Liuzhou lies on the Liujiang, 130km/80mi from Guilin and 255km/158mi from Nanning, the capital of the region. It is an important railroad junction on the Hunan-Guangxi, Guizhou-Guangxi and Zhicheng-Liuzhou lines.
The area around Liuzhou was settled as long as 15,000
years ago. By 219 the place had achieved a certain eminence and since 634 it has had its present name. Liu Zongyuan (773-819), a famous man of letters and minister of rites under the Tang dynasty, was exiled to Liuzhou in 815 after failed attempts at gaining reforms but by his merits rose to be a town elder and enjoyed great prestige among the population. He has left a splendid description of the town.
Today Liuzhou is predominantly an industrial center.