Liuzhou, Guangxi: More Than Just Luosifen
It's hard to imagine that Liuzhou, a city nationally renowned for its industry, boasts such picturesque urban scenery.
The clear and wide Liujiang River meanders around the city, with tree-lined streets and verdant stone peaks dotting the landscape.
As night falls, neon lights along both banks of the Liujiang gradually flicker to life, and rows of towering buildings shimmer with dazzling lights, revealing a bustling metropolis to the world.
This is Liuzhou—the industrial heart of Guangxi, contributing about a quarter of the region's total industrial output. It is hailed as "the strongest industrial city among scenic landscapes and the most picturesque city among industrial hubs."
Yet, this is just one glimpse of Liuzhou's "hardcore" strength in the new era.
In terms of brands, the "people's car" Wuling Hongguang, Golden Throat lozenges, Liangmianzhen toothpaste, and LiuGong—the world's top-selling wheel loader—all originated here.
As for cuisine, a humble bag of Luosifen (river snail rice noodles), crafted through local innovation, became an internet sensation with annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan.
Beyond this, you can encounter over a dozen ethnic minorities here, including the Dong, Mulao, Zhuang, Miao, and Yao, each adding rich cultural flavors.
You can also witness world-class water sports events here, with speeding boats staging their own "Fast & Furious" on the Liujiang.
According to statistics, Liuzhou welcomed over 2.71 million tourists during this year's May Day holiday, surpassing Guilin to rank first in Guangxi.
Just how much of Liuzhou's "strength" remains untold?
And why is it so "hardcore"?
The Guangxi Basin in southwestern China lies in the transitional zone between the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the southeastern coastal hills, surrounded by mountains and dotted with karst landscapes.
In its central-northern part lies the Guizhong Basin, home to Liuzhou.
To the basin's north stand the Jiuwanda Mountains, while to the east rise the Jiaqiao Ridge and Dayao Mountain, forming relatively higher terrain.
Moisture-laden air, trekking here, is blocked by the mountains, resulting in abundant rainfall, dense forests, cascading waterfalls, and winding streams.
The Longjiang and Rongjiang rivers, originating from the Nanling Mountains, and the Luoqingjiang River, rushing out of northeastern Guangxi's highlands, all surge southward to converge into the Liujiang.
As the saying goes, "Settle by water, thrive by rivers." The abundant water and fertile land attracted humans tens of thousands of years ago.
Particularly in the relatively low-lying central-southern areas, vast plains and numerous caves provided ideal habitats.
The Bailian Cave in Liuzhou's Lotus Mountain was one such ideal dwelling for ancient humans tens of thousands of years ago.
The ancestors of ethnic minorities such as the Zhuang, Dong, and Miao—the two major tribes of Xi'ou and Luoyue—had already settled here during the pre-Qin period.
In 214 BCE, the Lingqu Canal, connecting the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, was completed, marking the first large-scale influx of Central Plains culture into Lingnan and the formation of numerous villages.
Liuzhou, located within the Pearl River system, was no exception.
About 100 years later, Emperor Wu of Han established Tanzhong County near Jiaohe Mountain in present-day Liuzhou, marking the beginning of Liuzhou's administrative history, which dates back over 2,000 years.
From then on, Liuzhou's main city, "encircled by mountains and embraced by rivers, shaped like a pot," gradually took form.
The Liujiang River, stretching upstream to Sichuan and Yunnan and downstream to Guangdong and Guangxi, transformed from a folk waterway into an official trade route.
Especially after the excavation of the ancient Gui-Liu Canal during the Tang Dynasty, goods could travel northward to the Central Plains via the Liujiang River, facilitating commerce and boosting industry and trade.
Additionally, the renowned literary figure Liu Zongyuan, who had been exiled multiple times, was transferred to Liuzhou.
Despite his poor health during his tenure, he diligently promoted education, encouraged agriculture, and gradually lifted Liuzhou out of isolation. Later generations praised him, saying, "The people of Liuzhou began to value learning from this time onward."
By the Ming and Qing dynasties, Liuzhou had attracted merchants from all over, with commercial guilds established for Guangdong, Hunan, western Hunan, and Fujian, leading to rapid industrial and commercial growth.
At that time, local timber, tung oil, and goods like cotton yarn and salt from Guangdong were transported via the Liujiang River. The volume of goods was so large that over 10 docks were built along the northern bank of the river in what is now the southern part of the city.
Among the goods, Liuzhou's coffins were particularly unique. The abundant hardwood from both banks of the Rongjiang River was used to craft high-quality, meticulously made coffins, which were even exported abroad.
Hence, the folk saying: "Eat in Guangzhou, play in Hangzhou, die in Liuzhou"—a testament to the enduring fame of its coffin industry.
As the economy flourished, streets lined with general stores proliferated, shops multiplied, and the urban population surged.
This earned Liuzhou the reputation of the "Commercial Hub of Central Guangxi."
During this period, though Liuzhou had yet to undergo full modernization, its "open and inclusive" commercial ethos nurtured a generation of bold entrepreneurs, laying fertile ground for modern industrial development.
In the 1920s, the "New Guangxi Clique," represented by warlords like Li Zongren, took control of Guangxi, ushering in a legendary era of Liuzhou's "industrial age."
After unifying Guangxi, the New Guangxi Clique, to consolidate power and rival other factions, decided to vigorously develop Guangxi's economy, especially its foundational industries, under the slogan "Build Guangxi, Revive China."
To create a strong and self-sufficient Guangxi, they turned their attention to Liuzhou, then a thriving "commercial metropolis" with a well-developed waterway system.
Thanks to its commercial prosperity and capital accumulation, Liuzhou was well-equipped for industrial ventures. With proper development, it could serve as Guangxi's political, economic, and cultural center.
Driven by the "Industrial Dream" and the "Central Hub Dream," Liuzhou launched large-scale urban construction, with various factories successively commencing production.
In 1928, Liuzhou Machinery Factory emerged in the southeastern suburbs of present-day Liuzhou, producing Guangxi's first automobile and first aircraft.
The factory's capital was three times the combined total of Guangxi's other 32 small mechanical repair shops, earning it the title of "Cradle of Guangxi's Machinery Industry."
Subsequently, Liuzhou Alcohol Factory, Liuzhou Refinery, Liuzhou Cigarette Factory, and others were established, making Liuzhou the "Industrial Heart" of Guangxi during the Republic of China era with the most factories and strongest capital.
Meanwhile, Liuzhou, with its accessible waterways, vigorously constructed roads and railways in the 1920s and 1930s, ranking first in Guangxi for newly built roads between 1925 and 1927.
The Liuzhou Central Station, located at the foot of Yufeng Mountain, was also the largest in Guangxi, forming the basic transportation framework centered on Liuzhou.
In the new era, Liuzhou has revitalized its hub status, providing fresh momentum for industrial growth.
However, less than a decade later, the full-scale outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War severely damaged Liuzhou's industry, nearly extinguishing its developmental prospects. By the founding of New China, Guangxi had only slightly over 100 industrial enterprises, with a still very weak foundation in modern industry.
To quickly establish a socialist industrial system, the central government, facing Guangxi's near-total lack of heavy industry, decided to establish three major industrial zones in Guangxi, including Liuzhou's Liubei Industrial Zone.
This move not only laid Guangxi's industrial foundation but also gave rise to a giant industrial city—Liuzhou.
In 1956, oil shale deposits were discovered in Maoming, Guangdong, prompting the state to relocate Shanghai's East China Steel Construction Plant south for development. After extensive efforts by Guangxi's leaders, the relocated factory was settled in Liuzhou and named Liuzhou Construction Machinery Manufacturing Plant.
In its early days, over 500 workers and their families came to assist. Without dormitories, workers crowded into shared rooms; without workshops, they worked outdoors; without equipment, they built it themselves.
After decades of hard work, the factory gained global renown as today's famous "LiuGong."
The Liuzhou Machinery Manufacturing Plant was just one of Liuzhou's ten key projects during the Second Five-Year Plan.
Others included Liuzhou Iron and Steel Plant, Liuzhou Thermal Power Station, Liuzhou United Machinery Plant, Liuzhou Chemical Fertilizer Plant, Liubei Water Plant, Liuzhou Power Machinery Plant, Liuzhou Cement Plant, Liujiang Paper Mill, and Liuzhou Second Chemical Plant.
Together, they formed the grand blueprint of Liuzhou's industrial layout.
Established in 1958 on barren land, Liuzhou Iron and Steel Plant gathered passionate youth from Chongqing Iron and Steel Plant and Wuhan Iron and Steel Plant.
The ideal of "Industrial Patriotism" sparked a construction boom, ending Guangxi's history of not producing steel.
Today, "Liugang" ranks among China's top 500 enterprises and is the 25th largest steel producer globally, exporting to over 10 countries in East and South Asia.
Founded the same year, Liuzhou Cement Plant became one of South China's most influential cement producers.
Most of the large-scale national key construction projects in South China, such as Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and the Humen Bridge, were built with Liuzhou "Yufeng" cement.
In addition, the Liuzhou Power Machinery Factory also broke ground in 1958, continuing the "automobile dream" of the people of Liuzhou.
Over 30 years later, the factory developed the "Wuling" automobile through Sino-foreign joint ventures and the introduction of advanced technology, becoming a pride of Liuzhou and the entire nation.
Today, "Wuling" is one of China's best-selling car brands and was once hailed by the renowned American business magazine Forbes as "the most important car on the planet."
After the reform and opening-up, to address the shortage of light industrial products, Liuzhou began to adjust its overly "heavy" economic structure and support light industry.
During this period, light industrial factories proliferated, and light industrial products flourished. Jin Feng towels and Liangmianjian toothpaste became flagship products of "Liuzhou goods," spreading the reputation of "Made in Liuzhou" far and wide.
The convergence of national railway trunk lines such as the Hunan-Guangxi, Guizhou-Guangxi, and Jiaozuo-Liuzhou further upgraded Liuzhou's transportation network, injecting strong vitality into its industrial development.
By the 1980s, Liuzhou had over 300 factories of various sizes, more than 200,000 employees, and over 3,000 types of industrial products.
From small items like clothing, hats, shoes, socks, radios, watches, and refrigerators to large machinery like tractors, automobiles, and loaders, Liuzhou could manufacture them all, even earning the reputation in South China that "trade looks to Guangzhou, industry looks to Liuzhou."
Remarkably, from its inception to its glory, Liuzhou's industry achieved many firsts in Guangxi and even China, witnessing the city's century of trials and triumphs.
The glory of an industrial city endowed Liuzhou with a "bold and pioneering" spirit, further driving its industrial development.
In 1992, Liuzhou's total industrial output exceeded 10 billion yuan, becoming the first "industrial city with 10 billion yuan output" among the five national minority autonomous regions.
However, at its peak, Liuzhou also faced numerous challenges, such as an irrational industrial structure, weak market competitiveness of products, over-reliance on resources, and severe pollution.
This city, long proud of its "industry," now faces the question: where does it go from here?
Behind its national fame for industry lay severe environmental pollution. In the 1980s, Liuzhou's annual acid rain rate reached as high as 98.5%.
Despite being coated with thick anti-rust paint, the Liujiang Bridge was still corroded and covered in rust.
In 1991, Liuzhou was listed by the National Environmental Protection Agency as a key city for acid rain control. The municipal government, reflecting on past mistakes, vowed, "We will never sacrifice the environment for development."
To restore clear skies and clean water to Liuzhou, many factories in the urban area began phasing out outdated production capacity and relocating.
The once-glorious "Liuzhou Steel" eliminated all 22 coal-fired boilers, and the Liuzhou Zinc Products Factory, established in 1951, was even shut down entirely.
The former Liuzhou No. 2 Plastic Factory was transformed into the Liuzhou Confucian Temple, the former Liuzhou Cigarette Factory into the Jiahe Mountain Park, and the former No. 3 Cotton Mill into the Liuzhou Industrial Museum, which records the city's industrial history and vicissitudes.
In 2005, Liuzhou City introduced the regulatory plan for the "Hundred-Mile Liujiang River" landscape, making the "mountain and water painting" of the urban area even more beautiful.
The Panlong Mountain Waterfall Group, Xilai Ancient Temple, Yufeng Park, and Longtan Park have become scenic spots for leisure and recreation for the people of Liuzhou.
In recent years, the excellent air quality rate in Liuzhou's urban area has remained above 95%, and the city has also been awarded the title of "National Model City for Greening."
In 2020, it ranked first in the national surface water quality assessment among prefecture-level and above cities.
In industry, to transition from "Liuzhou Manufacturing" to "Liuzhou Intelligent Manufacturing," the Liuzhou municipal government has invested heavily in encouraging independent innovation by enterprises, forming an industrial structure centered on automobiles, metallurgy, and machinery.
Among these, the automobile industry is Liuzhou's largest pillar industry, with one out of every ten cars sold in China produced in Liuzhou.
Fifty-nine enterprises, including "LiuGong," "OVM," and "Liangmianzhen," have been recognized as national high-tech enterprises.
LiuGong has not only established R&D centers in the U.S. and India but its "LiuGong" construction machinery has also accompanied Chinese scientific expeditions to Antarctica multiple times, competing with top global products.
Liuzhou OVM firmly holds the top position in China's "prestressed" industry and has participated in over a hundred major domestic and international projects, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Japan's Kawanachi Tanigawa Bridge.
Seven of the world's 20 tallest bridges use OVM's prestressed products.
Beyond this, Liuzhou people, adept at creating "industrial miracles," have also forged ahead in other fields, integrating large-scale, industrialized thinking into various industries.
Liuzhou River Snail Rice Noodles, a local delicacy created for its "convenience and speed" during the industrial era with just over 30 years of history, became a business opportunity in the eyes of Liuzhou residents.
This specialty food combines "spicy, fresh, sour, and refreshing" flavors. Liuzhou people, who love "slurping noodles," industrialized the production of "river snail rice noodles" using large-scale methods, creating a packaged, assembly-line product that became a hit.
In 2017, the popular show "A Bite of China" featured Liuzhou, making Liuzhou River Snail Rice Noodles an overnight sensation and rapidly boosting its e-commerce scale.
Today, a small bag of river snail rice noodles has become Liuzhou's "internet-famous calling card."
The industrialized production line for packaged river snail rice noodles has not only created 250,000 jobs but also helped farmers in raw material production areas escape poverty, setting an example for agricultural industrialization in Guangxi.
Additionally, to promote agricultural development, Liuzhou has built modern agricultural industrial parks integrating circular agriculture, creative agriculture, and farming experiences.
Projects like Sanjiang tea, Liujiang lotus roots, Luzhai grapes, Liucheng sugarcane, and Rongan kumquats are local specialty initiatives for poverty alleviation, boosting the transformation of Liuzhou's county economies.
In tourism, Liuzhou has vigorously developed Rongshui Miao Autonomous County and Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, both rich in ethnic minority culture.
In 2014, Sanjiang South Station welcomed its first high-speed train, making Sanjiang County—the first minority autonomous county in China to operate originating high-speed trains—more closely connected with the outside world.
In urban construction, with the support of industrial enterprises behind numerous world-class projects, Liuzhou has now built or is constructing as many as 22 river-crossing bridges.
Together, they represent China's most advanced bridge-building technologies, such as the Hongguang Bridge—Guangxi's first suspension bridge—and the Baisha Bridge, the world's largest-span cable-stayed bridge with an asymmetric structure.
Their diverse forms and complex techniques have earned Liuzhou the reputation of a "Bridge Museum," embodying the city's pursuit of "hardcore" romance.
In transportation, as a key hub in Guangxi, Liuzhou continues to make strides. Liuzhou Bailian Airport, with an annual passenger throughput of one million, completed its expansion in 2016, while the goal of "expressways connecting every county" was achieved as early as 2017.
In entertainment, Liuzhou has hosted events like the F1 Powerboat World Championship and the Tour of Guangxi cycling race, not only creating an exhilarating urban lifestyle but also boosting the rapid development of the local sports economy.
Stepping into today's Liuzhou, you'll see seamless connectivity by water, land, and air, with bridges soaring overhead.
You'll also see towering skyscrapers and new landmarks rising from the ground.
You'll see temples, mountains, and buildings lining both banks of the Liujiang River, set against a backdrop of blue skies and clear waters.
You'll also witness 280,000 blooming Bauhinia trees, painting the city in spring colors, dreamy and poetic.
Youth, passion, and vitality flourish here.
And new stories continue to unfold.
This is the "hardcore" Liuzhou—though it has strived for a century with "industry as its soul," it remains as spirited as a youth.
Looking back, Liuzhou's industry is not only the cornerstone of the city's rise but also a symbol of China's modern industrial development.
This journey embodies the toil and dedication of countless laborers, as well as the spirit and essence of the city:
Industry is Liuzhou's century-long passion, and even if the path ahead is thorny, it will never give up, forging ahead with unwavering fervor.