Liuhou Park
⭐ 4.60
Liuhou Park, Yufeng District, Liuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Built in 1906 around an older shrine, Liuhou Park commemorates Liu Zongyuan, a poet-statesman of the Tang dynasty whose final posting in Liuzhou parallels the late-career civic reforms of Rome's Cicero. Exiled from the capital for his progressive views—much as Ovid was banished to the Black Sea by Augustus—Liu spent his last years improving local life: freeing slaves, planting citrus groves, and digging wells. The Tang era (618–907) was China's golden age of poetry, comparable to Elizabethan England, and Liu ranks among its "Eight Great Prose Masters" alongside Han Yu, who composed the famous elegy after Liu's death.
The 15.5-hectare grounds showcase classic Lingnan garden design, with moon gates, covered walkways, and pavilions arranged in the asymmetrical harmony favored by southern Chinese landscapists. At its heart stands the Liuhou Temple, a sober three-courtyard complex of crimson walls and dark tile roofs reminiscent in spirit of Kyoto's smaller Zen temples. A statue of Liu presides over the main hall, while a 40-stone tablet corridor displays centuries of calligraphic tribute, framed by centenarian banyan trees and traditional penjing gardens.
The park's crown jewel is the "Three Perfections Stele" (Lizibei), a Grade-One national treasure ranked among China's most venerated inscriptions. Carved in the Southern Song era, it unites three giants of Chinese letters: an elegy by Han Yu, brushwork by Su Shi (often compared to Shakespeare's stature in English letters), and the deeds of Liu Zongyuan—hence "three perfections." For travelers tracing China's literary pilgrimage trail, this stele holds the same weight as a Michelangelo drawing in Florence's Casa Buonarroti.
Located at 1 Wantang Road in central Liuzhou's Chengzhong District, the park is open daily 7:00–22:30 with free general admission. Buses 4 and 39 stop at "Wenhui Road West," and the south gate directly faces the Liuzhou Museum—worth pairing with your visit. The Liuhou Temple itself costs 10 yuan, opens at 9:00, and closes every Monday for conservation. Free guided tours can be booked via the "Liuzhou Museum" WeChat account (ask your hotel concierge to assist). Plan 1–2 hours.
Arrive at dawn or late afternoon to escape crowds and catch the soft light photographers favor—the vermilion walls and curved eaves glow beautifully against the green canopy. The classic route threads from the south gate past Liu's statue to the temple, the cenotaph, Luo Pool, and Gantian Pavilion, with the optional Chinese Garden for a quiet finale. Hanfu rentals nearby make for striking photos against the traditional architecture. After exploring, walk to nearby Five Star Street for the city's iconic luosifen (snail-noodle soup)—an unforgettable half-day immersion into Liuzhou's living heritage.