Luzhou
Luzhou is a prefecture-level city located in the southeast of Sichuan Province, China. It is also known as the "Liquor City". It was named Jiangyang until the Northern and Southern dynasties. Situated at the confluence of the Tuo River and the Yangtze River, Luzhou has been Sichuan province's largest port in both size and output since Chongqing's separation from Sichuan in 1997.
As of the 2020 Chinese census, its population was 4,254,149. Of these, 1,241,273 lived in the built-up area made of Jiangyang and Longmatan districts, as Naxi district is not conurbated yet.
Luzhou borders Yunnan, Guizhou provinces and the Chongqing municipality. As the only geographic junction of the four provinces, it was an important port location in ancient China. After the PRC was founded in 1949, Luzhou became the capital of southern Sichuan province. In 1983, Luzhou was upgraded to prefecture-level city status.
Luzhou is best known for its alcoholic beverages, particularly baijiu.
History
Luzhou was incorporated into the Ba state early in the Shang and Zhou period, in the 11th century BC. In 316 BC, during the Warring States period, King Huiwen of Qin established Ba prefecture, which included most of Luzhou, after he conquered the states of Ba and Shu. The local economy and culture expanded as a result of the advanced production technique and culture introduced by immigrants from the rest of China.During the Western Han dynasty, Jiangyang county was set up in what is the current Jiangyang district, at the confluence of the Tuo River and Yangtze River. The county was further expanded during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. As a result, Luzhou became the portal of the Tuojing River leading to western Sichuan, which brought great prosperity to salt-refinery and agriculture in the area.
The Song dynasty was an important period in Luzhou's history. It was known as the natural granary of southern Sichuan as the liquor-distilling and salt-refining industries expanded. The method to decoct salt with natural gas was discovered at that time, according to ancient literature. In addition, trade and business between Luzhou residents and ethnic groups was brisk and a protective wall as well as forts were constructed by the local government.
In the Yuan dynasty, Luzhou remained an important place for trade, especially the liquor-distillation, salt-refinery and tea-making industries. A large number of wooden ships were constructed to further the shipping industry.
During the Qing dynasty, waves of immigrants from other parts of China brought rapid growth in economy and culture. Luzhou served as a political, economic, military and cultural center for the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan.
On December 6, 1949, two months after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the People's Liberation Army took control of Luzhou from the Kuomintang government. Before its abolition on August 7, 1952, the Chuannan Administrative District governed one prefecture-level city, four prefectures, totaling five prefecture-level administrative divisions, as well as five urban districts, four county-level cities, and 33 counties, amounting to 42 county-level administrative divisions. Luzhou was the seat of both the Administrative Inspector's Office of Luzhou and Luxian District, as well as the Commissioner's Office of the Luzhou Prefecture. It also served as the location of the Chuannan Administrative Office and was under both the jurisdiction of the Chuannan Administrative Region and the prefecture-level administration. In 1960, Luzhou prefecture was created with five counties that had been part of Yibin prefecture. During the Cultural Revolution, Luzhou experienced a series of armed factional conflicts that lasted nearly four years. In just three major battles, more than 2,000 people were killed and over 16,000 injured—over 8,000 of them left permanently disabled. Additionally, more than 300 million yuan of state funds were misappropriated, over 68.4 million jin of grain were consumed or lost, more than 1,000 vehicles were destroyed, and a large quantity of materials was damaged or looted.
The prefecture was upgraded to the prefecture-level city of Luzhou in 1983. Nowadays, Luzhou is considered a center of the chemical, machinery, and liquor-distilling industries.
Historic and cultural relics
Bao'en Pagoda
Located in downtown Luzhou, the Bao'en Pagoda was built in 1148 at the request of southern Song dynasty, and was restored in 1983 and 1985, Qing dynasty. It is an octagon 33.3 m high, built of brick and stone in a seven-tiered pavilion style. It has a bronze top and there are 107 steps in its spiral staircase. The base is an octagon of 4.1 m per side, 4.5 m high; inside are 256 figures set in 90 niches. The pagoda was listed by the People's Government of Sichuan Province as a historical and cultural relic under provincial protection in April 1991.Dragon Head Bridge
Constructed during the Ming dynasty, Dragon Head Bridge spans the Nine Bends Creek and is a stone bridge in the Ming dynasty style. It is 5 m high, 54 m long and 1.9 m wide, and has 14 piers. The eight midsection piers are characterized by traditionally carved auspicious beasts, such as dragons, lions, elephants and qilin. It was declared a key national cultural relic in 1996.Longtou Pass
Longtou Pass, about long, is located in the southern suburban area of Luzhou. Construction began in the Han dynasty during the Guangxu Emperor's reign. Its name, Longtou Pass, derives from its resemblance to a huge dragon crossing the Tuo River in the north and Yangtze river in the south. Longtou Pass is the location where Liu Bocheng waged the Luzhou Uprising. It was listed as a protected historic and cultural relic of Luzhou in 1984 and a provincial one in 1996.Guojiao Square
The Guojiao Square is a key cultural site of baijiu producer Luzhou Laojiao. Its name refers to a baijiu fermentation pit that was commissioned during the Ming dynasty in 1573 and has been in continuous operation ever since. The square is an AAAA-level scenic spot, listed under the name Luzhou Laojiao Tourism Area.Image:LuzhouDownTown.JPG|thumb|right|Scene of downtown Luzhou
Spring and Autumn Temple
Situated in Xuyong county, the Spring and Autumn Temple was built in 1906, during the Qing dynasty. Originally, it was a temple for Guany and then rebuilt as a Shaanxi salt merchants' assembly hall. It has a typical local architecture style, and has been listed as a protected historic and cultural relic of Luzhou.Baizitu
Baizitu is situated near the Tuojiang river, in the northwestern corner of Luzhou city. It is named for the stone inscription of the Qing dynasty and was the protected historic and cultural relic of Luzhou.Luzhou City Park
Built in 2015, Luzhou City Park is an important project of Luzhou City in order to promote the ecological environment construction, and upgrade the eco-city level of Luzhou City. The total investment of the project is about 120 million RMB and covers an area of about 107 mu. It is located in the valley of the east of Chengxi Park in Jiangyang, Luzhou. Superior, is expected to receive more than 1.5 million tourists trips each year.Administrative divisions
Geography
location
Luzhou is situated in the southeast region of Sichuan province, at the intersection of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing, at longitude 105° 08' 41"E ~106° 28'E and latitude 27° 39' N ~ 29° 20'N. A prefecture-level city of Sichuan with a registered population of 4.8 million, Luzhou is away from Chengdu, the provincial capital. It is adjacent to Chongqing in the east, borders Guizhou and Yunnan provinces in the south, Yibin City and Zizhong City in the west, Chongqing and Neijiang in the north. The city governs 7 administrative divisions, including 3 districts and 4 counties.Owing to its position in the southern peripheral area of Sichuan Basin and the connective region with Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, Luzhou is characterised by river valleys, hills, and level lands in the north and highland areas, and by mountains, sheer valleys, and rushing rivers in the south. Fishing and agriculture are the primary industries in the northern area, and forest and mineral resources are primary in the southern part of the region. Luzhou's lowest point is, at the surface of Yangtze river in Jiucengyan, Hejiang county, while the highest point is located at the peak of Liangzi mountain, Xuyong County, reaching. Luzhou is also a region covered by rivers. The Yangtze river flows through the whole area from west to east, covering a total course of, and the maximum flood level was during the past 30 years. Other rivers converge here, such as Tuo River, Yongling River, Chishui River, and Laixi River.
Area
Covering an area of, it is wide from east to west and long from south to north.Climate
Luzhou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate and is largely mild, except during the summer, and humid, with four distinct seasons and ample rainfall: winters are short, mild, and comparatively dry, while summers are long, hot, and humid. Within the prefecture, annual mean temperatures range from. In the urban area, monthly daily average temperatures range from in January to around in July and August, with August being slightly warmer. The diurnal temperature variation is and is lowest during winter. Snow is rare here. The annual precipitation in the prefecture ranges from, 70% of which occurs from May to September. Sunshine is quite low, with only 1200 to 1400 hours per year, and the frost-free period is lengthy, lasting 300 to 358 days.Politics
Current Leadership (as of June 2025)
Previous leaders
; Municipal Party Committee Secretary- Zhao Xiyao
- Lu Senling
- Liu Yuren
- Yang Yunhong
- Li Chuncheng
- Xu Bo
- Yuan Benpu
- Zhu Yizhuang
- Liu Guoqiang
- Jiang Fuyi
- Liu Qiang
- Yang Linxing
- Liu Xiaoliu
- Liu Yuren
- Cao Xisen
- Xian Kaijin
- Xiao Tianren
- Zhu Yizhuang
- Liu Guoqiang
- Liu Qiang
- Yang Linxing
- Yu Xianhe
- Zhang Wei