GUANGXI

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Guangxi GUANGXI is home of famous limestone Karst formations of Guilin and several ethnic minorities. Situated north of Vietnam and east of the Yunnan Province, it for the most part is rural and poor. Some people still live in caves. Farms are worked with water buffalo, horses and non-mechanical water pumps. Children swim naked in the rivers. The whole region is very green the year round. Han Chinese outnumber the local ethnic groups in Guangxi.

Guangxi had a per capita income of between US$250 and US$500 in the late 1990s and is now ranked as the third poorest state in China with a per capita GDP of US$ 6,228 (2019), one forth the income of Beijing. Sinologist Jasper Becker said that Guangxi is where "the poorest of the poor go hungry surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world." In some places half the children are malnourished and there are few schools and medical facilities, but the Chinese government has worked hard to improve things.

Guangxi lies in subtropical climate. There are hills, basins, plains, coastal, complex terrain, high temperatures, plentiful rain and long frost-free periods. A wide variety of livestock are found there. Fruit and vegetable can be harvested in every season. There are beautiful mountains in the inland area and charming beaches on the coast. Ethnic tourism is a big draw as many of the minorities that live here and wear colorful clothes and have interesting local customs.

The population of Guangxi was 50,126,804 in 2020; 46,026,629 in 2010; 43,854,538 in 2000; 42,245,765 in 1990; 36,420,960 in 1982; 20,845,017 in 1964; 19,560,822 in 1954; 14,636,000 in 1947; 13,385,000 in 1936-37; 13,648,000 in 1928; 7,879,000 in 1912. [Source: Wikipedia, China Census]

Guangxi's location in a mountainous area in the far south of China, has meant that it was on the frontier of Chinese civilization throughout much of China's history. The current name "Guang" means "expanse" and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in A.D. 226. It was given provincial level status during the Yuan Dynasty, but even into the 20th century it was considered an open, wild territory. Its history has been shaped as much by the ethnic groups that live there as the Han Chinese. Maps of Guangxi: chinamaps.org

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR)

Guanxi is officially an autonomous region named Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR). Formerly a province, it Guangxi became an autonomous region in 1958. The abbreviation of the province is "Gui", which comes from the city of Guilin, the former capital, center of much of Guangxi's culture, politics, and history, and currently a major city in the autonomous region.

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region covers 237,600 square kilometers (91,700 square miles),and has a population density of 205 people per square kilometer. According to the 2020 Chinese census the population was around 50 million. About 50 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Nanning is the capital and largest city, with about 4.4 million people. Ethnic make up of GZAR: Han: 62 percent; Zhuang: 32 percent; Yao: 3 percent; Miao: 1 percent; Dong: 0.7 percent; Vietnamese: 0.6 percent; Gelao: 0.4 percent. • Languages and dialectsZhuang, Yue languages (mainly Cantonese), Southwestern Mandarin, Pinghua

Like Chinese provinces, an autonomous region has its own local government, but an autonomous region — theoretically at least — has more legislative rights. An autonomous region is the highest level of minority autonomous entity in China. They have a comparably higher population — but not necessarily a majority — of the minority ethnic group in their name. Some of them have more Han Chinese than the named ethnic group. There are five province-level autonomous regions in China: 1) Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for the Zhuang people, who make up 32 percent of the population; 2) Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Nei Mongol Autonomous Region) for Mongols, who make up only about 17 percent of the population; 3) Tibet Autonomous Region Autonomous Region (Xizang Autonomous Region) for Tibetans, who make up 90 percent of the population; 4) Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, for Uyghurs, who make up 45.6 percent of the population; and 5) Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, for the Hui, who make up 36 percent of the population. [Source: Wikipedia]

Geography of Guangxi

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Guanxi map Located in the southern part of China, Guangxi is bordered by Yunnan Province to the west, Guizhou Province to the north, Hunan Province to the northeast, and Guangdong Province to the east and southeast. It is also bounded by Vietnam in the southwest and the Gulf of Tonkin in the south. Major cities include: Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin and Beihai. Among the notable towns are Longmen Sanjiang and Yangshuo.

Guangxi is a mountainous region. It essentially consists of a basin ringed by mountains on four sides. The Nanling Mountains form the northeast border, with the Yuecheng and Haiyang Mountains branching from them. Also in the north are the Duyao and Fenghuang Mountains. Near the center of the region are the Da Yao and Da Ming Mountains. On the southeastern border are the Yunkai Mountains. The highest point is 2,141- meters (7,024-foot) -high Mao’er (Kitten) Mountain, in the Yuecheng Mountains.

Guangxi has a subtropical climate. Summers are generally long and hot. Winters are cool but can be cold in higher elevation. It is often hazy. Average annual temperature is 17 to 23°C, while average annual precipitation is 12 millimeters. Guangxi has a short coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin. Important seaports include Beihai, Qinzhou and Fangchenggang. Along the border with Vietnam there is the Detian waterfall (Dé Tiān Pùbù). Guangxi has widespread expanses of limestone topography, like the famous Karst scenery around Guilin, which covers half of its 230,000 square kilometers area.

History, People and Culture of Guanxi

The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group. The main Han subgroups are Yue and Southwestern Mandarin speakers. Guangxi is known for its ethno-linguistic diversity. In the capital of Nanning, for example, three varieties of Chinese are spoken locally: Southwestern Mandarin, Cantonese, and Pinghua, in addition to various Zhuang languages.

Minorities that live in Guangxi Province include Dong, Jing (also found in Vietnam), Yi (Lolo), Hui, Maonan, Shui, Miao, Miaai, Mulam, Mulao, Tujia, Yao, and Zhuang. Guangxi is home to over 14 million Zhuangs, the largest minority ethnicity of China. Over 90 percent of Zhuang in China live in Guangxi, particularly the central and western regions. There is also a large number of Dong and Miao.

"Guangxi" and neighbouring Guangdong literally mean "Western" and "Eastern Expanse". Together, Guangdong and Guangxi are called the "Two Expanses". Guangxi’s culture and language are reflected in this. Though now associated with the Zhuang ethnic minority, Guangxi's culture traditionally has had a close connection with the Cantonese. Cantonese culture and language followed the Xi River valley from Guangdong and is still predominate in the eastern half of Guangxi today. Outside of this area there is a huge variety of ethnicities and language groups represented.

The Sinicization of the Tai-speaking peoples of the Lingnan (Guangdong and Guangxi) was a long process. Chinese forces first penetrated the area in 211 B.C., sparking local resistance and the creation of the Nan-Yue Kingdom, which expanded its rule to what is now northern Vietnam. After unifying China, the First Emperor of Qin (221-207 B.C.) sent an army half a million strong to Lingnan and conquered the Xi'ou people on the region. A great number of Chinese moved from the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River to the south to live together with the Xi'ou and the Luoyue.

Guangxi Cuisine

Guangxi lies in subtropical region with plentiful rain. A wide variety of livestock, fruit and vegetables are produced there the year round. These including the duck and Shanhuang chicken from the plains; Palea steindachneri, bamboo rat and a variety of wild mushrooms from hilly areas; and fresh oysters, prawns, mud crab from marine areas. Among the well-known staple and specialty products are HuanJiang Dishes, Bama miniature pigs, Lianjiang squid, Guilin Water Chestnut, LiPu taro, GuiGang lotus root, dried tangerine peel, star anise, cinnamon, and mangosteens. Some of these are essential ingredients for Gui dishes.

Gui dishes are divided into Northern Gui, Southeast Gui, coastal cuisine and ethnic dishes. Northern Gui food is known for its rich taste, strong color, stews and spicyness. Southeast Gui dishes stress fresh and tender, use a wide range of materials. Coastal food stress seasoning and color and of foods and feature several kinds of seafood. Ethnic dishes are made from local materials and emphasize affordable and unique methods of cooking.

Tourism of Guanxi

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is known for its beautiful natural scenery and wide variety of ethnic groups. The main tourist attraction in Guangxi is Guilin, a town famed across China and the world for the spectacular karst scenery along the Li Jiang (Li River). There is an old saying: "East or west, Guilin landscape is best." Guilin also used to be the capital of Guangxi and Jingjiang Princes' City. South of Guilin down the Li River is the town of Yangshuo, a popular destination for foreign tourists and backpackers.

Ethnic minorities in Guangxi, such as the Zhuang, Dong and Miao, are also interesting for tourists. The northern part of the province, bordering with Guizhou, is home to the Longsheng Rice Terraces, some of the steepest in the world. Nearby is Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County. A new superhighway linking the Pearl River industrial area and northern Guanxi is currently being built the Guilin area. A few limestone crags have had to leveled to make way for the highway.

Lisa Carducci, author of “These Wonderful People of Guangxi”, wrote: In Guangxi I traveled more than 6,000 kilometers during 35 days. I have never seen so much greenery!... It is difficult to find a piece of uncovered land. Timber industry is important in this region, but new trees are planted as soon as old ones have been cut. Guangxi has a major source of tourism and economic growth in its ethnic cultures. Though several ethnic minorities have no proper writing systems, they have history, legends, beliefs, and traditions, and oral culture may be transmitted if a place is made for it. [Source: China.org by Lisa Carducci February 11, 2009]

“I have interviewed very interesting persons and learned much about the Zhuang, as well as the other ethnic groups who live in this region. For example, with Fang Zhenguo, I learned about the Maonan wooden masks they used for Nuo theater; with Huang Mingbiao, I learned about the Buloto culture and the bronze drums of the Zhuang; with Prof. Pan Wenshi, about the rare animals protection. I met Yang Taiyang, a great painter who is 101 years old this year and whose all sons and daughters are artists; the ethnic music composer Fan Ximu; but also a bee-keeper, an outstanding teacher, a pearl producer, etc.

“Though in Nanning most of the Zhuang can speak putonghua, one can hear different dialects and other local languages such as Hakka, Cantonese, Baihua, Pinghua, so even westerners with their French, Italian, English or Greek languages don't feel weird — just more elements of the Guangxi melting pot.I would be remiss if I did not mention the Guangxi tourist resources, which consist mostly in the outstanding karstic relief, the splendid greenery and water landscapes, the Guilin sugar loaves, and the fine sand of Beihai beaches, the grottoes and hot springs, the rich variety of visible ethnic customs and traditions, excursions for all ages and tastes by bicycle, in boat, or on foot, in the forest or along ancient streets, and, finally, visiting special places such as the Meinü Cun or Village of the Beautiful Women and the "Longevity" Village (Baima), and the Vietnamese frontier nearby.

“I also keep an indelible souvenir of Chongzuo for its variety of resources (the reserve of white-headed monkeys, the stone forest, and the Meinü Celestial orchestra); of Longsheng with its unique terraced fields, as well as of Sanjiang for its Dong architecture, and of the charming Beihai city on the sea where tourism and recreational activities are possible the whole year long due to its mild climate. Guangxi cuisine is also a must when you travel there, but I will let you discover by yourself.”

Traveling in Guanxi

Lisa Carducci wrote in has progressed remarkably in the autonomous region. I found the toll high (for example, 75 yuan for 200 km) but it is compensated by the wonderful smiles of employees of both genders, and the services. In each city, highways offer very well-equipped rest areas. In Luzhai, for instance, on Guilin-Nanning highway, such an area has been set between a gas station and a convenience food store. Toilets are many, spacious and very clean. There is also physical exercise equipment, allowing drivers and their passengers to stretch their muscles before taking the road back. A mangled car, the result of a road accident, is exhibited on a platform, and prudent warnings surround it. At another place, a red banner bears the inscription "Don't produce white pollution" and it reminds me of the horrible plastic bags I saw among the branches all along the Lijiang River.” [Source: China.org by Lisa Carducci February 11, 2009]

“The region's capital, Nanning, is becoming the commercial capital of the south, and its high-rise architecture resembles that of Shanghai and Beijing. Telecommunications are convenient all over Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Most of the hotels offer Internet connection and the rooms are even equipped with a modern computer.

“While each city is linked to its counties by quality roads, it is not yet the same from county to county. Travelers must often return to the city to take another road. But Rome was not built in a day. Thus, ethnic communities living in the mountains are no longer isolated... or not quite....As always I paid attention to education. I visited Miao, Dong, and Yao places in the north of Guangxi. There are still too many children who are not able to attend school. I also found a lack of employment, even for educated people who often have to expatriate to Guangdong in search of work. Some parents leave their children behind while they go to earn a living as workers in other cities or provinces. What a contradiction that such misery exists though China's development, reform, and opening are advancing at an astonishing pace. This is sad, but, nevertheless, there are also wonderful facts, places, and people in Guangxi.”

Nanning

Nanning (400 kilometers west of Guangzhou and 100 kilometers north of the sea) is the capital and largest city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), with about 4.4 million people. Known as the "Green City" because of its plentiful lush subtropical plants and trees, it is surrounded by a hilly basin and has a warm, monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate. It It has traditionally been a bustling agricultural town Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Nanning' has pimarily been a commercial and administrative centre, It underwent some industrial development and is now regarded as the economic, financial and cultural center of Guangxi, and cultural center for the Zhuang minority,

Sights in Nanning include Guangxi Museum, Guangxi Ethnic Culture Relics Museum, Guangxi Ethnic Square and Ethnic Culture Palace. People's Park is located in the center of the city.Resources Tower is the 39th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). Completed in 2018, it is 402.7 meters (1,321 feet) tall and has 85 floors. Logan Century Center 1 is the 49th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). Completed in 2017, it is 381.3 meters (1,251 feet) tall and has 82 floors.

Guangxi Museum (Minzu Avenue) was built in 1934 and covers an area of 30,000 square meters. In its Bronze Drum Hall is the world’s biggest bronze drum and a collection of many types of bronze drums. The Hall of Ethnic Folk Customs introduces visitors the customs and culture of 11 ethnic nationalities in Guangxi: Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong, Mulao, Maonan, Hui, Jing, Yi, Shui and Gelao. There are exhibits displaying clothes, decorations and buildings. Behind the Hall of Ethnic Folk Customs is Guangxi Cultural Relics Garden, where complete buildings and examples of ethnic architecture, such as the wind-and-rain bridge and the drum tower. Ethnic singing and dancing performances are staged here. There are restaurants with ethnic cuisines. Website: gxmuseum.cn (in Chinese, click Google translate), Tel: +0086-771-2847055

Tourist Office : Guangxi Tourist Administration, 40 Xinmin Rd, Nanning, 530012, China, tel. (0)-771-280-8738, fax: (0)- 771-280-1041 Web Sites: Travel China Guide Travel China Guide ; Maps of Nanning: chinamaps.org ; Budget Accommodation:Check Lonely Planet books;

Transportation in Nanning

Nanning Metro or Nanning Nanning Rail Transit (NNRT) began service in 2016 and consists of two lines: Line 1 and Line 2. Currently, Lines 3, 4, 5 and an extension of Line 2 are under construction. By 2021 there are slated to be be four vertical and four horizontal lines totaling 252 km of subway. The system is projected to carry over 5 million passengers per day. The lines operating now are listed below. Nanning Subway Map: Urban Rail urbanrail.net

Line 1 runs from Shibu (Xixiangtang) to Nanning East railway station (Qingxiu).Opened in 2016 and extended 2016, it has 32.1 kilometers of track and 25 stations.
Line 2 runs from Xijin (Xixiangtang) to Yudong (Liangqing). Opened in 2017, it has 21.0 kilometers of track and 18 stations.
Line 3 runs from Keyuan Dadao (Xixiangtang) to Pingliang Overpass (Liangqing). Opened in 2019, it has 27.9 kilometers of track and 22 stations.

According to ASIRT: Local buses serve routes in and near the city. Taxis are readily available. Driver adds a surcharge for fuel. Train station is north of the city on Chaoyang Road. Traffic is often heavily congested. During rush hour, average travel speed on major roads is about 29 km/h. Many main roads have been widened. Several main roads are one way. Bypassing backups is difficult, due to inadequately developed secondary road network. Most secondary roads have been not been widened. Drivers of cars and motorcycles often use bus-only lanes, slowing bus transport. Traffic commonly backs up near construction zones, which are frequent throughout the city. Traffic mix includes many non-motorized vehicles, pedestrians and motorcyclists. Drivers often do not obey traffic laws. Pedestrians often jaywalk. Parking is scarce. [Source: Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), 2011]

Getting to Nanning

Getting There: Nanning is accessible by air and bus and well connected by train to major cities to the north. Nanning Wuxu International Airport serves city. Local bus 301 and shuttle buses provide transport to and from airport. Taxis are also available. Drivers sometimes refuse to use their meter, but do not overcharge. Nanning The city is a transportation gateway to and from Vietnam. Yunde Bus Company provides transport between the city and China-Vietnam border. At border, travelers transfer to a Vietnamese owned bus and continue to Hanoi. Direct transport is also available to Haiphong and Ha Long Bay. Travel China Guide Travel China Guide

The main rain station is north of the city on Chaoyang Road. China National Highway 210 links city with Baotou in Inner Mongolia. Road also goes through Shaazxi, Sichuan, Chongqui and Guizhou provinces. City's major bus stations: 1) Langdong Bus Terminal is on Mínzú Dàdào (Mínzú Ro), east of city center. 2) Jiangnan Bus Terminal is on Xingguang Dadao, south of city center. [Source: Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), 2011]

Nanning–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway is also known as the Southern Guangzhou high-speed railway or the South Canton high-speed railway. It connects Nanning, and Guangzhou (Canton) and opened in 2014. The railway travels mostly along the Pearl River Delta's Xi River valley and is 576 kilometers (358 miles) long of which 349 kilometers (217 miles) is in Guangxi and 227 kilometers (141 miles) is in Guangdong. There are 23 stations on the route. Express trains stop at only a few stations. A total of 53 high-speed trains run from Guangzhou to Nanning and vice versa every day. The traveling time is between three and four hours

Nanning–Kunming High-Speed Railway was formerly known as the Yunnan–Guangxi high-speed railway. It connects Nanning and Kunming and will have a total length of 715.8 kilometers (444.8 miles) Construction started in 2009 and the first phase from Nanning to Baise opened in 2015. Around 20 pairs of Nanning - Kunming high speed trains are in service now. They have cut the rail travel time between the two cities from 12 hours to 4.5 hours. Ticket price is around CNY270 for a second class seat.

Near Nanning

Among the sights near Nanning are Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area, Yiling Rock Cave Scenic Area, Phoenix Lake, Huashan Cliff Murals of Ningming, Friendship Pass of Pingxiang, Xiaolian Town of Longzhou, Detian Waterfalls across the Sino-Vietnam border of Daxin and Longhu Mountain Nature Reserve of Long’an.

Guiping (100 kilometers east of Nanning) used be called Jintian and was an important town during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid 19th century. Takahiro Suzuki wrote in the Yomiuri Shimbun, “The town of Jintian looks out over a flatland with mountains to its rear, making it a strategically advantageous and highly defensible launching point for attacks. In 1851, Hong Xiuquan led a rebellion of peasants against the Qing dynasty in Jintian. He went on to establish a state called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom there. His former command center was surrounded by earthworks two meters high and 220 meters long. Chen Yongxiang, deputy curator of a memorial hall at the Historic Site of Jintian Uprising of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, pointed to a triangular, 50-centimeter-tall stone in the center and praised the leader's legacy, saying, "Hong performed a miracle here and strengthened solidarity." [Source: Takahiro Suzuki, Yomiuri Shimbun, March 2014]

Detian Waterfalls (along the China-Vietnam Border in Daxin County) are located on the upper reaches of the Guichun River. Coming from the north, the river rushes through the mountains and plummets from 50-meter-high cliffs, producing a thunderous noise, and splashing spray and white mist. It is said to be “Asia’s Biggest Cross-National Waterfalls”. Hekou (on the Vietnam border) is filled with gambling halls and prostitutes. It is known as smuggling center. In some places heroin is sold openly on the streets.

Pingxiang is a a county-level city of located on the border between China and Vietnam. With 97 kilometers border line, the city has a population of 100,000, including 16 minority ethnic groups. The most popular attractions around Pingxiang are Jinji Mountain, Baiyu Cave, Youyi Pass, Liangshan Mountain and Longji Terraces. Getting There: From Nanning, take a bus from Jiangnan Bus Station to Pingxiang.

Huashan Cliff Paintings: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Huashan Cliff Paintings (100 kilometers southwest of Nanning, 25 kilometers southwest of Ningming County) are located under a large cliff along the Mingjiang River. They are more than 2,500 years old and were made during the Spring and Autumn Period. The site is 172 meters long, 50 meters high and covers 8,000 square meters. Over 1,900 images were made, including human figures, animals, metal instruments, boats and roads. Hours Open: all day long; Admission: free; Getting There: take boat from Tuolongqiaotou at Tuolong Township

Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. According to UNESCO: “Located on the steep cliffs cut through the karst landscape by the meandering Zuojiang River and its tributary Mingjiang River in the border regions of southwest China, these 38 sites of rock art illustrate the life and rituals of the Luoyue people. They date from the period around the 5th century B.C. to the 2nd century CE. In a surrounding landscape of karst, rivers and plateaux, they depict ceremonies that have been interpreted as portraying the bronze drum culture once prevalent across southern China. This cultural landscape is the only remains of this culture today. [Source: UNESCO]

The site is important because: 1) The Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, with its special combination of landscape and rock art, vividly conveys the vigorous spiritual and social life of the Luoyue people who lived along the Zuojiang River from the 5th century B.C. to the 2nd century CE. It is now the only witness to the tradition. 2) The images of Zuojiang Huashan depicting drums and related elements are symbolic records directly associated with the bronze drum culture once widespread in the region. Today bronze drums are still respected as symbols of power in southern China.

“The components of Zuojiang Huashan are relatively complete geographical spatial units, preserving the cliffs bearing the rock art, rivers forest and tablelands. The 38 rock art sites were selected as the best preserved pictographs representing all phases of development. The property contains all the elements necessary to convey the value of the cultural landscape and rock art and does not suffer from development or neglect. Each site enclosed by mountains and rivers has preserved the rock art in its folds for over 2000 years. The location and setting of the rock art is authentic. The rock art is generally located high up on the cliffs, revered by the local inhabitants and although subject to weathering over time is authentic in terms of materials and substance. The motifs and figures of the rock art were related to the beliefs of the inhabitants of the area surrounding them. Today the painted mountains are revered by local people and rituals and sacrifices are performed to appease the invisible forces affecting their lives. One of the 38 rock art sites (Ningming Huashan) is protected at the National level in accordance with the National Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics. The other 37 are all protected at the provincial level. Overall management of the property is the responsibility of the Chongzuo Management Centre in Chongzuo City.”

Coastal Area of Guangxi

Beihai Silver Beach (150 kilometers south-southeast of Nanning) is located on the southern point of Beihai Peninsula and stretches for 24 kilometers. Designated a AAAA national scenic zone, it is characterized by long and flat beaches, soft and white sands, temperate and clear water, gentle waves and no dangerous currents. With an annual average water temperature of 23.7˚C, the sea is suitable for sswimming from March to November, and the air is especially refreshing. Recreational activities include speedboat and motorboat cruising, sea bicycling, sailing, surfing, parasailing, beach karting, beach football and beach volleyball. The beach is open to visitors without any fees.

Weizhou Island (southeast of Beihai) was ranked second in China National Geographic’s list of China’s Ten Most Beautiful Sea Islands in 2005. The island has volcanic features and foliage so dense it shuts out the sunlight. The fragrance of the sea and flowers floats on the breeze. Numerous migratory birds stop here. The beaches on island have clear blue water and coral reefs. A variety of marine products in various colors and types are sold in the markets. Xieyang Island, 15 kilometers from Weizhou Island, covers an area of 1.89 square kilometers. The island is known for its dense woods and rocks with peculiar shapes. Weizhou Island and Xieyang Island have been called “Major and Minor Penglai Islands”.

North of Nanning

Huangyao Ancient Town (northeast of Shaoping County 50 kilometers west of Hezhou, 200 kilometers south-southeast of Guilin, 250 kilometers north of Nanning) is an ancient town with over 1,000 years history, featuring exquisite pavilions and temples, unique folk houses and stone roads and tremendous ancient trees. First built in Song Dynasty, it flourished during Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The town is called Huangyao because all residents' surnames are Huang and Yao. There are eight ancient streets in Huangyao and most of the houses here are in the Ming-Qing style. Due to the town being surrounded by mountains, transportation has been inconvenient, which helped to preserve the town's relics and traditions, keeping it away from outside conflicts Hours Open: all day long (selling ticket: 7:30am-5:30pm); Admission: 100 yuan; Getting There: take railway to Hezhou City and then transfer bus from Hezhou to Huangyao Town

Gongbao Mansion Buildings (accessible for Baise, 150 kilometers northwest of Nanning) refers to a well-preserved ancient architecture group, which was built by Ceng Liuying, the governor-general of Yunnan and Guizhou in Guangxu Reign (1875-1908) of Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). It covers an area of 1,350 square meters, including Gongbao Mansion, Nanyin academy of classical learning, Cen Family Ancestral Hall and Zengshou Pavilion. The structures are full of architectural characteristics from Qing Dynasty, and are highlighted by vivid paintings about people and landscaped on the gate posts Hours Open: 8:30am-6:30pm; Admission: 20 yuan; Getting There: take the direct bus from Baise City.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: CNTO (China National Tourist Organization), China.org, UNESCO, reports submitted to UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, China Daily, Xinhua, Global Times, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Compton's Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Updated in July 2021