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 , 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 the site of Liuchow Airfield, used by Nationalist Chinese and American Army Air Forces in World War II. 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
