-from-the-ground/ Panic buying of water in Liuzhou – a report from the ground
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. ↑ http://www.hktdc.com/info/mi/a/mpcn/en/1X072H6F/1/Profiles-Of-China-Provinces-Cities-And-Industrial-Parks/Liuzhou-Guangxi-City-Information.htm Liuzhou ( Guangxi ) City Information
  5. 1 2 Du Feibao, Du Bai, Lin Nianpei; Things Chinese, China Travel and Tourism Press, 2002, ISBN 7-5032-1856-8
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Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E / 24.317; 109.383

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