Liuzhou: More Than Just Luosifen
Estela Young
🕌 Overall Itinerary December 2023 – 4 days / 3 nights / per person ¥3,200+ DAY | Itinerary | Price | Notes | | | 1 | Beijing → Nanning CA1311 09:10‑12:45 | 1720 | Beijing has dire...
🕌 Overall Itinerary
December 2023 – 4 days / 3 nights / per person ¥3,200+
| DAY | Itinerary | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing → Nanning CA1311 09:10‑12:45 | 1720 | Beijing has direct flights to Liuzhou, but to save money we flew to Nanning and then drove 3 h to Liuzhou. |
| 2 | Liuzhou Zhaosheng Hotel – 2 nights | 843 | Recommended: 4‑star+ facilities, great location, close to everything, convenient parking. |
| 3 | Liuzhou Yunding Hotel – 1 night | 571 | A high‑rise hotel in the landmark Diwang Building; you can see the city from up high (weather didn’t cooperate), otherwise it’s pretty average. |
| 4 | Liuzhou → Beijing CA1918 20:55‑23:55 | 1880 | The airport is tiny, so you don’t need to arrive too early. Food at the airport is pricey—better to eat a full meal before you go. |
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Yihai Car Rental – New Golf 8 | 764 | 390+ for the rental itself; plus fuel ≈ 230, tolls ≈ 130, parking ≈ 30.
🍜 Eat, Eat, Eat
When you’re in Liuzhou, it’s all about food!!! I only wish my stomach were bigger—how can you survive on just three meals a day?!
And there’s literally no room for anything else; dishes like rolled rice noodles, duck‑foot stew, etc., were left untouched because I simply ran out of stomach space. This trip’s focus was “eat as many luosifen (snail rice noodles) as possible,” and I have to say every shop’s version tastes different…
Also, a large dry‑served luosifen is only ¥12, and a soupy version is ¥10. I’m in love with Liuzhou’s prices!!!
Multiple images ahead—don’t open them on an empty stomach...
The luosifen spots/food streets we visited (in order of recommendation)
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Longing for Luosifen – We ate luosifen twice in four days; the extra snail meat (¥6) was huge. Ended up buying a bag of the packaged version for a friend.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Gubu Street Night Market – Near Ma’anshan Park; the “eat‑and‑wander” vibe was on point. The beef intestine sour broth was delicious, and tiny oysters were ¥1 each—awesome.
🌟🌟🌟 Jubao Luosifen (Jubao branch) – Very busy, the dining environment is modest, the flavor is decent, good for locals nearby; no need to travel just for it.
🌟🌟🌟 Suan Ye – Ordered a take‑out from a shop; discovered a whole new world of “sour snacks.” Who knew they could be so tasty?
🌟🌟 Lightbulb Factory Luosifen – Decent flavor, added pork knuckle (the pork knuckle was a bit off), but the snails come with shells, making them a pain to slurp 😂
🌟 Five‑Star Food Street – Like a street of milk‑tea shops; walked around but didn’t find anything that really appealed.
🏞️ Sightseeing
After stuffing ourselves, I have to admit my ignorance:
I used to know only that Liuzhou has luosifen, but I didn’t realize it’s a hundred‑billion‑yuan industry.
I also didn’t know that SAIC‑General Motors‑Wuling, which can sell a Wuling Mini EV in six seconds, has a plant in Liuzhou, nor that Dongfeng and other automakers are there.
I was unaware that Liuzhou once served as a major transport hub in Guangxi, that Liuzhou Steel (Liugang) was among the top ten enterprises, and that industrial GDP once accounted for a quarter of Guangxi’s total.
I only knew it was in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, never imagining that Miao, Yao, Dong and other ethnic groups also live there.
All of the above can be explored at the Liuzhou Industrial Museum and the Liuzhou Museum.
Also, the streets are filled with colorful little “E” signs; even parking spots have dedicated “E” markings—so cute! Made me want to buy a big toy myself.
And are those Bauhinia flowers? I heard Liuzhou blooms with Bauhinia in spring; a whole city of them must be beautiful.
Below are the must‑visit spots I recommend.
👍 Five‑Star Recommendation: Liuzhou Industrial Museum
I went to the Liuzhou Industrial Museum three times in four days…
- Day 1, 2 pm: we were cleared out at 5 pm after only seeing the first floor.
- Day 2: we returned and managed to finish the tour just before closing. When we left, everyone was stamping their visitor cards—the stamp is gorgeous! But the museum was closing, so after we got one stamp we were asked to leave…
- Day 3: we went back just for the stamp 😂 Luckily we stayed nearby.
Anyway, the Liuzhou Industrial Museum is a blast to explore!
Outdoor photo‑ops include the red wall, the logo sign, a black train, a green‑painted train (and a repurposed reading room).
Inside, the exhibitions trace Liuzhou’s industrial development: pre‑founding‑nation displays (the power‑plant model left a strong impression; the mini‑model looks great in photos), post‑1949 economic‑boom factories (Liugang, textile mill, tractor plant, etc.), and the recent shift to automobile manufacturing.
Seeing all the machine tools, tractors, and cars made my head spin. My reaction was either “awesome!” or “incredible.”
Sorry, I’m a humanities student—this scene is foreign to me, and my vocabulary can’t keep up.
The final highlight is the stamp itself.
The summer‑fan‑shaped souvenir is the result of five stamps applied in order; I even bought a postcard for ¥5 just for it—worth it! The other stamps are also pretty, so bring a blank notebook to collect them.
Liuzhou Museum
Located in the city centre, next to Liuhou Park and the Yunding Hotel.
To me, the Liuzhou Museum tells the story of the region’s ethnic minorities. As is well known, Guangxi is home to many minority groups—besides the Zhuang, there are Miao, Yao, Dong, etc.
A striking feature is the 1:1 replica of a wind‑and‑rain bridge in the main hall, built without a single nail. Suspended umbrellas give the space a pink‑fairy‑tale feel.
Longtan Park
We visited this park on the last day; it’s spacious and beautifully designed.
It blends Chinese and Western styles—there’s a “Friendship Bridge” mixing the two, as well as a minority‑style wind‑and‑rain bridge, a true East‑West fusion.
No wonder locals love it; it’s a popular spot.
Ma’anshan Park
The go‑to place for Liuzhou night views. Take the elevator up the hill (ticket about ¥20?), then walk back down.
No more words needed—see the pictures. My Liuzhou is a big city with a decent nightscape.
Sunset waiting, lights across the river turn on at 7 pm.
Note: the night‑scape photo was taken with a camera; all others not otherwise noted were taken on a phone.
Yaobu Ancient Town
The night view is beautiful; we took a quick stroll through this newly built “ancient” town—perfect for costume photos.
You can also walk along the riverbank, feel the breeze, and watch the lights across the water—very relaxing.
Water Bus
I kept thinking about it but never got on 😂
Ticket is ¥3; the boat supposedly offers a tour of Liuzhou’s scenery—a low‑budget version of the night‑cruise (night‑cruise tickets are ¥88).
Best to go on a weekday; weekends are crowded and lines can be an hour long—hardly worth the wait.
Snap‑Shot Series
📚 Reference Guides
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Originally written by Estela Young and published in Chinese on 一只产品汪的自白. Translated and edited for DriftSeas with permission.