Liuzhou 柳州 Liujcouh
—  Prefecture-level city  —
柳州市 Liujcouh Si
The Liu River in central Liuzhou
Location of Liuzhou Prefecture within Guangxi
Liuzhou Location of Liuzhou Prefecture within Guangxi
Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E / 24.317; 109.383
Country	China
Province	Guangxi
Area
• Prefecture-level city	7,211 sq mi (18,677 km2)
Population (2010 census)
• Prefecture-level city	3,758,700
• Density	520/sq mi (200/km2)
• Urban	1,029,946
• Metro	1,029,946
Time zone	China standard time (UTC+8)
Website	http://www.liuzhou.gov.cn/

Liuzhou (Chinese: 柳州; pinyin: Liǔzhōu, Zhuang: Liujcouh) is a prefecture-level city in north-central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in southern China. The prefecture's population was 3,758,700 in 2010, including 1,029,946 in the built up area made of 4 urban districts. Its total area is 18,777 km² and 667 km² for built up area.

Geography[link]

Liuzhou is located on the banks of the winding Liu River, approximately 255 km from Nanning, the provincial capital. Liuzhou is 537 km from Hong Kong, 1,415 km from Shanghai and 1,852 kilometres from Beijing.

By road, it is about 167 km to Guilin,167 km to Hechi,237 km to Nanning,373 km to Fangchenggang,448 km to Beihai.

It is about 580 km to Guiyang, 672 km to Changsha,703 km to Guangzhou,943 km to Chongqing,1066 km to Kunming, capital cities of provinces nearby.

Swimming in the river is a tradition of the city. The river is normally green, but sometimes in summer, floods from the mountain areas upstream bring sediment which colors the water yellow. In early 2012, a cadmium spill upstream caused serious pollution worries ^[1].

History[link]

Liuzhou in 1945.

Liuzhou has a history of more than 2,100 years. The city was founded in 111 B.C. when it was known as Tanzhong.

In 742 A.D. it became known as Longcheng (龙城, "Dragon City"), after the Long River, before finally changing to Liuzhou ("Liu Prefecture") after the Liu River in 1736. The most famous historic figure is Liu Zongyuan (773-819), who was a poet and politician in the Tang Dynasty and who died in Liuzhou. He is commemorated by a park in the city.

Liuzhou was formerly transliterated as Liuchow and was the site of Liuchow Airfield, used by Nationalist Chinese and American Army Air Forces in World War II.^[2] It was captured by the Japanese army on 7 November 1944 during the Battle of Guilin–Liuzhou and recaptured by Nationalist Chinese forces on 30 June 1945 prior to the Second Guangxi Campaign.^[2]

Administrative divisions[link]

• Liucheng County
• Liujiang County
• Luzhai County
• Rong'an County
• Rongshui County
• Sanjiang County

Economy[link]

Liuzhou is the second largest city in Guangxi and is the region's industrial center. According to statistics issued by the Liuzhou government in 2004, the city’s GDP was 40.4 billion yuan.

Tourism[link]

As with much of Guangxi, the landscape around Liuzhou is a mix of rolling hills, mountain peaks, caves and karst scenery. It is an ideal base for exploring the minority villages in the area.

• Rongshui Rongshui Miao Autonomous County is located in the north of Liuzhou prefecture, 118 km away from Liuzhou vity and 168 kilometers from Guilin. The territory is inhabited by Miao, Yao, Dong, Zhuang, Han nationality.

• Dayaoshan Dayaoshan scenic area is located in Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, 154 km from the city of Liuzhou. It has a scenic area of over 500 square kilometers.

• Sanjiang Sanjiang lies to the north of Liuzhou near the Hunan border. It is a Dong minority area and is surrounded by picturesque ethnic minority villages.

Climate[link]

Transport[link]

• Liuzhou Airport provides flights to major cities in China.
• Liuzhou has extensive rail connections with the rest of China. Hunan-Guangxi Railway (Hengyang - Pingxiang, a.k.a. Xiang-Gui Line), Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway (Jiaozuo - Zhicheng - Liuzhou, a.k.a. Jiao-Liu Line) Railway and Guizhou-Guangxi Railway (Guiyang - Liuzhou, a.k.a. Qian-Gui Line) make Liuzhou the center of freight transportation in Guangxi.
• China National Highway 209

Military[link]

Liuzhou is the headquarters of the 41st Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, one of the two group armies that comprise the Guangzhou Military Region responsible for the defense of China's southern coast and its border with Vietnam.

Quotes[link]

Liuzhou appears in the Chinese saying

Born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, die in Liuzhou

because, in the past, the city was known for its coffins, made from firwood, camphor wood, and sandalwood,^[3] which are said to preserve the body after death. Guangzhou's "Cantonese" cuisine is famous worldwide, and Hangzhou is known for its prosperity and the beauty of its location. Suzhou is reputed to have the most beautiful people in China, so the line is sometimes given as "Marry in Suzhou...".

Today many tourists buy miniature coffins, about 3 to 30 cm long, as souvenirs or good luck charms. The coffins are usually inscribed 升官发财 (shēng guān fā cái) which means 'win promotion and get rich". The second and fourth characters are homophones of 棺材 (guān cái) meaning 'coffin'.

Some miniature coffins are used as caskets to hold the ashes of ancestors.^[3]

People[link]

• Liuzhou was the home of Li Ning (born 1963), gymnast and entrepreneur who lit the Olympic torch in Beijing in 2008.
• Chinese gymnast, Jiang Yuyuan was also born in Liuzhou.

International relations[link]

LiuGong

Twin towns/Sister cities[link]

Liuzhou is twinned with:

• Muntinlupa, Philippines
• Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
• Passau, Germany
• Bandung, Indonesia

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Liuzhou

• Official website (in Chinese and English)
• Introduction to Liuzhou
• Map of Liuzhou

Coordinates: 24°19′N 109°23′E / 24.317°N 109.383°E / 24.317; 109.383

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2006)

Chae Yeon
Background information
Birth name	Lee Jin-Sook
Also known as	Chae Yeon
Born	(1978-12-07) December 7, 1978 (age 33)
Origin	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	K-pop
Occupations	Singer
Years active	2001 Brand New Biscuits2001–2002 (with UltraCats) 2003–present (solo)
Labels	Medialine, onenation, Yejeon Media

Lee Chae-Yeon (Korean: 이채연, born December 7, 1978), better known as Chae Yeon, is a Korean pop singer who rose to fame with her hit single "Two of Us" (Korean: 둘이서) in 2004 and her wave dance style.

Biography[link]

Beginning of career[link]

Chae Yeon was born Lee Jin-Sook (Korean: 이진숙, Hanja: 李珍淑), in Seoul in 1978. It took her many years to attain her current^[update] level of fame in Korea's entertainment industry. In fact, she had to start out in Japan first. She was part of a singing group called Brand New Biscuits (ブランニュービスケット?), debuted in Japan on January 1, 2001, when it had 6 members. Brand New Biscuits included also another Korean singer, Yuny Han (Han Tae Yoon). Chae Yeon was also member of group UltraCats (ウルトラキャッツ^?) under the name of “Jinny” (ジニー^?) or “Jinny Lee” (ジニー・リー^?) from 2001 to 2002.

Having passed an audition held by an entertainment management company in Japan, Chae Yeon first appeared on a popular show called “Uchan Nanchan no Urinari!” on Japanese NTV. She appeared on the show for almost 3 years. Along with the television show, Chae Yeon (then Jinny) performed as a singer releasing 3 singles and 1 mini-album in Japan.

Pursuing career as an entertainer in Korea[link]

She returned to Korea with her first official album It’s My Time under her new stage name, Chae Yeon. Debuting late in 2003, nobody expected her to be successful as she is now. Initially, she was simply viewed as yet another "sexy concept" singer, as many female singers were at that time. However, unlike many others, she had a fairly successful debut. She proved to be a great dancer, and she showed off her vocals in her ballad songs and live performances. Her title song "위험한 연출" (Dangerous Presentation) did well, but her real success came when her 2nd album released late in 2004. "둘이서" (Two Of Us) the lead single, pushed her to #1 on many music charts in the spring of 2005.^{[citation needed]} The music video for "둘이서" was controversial for being too "racy" in conservative Korea (for it contained scenes showing her full back and exposed underwear).^[1] Subsequently, the video was banned on television, and the airing time was limited to after 10:00 p.m. in some cable channels.^[2] Becoming heavily played on radio, the song became so popular that a signature "move" from the choreographed dance became known as the "Na-na-na" dance (named after the hook of the song). It managed to hit the top of various music charts in Korea. The follow-up single "다가와" (Come to Me) was released soon after and was also popular, riding on the wave of its predecessor.

She returned after a brief break in order to release her third album III, which came in the fall of 2005. The first single, "오직 너", fared poorly on the charts, as it was not a strong dance single, lacking a catchy hook. The record company then quickly switched to the "Disco Mix" of the song, which helped sustain its life on the charts, although not by much. The second single, "세번째 사랑" (Third Love), also fared poorly, despite the fact that it had a very sexy video and was a bit more uptempo than the lead single. However, this can be attributed to the fade of sexy R&B music in Korea at the time, as ballads were once again the style of choice for Korean singers; albums by other "sexy concept" singers.

Chae Yeon has maintained her popularity by continually participating in variety shows, such as SBS's X-Man (TV series) and Love Letter, where she portrays both cute and sexy images. Her appearances on these variety shows allowed her to display her bubbly and positive personality. She ended her official schedule with her last X-Man episode on September 25, 2005, in order to concentrate on recording her fourth album.

Although briefly hospitalised due to exhaustion, she made her comeback at the end of March 2006. Her lead single from her fourth album was "My Love", which was a Latin-tinged dance song. The single was extensively performed, with a remix promoted from May onwards; she then followed up with "서투른 사랑" ("Clumsy Love"). The album sold 12,346 copies in 2007, placing 68th for the year.^[3] She continued to remain a "sexy" singer, saying that she does not mind the label.^[4]

In addition to promoting her album, Chae Yeon has also joined the cast of Hi-Five, part of KBS's Happy Sunday line-up. On the reality-variety show, which also stars Hyun Young, the stars attempt to succeed in various tasks, including starring in a musical, becoming flight attendants, and performing action movie stunts. She remained a part of the show until its cancellation in 2008.

Later that year, she drew media attention with her investment into, and direct involvement with, Bequem, a fashion company. She is a spokesperson for the brand, promoting its stylized caps and bags. Moreover, her portfolio with a sexy "Party" concept has hit record sales by elegantly mixing her sexy image with feminine touches.^{[citation needed]}

The singer came back after a two-year hiatus from the music world, with her mini-album Shake. Continuing to stay within the "sexy singer" concept, the lead single "Heundeullyeo" ("Shake It") is an electronic dance song.^[5] The music video was labelled by major networks to be unfit for broadcast without parental advisory warnings.^[6]

On December 8, 2009, Chae Yeon had her first live mini concert in China. She performed her hits to a sold-out crowd.

On July 22, 2010 Chae Yeon made her comeback on M! Countdown. She performed Crazy & Look Look Look from her new album. It was well received by fans. Chae Yeon will continue to perform on various music programs and promote her album. Her new 2nd mini album "Look at" was released on July 29, 2010.

She has stated that although she felt awkward and uncomfortable with her sexy image initially, she feels more at ease now, and has stated that she feels sexier the more she relaxes.^[5]

Profile[link]

• Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
• Date of Birth: December 10, 1978^{[clarification needed]}
• Education: Department of Broadcasting & Entertainment, Seoul Arts College
• Family: Parents, one older brother

Discography[link]

Endorsements[link]

• D&G [Fashion Wear]
• Elle Korea
• Jinro Soju
• DnShop [Fashion Wear, Cosmetic Products]
• Make Up For Ever [Make-up Cosmetic]
• ChocoGem [Handmade Accessory]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chae Yeon

• (Korean) Chae Yeon's Cyworld
• (English) Online Star Focus Chae Yeon (Arirang)
• (English) Teen (Korea) Times Interview on February 24, 2005
• (English) Star Interview earlier in Chae Yeon's career