Liuzhou Kaojiang Hotel

Citizens are riding horses on the banks of Liujiang River. Photo by He Xiaohua/Bright Picture

My family lives by the sea.

Liujiang, from Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, is rich in soup. It passes through the mountains of Zhuang, Dong, Miao and Yao and goes straight down to Liuzhou.

"Thousands of peaks stand around the wilderness, and a stream supports the city." Liujiang turned a corner here, embraced this hot land tightly, and gave birth to "Liujiang people" and Liuzhou. Liujiang has a wild temperament, which often surges in summer, bringing a vibrant scene.

For thousands of years, Liuzhou people have lived by water and prospered because of it.

I have lived in Liuzhou for 20 years. My home is in Liujiangbin, and my bedroom is backed by the market. A friend said that there is an ancient temple in the west on the right to ward off evil spirits, and a red light bridge on the left to extradite people, which is a safe place to live.

I often stand on the windowsill and watch a clear river flowing; I often go for a walk by the river at dusk, walking among people who are singing operas, walking dogs, walking fish, old and young in Xian Yi, or just leaning against the railing of the hydrophilic platform to bathe in the sunset glow, the breeze and the bright moon, watching the clear water of a river fade away in the dusk and become charming in the city lights.

After getting to know her wife, she attended night school training for a period of time in a training center by the river. Every night after work, I will pick her up on foot and walk through my love season from the banyan tree shade road by the river under the moon. After getting married, there was another person swimming by the river in the evening. Sometimes, we will fight, or play "pig eight quit carrying his wife". Then, the person on my back became my daughter. She used to be a toddler by the river and grew up in the wind. Now she is slim.

"White-haired fishermen are used to watching the autumn moon spring breeze on the river." Every river is pregnant with her offspring and culture. In the twilight of the four seasons, we understand her ups and downs, and in the reincarnation of the world, she witnessed our success or failure. Whenever I have worries or face the pressure of work, the ups and downs of my career, personal joys and sorrows, I will immerse myself in this clean stream, so that my mind can be washed and return to peace.

The vitality of spring, the surge of summer, the pleasant autumn and the quiet beauty of winter have witnessed the turbidity of this river and the rise and fall of this city for more than ten years.

Twenty years ago, when I first arrived in Liuzhou, Liujiang was a muddy stream, struggling with industrial pollution. Liuzhou people are in a heavy mood in the game of developing economy or protecting the environment. The flood that comes as scheduled every year soaks the city again and again, which aggravates the dilemma of "besieged city". Living by the water, every time I "escape" by boat with my daughter on my back, it's a miserable memory.

After the transformation of 10, the strong man broke his wrist, Liuzhou was transformed, the big polluters moved, started a second business, Huanglong was cut down and the sewage was cut off. Finally, the clear water and blue sky are ushered in, and Liuzhou's economic development and people's livelihood also show a new atmosphere.

Now some people sum up the charm of Liuzhou as "four ones": a car, a river, a flower and a bowl of powder. When friends come from afar, I will also recommend Liujiang as the first scenery to them, or walk along the river, or go boating on the river and see the Baili Liujiang Baili Gallery. Binjiang Park, Xianhe Park, Liuzhou Confucian Temple, Panlongshan Park, Yaobu Ancient Town, Industrial Museum, Jinshajiao, Riverside Waterfall, Fountain in the River ... These landscapes and cultural landscapes are like pearls strung together by the winding Liujiang River, shining with charming brilliance. In particular, Bauhinia, the city flower that blooms every spring, reflects Liujiang as "half river rustling and half river red", which makes people linger.

The bridge across the river connecting this peninsula city witnessed the rapid development of Liuzhou. After the founding of New China, from the humble pontoon bridge to the first bridge (Liujiang No.1 Bridge), the second bridge (Hedong Bridge) and the third bridge (Hudong Bridge), and then to the newly-built Baisha Bridge among network celebrities, more than 20 river-crossing bridges with different styles, like arteries leading from the heart to various areas of Liuzhou, show the rhythm and vitality of Liuzhou.

A director from Beijing once lamented that Liuzhou people's love for Liuzhou is very "stubborn". I think that's because people living on both sides of the Liujiang River are happy, especially when they walk along the river at night, listen to the mighty sound of the river in the shadow of lights and enjoy a quiet life. "Twenty-four Bridges on a Moonlit Night", the neon lights on the bridge across the river, the colorful cruise ships, the colorful waterfalls on the river bank, and the fountains on the river weave dreams in music ... Liuzhou people, like the wild Liujiang River, are carefully building their hometown with wild temperament.