Liuzhou:New Sights for Old City
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liuzhou， Guangxi is known for the famous poem The Story of Snake Catchers written by Liu Zongyuan. Zongyuan was a famous poet and also a magistrate of Liuzhou in the Tang Dynasty.
Liu Zongyuan’s The Story of Snake Catchers criticized the cruel taxation policies within that time period. However， it also reveals the natural phenomenon of Liuzhou at that time， such as the subtropical dense forest and a multitude of animals all of which are represented by snakes.
Although The Story of Snake Catchers was written approximately 1400 years ago， the history of Liuzhou is far more extensive than that. The people who titled themselves the “men of Liu River” lived 50 thousand years ago and the first city of Liuzhou was built 2100 years ago.
Liuzhou was placed under the governance of the Chinese government in the Qin Dynasty. The ancient Vietnamese then ruled Liuzhou for over one century， until General Lu Bode from the Han Dynasty proceeded to conquer this land again. From then on， Liuzhou never left the administration of the dynasties that built their capitals in Beijing or Xi’an.
Whether the Chinese， Mongolians or Manchurians ruled these dynasties， all considered Liuzou to be an important frontline in defending itself against the ethnics settling down in the southwest of China. This highlighted its revered military status. During the Second World War， Liuzhou once accommodated the exiled government of South Korea， whose land was taken by Japanese invaders. The Chinese defenders and Japanese invaders staged several furious battles in this city， due to it being an important passageway to the southwestern part of China. The Japanese repeatedly tried to conquer this region.
Each dynasty gave priority to Liuzhou and this aided in boosting its development. The dynasties also added their own unique features to this city. Although a vast majority of Liuzhou was destroyed in the Second World War， it is still possible to see the relics that contain distinguished elements of each dynasty in China’s history.
It was this that made Liuzhou a sensational tourist attraction. Guangxi， Guilin is considered the best place to visit. However， Liuzhou， with the second most 5A scenic spots amongst all cities in Guangxi， could boast very different， yet fascinating sights from Guangxi.
People in the Qing Dynasty categorized the eight most representative scenic spots in Liuzhou. After enduring the wars， destruction and reconstruction， they now appear in a slightly different shape and form.
Leaping Fish Mountain
This mountain was titled ‘Leaping Fish’ from the Southern Pond in the Tang Dynasty. However， its fame became more widespread as a result of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Due to its ancient name， it is discernable that the scenic spot consists of both a mountain and pond.
Liu Zongyuan described this mountain to be thin and tall in the shape of a “leaping fish”. The mountain’s name originates from Zongyuan’s description of it. Green trees cover the mountain and various manmade pavilions complement these. The mountain used to be considered to be the pillar of Liuzhou. Liu River passes through this city and the inscriptions that read “Pillar of Liu River” can be found on the cliff in the waist of the mountain.
The mountain has a lot of caves， many of which are connected to each other and represent the essence of the mountain. Xu Xiake， a famous geologist and traveler in the Ming Dynasty， thought very highly of the wonderful scenes that these caves offered. He even considered them to be more remarkable than the caves of Guilin. Tourists choosing the northern route will discover a cave beside the front gate. It is called the Cave of Third Sister， due to the statue of Liu Sanjie， which dwells there. Liu Sanjie was the most extraordinary singer of the Zhuang ethnic group， which existed in ancient times. There is one more cave that lies to the right at the back of the Cave of Third Sister. It is known for its cool temperature even on the hottest of days and so it has acquired the name “Heaven of Coolness”.
After visiting these caves， people might choose to climb up a twisted path of 392 steps to the top of mountain. Here， they can view the landscape of Liuzhou.
At the southeastern foot of Leaping Fish Mountain， the Small Dragon Pond can be discovered. Its clear water allows people to observe the multitude of fish. Liu Zongyuan called it the Spring of Spirit. Lu Yu， a famous tea taster in ancient China， called the pond “Spring of Garden” and considered the fresh water to be the “best for making tea”. To the east of the pond， a crescent-shaped corridor was built. People could observe the reflection of the Leaping Fish Mountain on the lake like a giant carp leaping from the water’s surface. This is the origin of the scenic spot’s name.
Apart from the natural beauty that dwells there， the scenic spot of Leaping Fish Mountain is renowned for its culture of ballads. According to the legends， Liu Sanjie sang many ballads at Leaping Fish Mountain and also used her voice to encourage people to fight against the tyrannic ruling lords.
Saddle Mountain Park
The Saddle Mountain was named as the ‘Horse Leaping into the Sky’ in the Ming Dynasty. It also bore an old name， that of the ‘Immortal Deserting Mountain’. It is located in the southern bank of Liu River， just opposite to Leaping Fish Mountain. With a height of 270 meters， it is one of the tallest mountains in Liuzhou.
Its name comes from its shape， which is comparable to a saddle. In the morning mist， the mountain looks like a “horse leaping into the sky”. This explains its original name in the Ming Dynasty. It is now a park， which allows people to climb to the top of the mountain， in order to view the entirety of Liuzhou.
Liu Zongyuan created a vivid description of this place. However， Xu Xiake could not find the words to illustrate the beauty of this place. People in the Tang Dynasty began to visit Saddle Mountain Park and influential figures left their marks here. There are over 100 stone carvings that are believed to date back to the Song， Yuan， Ming and Qing Dynasties. The oldest stone carving was made in 1112， with inscriptions carved by Zhu Shihui.
According to traditional fairytales， Tie Guai Li and Lu Dongbing， two of the eight mortal-turned divines in China， once played chess in Saddle Mountain. Here they left their footprints， which are over 30 centimeters long. Alongside this， the “chessboard” and “chess room” can be discovered. These caves contain chessboard-like stone inside of them. The stalactites form different images in the cave.
Brush Tip Mountain
As its name implies， the mountain is shaped like a brush tip. According to a description in a historical record of Liuzhou in the Qing Dynasty， the mountain bears a powerful and outstanding shape， with a pointed peak like the pointed end of the brush tip and a round hillside as the belly of the brush tip.
The Brush Tip Mountain is over 400 meters high and is the tallest mountain in the suburban areas of Liuzhou. People can climb to the top of the mountain and look to the east. There they can find that the entire city of Liuzhou is like lying in the pan. （Unsure as to what this sentence actually means）.
Due to its similarity to the brush tip， the mountain is considered to be the totem of Liuzhou’s culture. The people in Liuzhou consider Liu Zongyuan as the initiator of Liuzhou culture and so they relate the Brush Tip Mountain to this great poet in the Tang Dynasty.
The wonder of this mountain is not limited to cultural allusions. There are also an abundance of scenic spots to be found in this mountain， such as the stone in the shape of cucumber and the flying stone mirror. The mountain also boasts a multitude of natural resources. Within its vicinity， there is an orchard that covers over hundreds of acres. Several water reservoirs also connect to the mountain， extending its charm due to their shimmering， crystal-like water.
Notably， the Brush Tip Mountain is only seven kilometers away from the downtown of Liuzhou. This place is accessible for tourists visiting the city.
Goose Mountain Park
The Goose Mountain lies in the west region of Liuzhou and is next to Liuzhou Railway Station. It is the highest mountain in the urban area of Liuzhou and is also one of the most impressive scenic features in this city.
Liu Zongyuan once climbed this mountain and wrote the eminent poem The Climbing of Goose Mountain in Liuzhou. This helped circulate the name of the mountain to the entirety of China. It was once the most distinctive scenic spot in Liuzhou， as ancient people used the “scenes in Goose Mountain”to represent the entire scene in Liuzhou.
The beauty of Goose Mountain is a result of its unique shape and steepness. Many tourists find it harder to climb in comparison with the other mountains in Liuzhou， due to its steep and narrow paths. However， those who withstand the difficulties and climb to the highest peak of the mountain are rewarded with the astounding view of Liuzhou and its surrounding area.
Nowadays， the mountain has been shifted to a park for children and young men. Alongside the traditional scenic spots， such as the Monkey-Face Stone and the Laughing Buddha Statue， there are also a multitude of modern facilities available.
Liu Zongyuan Park
Liu Zongyuan Park honours Liu Zongyuan and was named after him in an act of remembrance. It was initially built in the first year of Emperor Xuantong’s ruling period in the Qing Dynasty. Following this， it endured several rounds of expansions and reconstructions. This park is the only one national-level park in Guangxi.
The first sight that tourists encounter is “Luo Pond”. It was simply a natural pond in the Tang Dynasty. However， Liu Zongyuan was fond of walking around it. After Zongyuan had died， his underling Ouyang Yi had a dream that he wanted a temple to be built in honour of him by this very pond. Alongside the temple， the pond was also to be decorated with banks and piers. Every night when the moon rises above the pond， the reflection and the clear water form the “Night Moon of Luo Pond”. This is one of the eight scenes of ancient Liuzhou.
The temple built in honour of Liu Zongyuan is situated next to the pond. It was initially built in the Song Dynasty and was then rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. There are a log of stone steles in this temple， most of which relate to Liu Zongyuan. The Litchi Stele is the most renowned， which can be seen standing to a statue of Liu Zongyuan in the central hall. The stele inscription comes from a poet called Han Yu. This great poet was part of the Tang Dynasty and wrote in order to praise Liu Zongyuan. Su Shi， a greatest literary figure and calligrapher in the Song Dynasty， wrote the characters. Thus， the stele was commonly called the “Stele for the Three Best”.
To the east of the temple， the Tomb for Liu Zongyuan’s clothing can be found. When Liu Zongyuan died， his corpse was moved back to Chang’an. Local people buried items of his clothing in an act of respect.
Dragon Whisker Cliff
This cliff is a part of East Platform Mountain， which is situated in the east of Liuzhou. Dragon Whisker cliff hangs over Liu River. According to the ancient legends， people could often see the dragon whisker floating above the river. This is the origin of its name. Modern citizens speculate that the“dragon whisker” might be the vines that grow on the cliff and fall into the river. This is due to the fact that the cliff is still covered with vines.
Today’s East Platform is joined with the Park of Crouching Dragon. There are twin pagodas in the park. If you climb the pagodas， it is possible to watch the sun setting behind East Platform Mountain.
Crane Riding Mountain
The Crane Riding Mountain was known for its shape， which is comparable to “a lone crane looming over the river”. As recorded in the historical record of Liuzhou， the first fortress of Liuzhou was built right next to this mountain in the Han Dynasty. When Liu Zongyuan was the magistrate of Liuzhou， he gave the mountain the name of Crane Riding Mountain. In the Southern Song Dynasty， three distinguished governmental officials built “Crane Riding Academy” and“Three-Minister Academy”， the two earliest academies in Guangxi.
Inside the two academies， people planted hundreds of peach trees and so this place acquired the name “Little Peach Heaven”. Many future scholars and ministers visited this place and wrote poetry or prose to describe the charm of the “Little Peach Heaven”.
The two academies were destroyed in the war， alongside the “Little Peach Heaven”. In 2001， the government of Liuzhou decided to rebuild this scenic area， which was completed in 2004. The new site bears great resemblance to its original appearance， although there are some modern facilities for the convenience of tourists.
Dragon Wall Mountain
The Dragon Wall Mountain is located in the northeast of Liuzhou by Liu River. The river current abruptly turns eastward around this mountain， forming a steep cliff and dangerous shoals.
It is said that the mountain contains a kind of black stone， which can be used to make ink stone. Liu Zongyuan once stated： “The Dragon Wall Mountain boasts a lot of delicate stones that can be made into ink stone.”