China Vacations | Liuzhou, City of Dragons

This temple was built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. It is located at the West side of Linjiang Lane, Yaru Road in Liuzhou. Chenghong District lies to the North. The Temple faces the South, overlooking the Liujiang (river).

This is one of the only existing ancient temples of Liuzhou. Its name, Xilai, means that Buddhist Scripture was acquired from the Western Heaven.

As you can see, the temple is nestled in between apartment buildings that have been erected after it was built. The temple is an active one, with worshippers forming a steady line to enter the building.

The temple is open from 7 a.m. until 6 a.m. except on the 1st and 15th of lunar months when it opens at 5 a.m.

Located in the front of Yu Feng Shan Primary School of Liuzhou, Ho Chi Minh's Residence is opposite Yufeng peak. He lived in this place for two years, between 1942 and 1944. Ho Chi Minh was the founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. You can read more about him here in Wikipedia!

Between July 2 and July 5, 1954, Ho Chi Mihn was invited by Premier Zhou En Lai to return to Liuzhou to exchange ideas on Indian peace and relevant issues proposed at a Geneva Conference.

The residence was officially recognised as a museum in 1997, and is protected by the government.

Entry: ¥5 per person.

Situated between two hills, Yufeng Hill and Ma'an Hill, this scenic park has many attractions. The hills contain caves which were inhabited thousands of years ago and the whole area is the site of numerous legends.

Fish Peak Hill (Yufeng Shan) stands 290 feet tall in the centre of Yufeng Park and offers a good vantage point for looking over the city of Liuzhou. Legend has it that this hill is actually a carp that once saved the life of the beloved singing sister of the House of Liu (Liu Sanjie [3rd sister Liu]). An angry lord threw her in the lake where two carp then saved her, one turning into this peak in order to crush the lord beneath him.

There is also the legend of two of the 'Great Immortals' who played chess here. On Ma'an hill there is a large depression which is said to be the footprint of one of these immortals.

You can check out some pictures here of Yufeng Park!

In December 1938, the Government of Korea arrived in Liuzhou to organise opposition to the Japanese troops occupying their country.

They remained in this building (adjacent to Yufeng Park) until April 1939, when they were forced to move again as Guangxi was under threat from the Japanese.

The building was erected in 1927 and was a bus station for a number of years. It has an interesting architectural design that makes it stand out from its surroundings. Inside, the displays are written in Chinese and Korean, so it is difficult for English speaking visitors to fully appreciate their significance.

This key tourist attraction is located in the centre of Liuzhou City near the City Square. The temple was built in 822 A.D. and was renovated several times in later dynasties.

Liuhou Park was constructed around the temple in 1906 for the purpose of commemorating Liu Zongyuan, governor of Liuzhou during the Tang Dynasty, while also a renowned writer, thinker and politician. The park is one of China's AAAA tourist attractions with an area of 15.52 hectares.

The ancestral temple of Liuhou is a building with simple but elegant style, where the brass statues of Liu Zongyuan and his underlings were sculptured. This temple is also where the stone inscription of Dragon City was inscribed in Liu Zongyuan's own calligraphy, and where Liu Zongyuan's stories, Han Yu's article and Sushi's calligraphy have been assembled into one magnificent and unique stele. Altogether more than 40 other inscriptions are kept there.

Around the temple are historic sites such as Liu Zongyuan's Cenotaph, Luochi (Luo Pool) and Ganxiang Pavilion (Orange Pavilion) etc. The Zhonghua Garden (Chinese Garden) is magnificent with its ingenious courtyard design, graceful gardens, abundant fantastic stones, collections of calligraphy and paintings.

At the beginning of 2005, the Liuzhou government made a huge investment in the overall rebuilding of Liuhou Park, renovating the man-made lake, landscape gardening, removing the zoo, improving the environment in and around the park, restoring historic buildings such as Xianliang Temple (the ancestral temple of wisdom), the School Room, Shangchang Lodging etc. A new Amusement Park for children integrating sight, sound and recreation has been built at a carefully-chosen site. Since the beginning of 2006, Liuzhou Park has taken on a totally new look, made rich with cultural content and connotation, graceful landscapes, and its excellent environment has been opened to the public for free.

On the outskirts of Liuzhou lies a tranquil expanse of water named "You Shan Hu". Adjacent to this lake is a park where local people congregate to wile away the hours in their spare time. They catch fish here and the young people enjoy the cool water over the long hot summer days.

This lake park is situated near a village where the residents still enjoy a lifestyle free of the demands of modern China and rich with local customs. There are several "rock dragons" decorating a small hill in the centre of the park, and this is typical of the folklore of the area where Liuzhou is known as the "Dragon City".

"Be born in Suzhou
Live in Hangzhou
Eat in Guangzhou
Die in Liuzhou"...
so goes the saying. The practice of cremation has curtailed the growth of this industry in Liuzhou, but many businessmen have demanded miniature coffins be reproduced for them to bring good fortune. As a result, this industry still thrives!