China Nanning City:
Nanning
Resident People: 2.79 million (urban population: 1.28 million)
General Information: Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which is the home of China's largest minority nationality, the Zhuang, a Muslim people who now number over 12 million. Nanning was closed to visitors until 1977, it is now being included in many itineraries, especially South China circuits that originate in Hong Kong and include Guangzhou, Kunming, and Guilin.
Geography: Nanning is China's southernmost city. It lies some 187 km. west of Guangzhou; it's surrounded by mountains with average elevation of 80-100 m.
Climate: Nanning is situated in sub-tropical monsoon area; enough sunlight and rainfall.
Nature: The South-lake Park The South-lake Park, in the southeast of the city, is a park of sub-tropical scenery. It occupies a total area of 1,266,000 square meter The lake, as smooth as a mirror, makes up three-fourths of the total area. The pavillions, bridges and pleasure-boats scattering on the lake constitute a charming picture. The People's Park The People's Park, 500,000 sq.m.in area, is in the northeastern part of Nanning.There are such spots of interest as the Ancient Cannon Fort, the White Dragon Lake, the Children's Play Ground, the Revolutionary Martyr's monument, the Anti-air Raid club and the White Dragon Restaurant. It is a wonderful place for tourists. The Ancient Cannon Fort is on the top of the Wangxianpo Hill and is one of the important relics under the protection of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Climbing the top of the fort, one can have a bird-eye view of the whole city. West - suburbs Zoo Lying in the west Suburbs, the park occupies an area of 400,000 sq. m.. On exhibit are pandas, hippopotamus, elephants, orangutans, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, seals and swans. There is also a snake restaurant, a shop and a cold drink counter in it.
Restaurant: The Nanhu Park Restau-rant and Bailong Dining Hall in People's Park are two local restaurants popular for their wild game specialties (e.g., anteater stew and a kind of ragout of fox) as well as for their pleasant settings. In addition, there are national restaurants in the bamboo buildings of the center, providing all kinds of national delicacies and dishes with special flavors for tourists.
History: Nanning has a history of more than 1,600 years. In 318 A.D. Nanning came into its existence as a county. It was named Yongzhou, or Yong for short in the Tang Dynasty; Yongning prefecture in the Song Dynasty, Yongzhou headquarters in Yuan dynasty; Nanning prefecture in Ming and Qing Dynnasties and Nanning county after the revolution of 1911. It did not acquire the present name until 1949. Nanning, with a glorious tradition, is remembered as a heroic city in the minds of Chinese people. For thousands of years, the city has undergone countless tests in battle. In the old days, Su Jian, head officer of this region in Song Dynasty, once led the army and people throughout Yongzhou City to resist the Vietnamese aggressors, who were waging war against China. In modern times, the famous generals Liu Yongfu and Feng Zicai bravely safeguarded the region against French aggressors in a bid to defend their homeland. Moreover, the city has also witnessed glorious deeds by locals as following: the 1911 Revolution, the May 4th Movement in 1919, dispatching troops to aid the Northern Expeditionary Armies, the founding of the Seventh and Eighth Armies of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the Baise Uprising paving the way for establishing the Zuojiang and Youjiang revolutionary bases, the Longzhou Uprising and the bloody Kunlunguan Campaign which gave a heavy blow to the Japanese aggressors. The local people have added an illustrious chapter to the history of defending the homeland and pursuing social progress by safeguarding the South Gate of the motherland and participating in the socialist construction of New China.
Arrive: Wuxu Airport is 32 km far to the city.
Nanning Tourism: Tourist groups are often taken to the Baisha Production Brigade, affording an opportunity to see a productive commune in the tropics. A trip to the Yiling Stalactite Cave is also of interest. Located a pleasant hour's ride north of the city, this huge cave boasts artificially lighted formations bearing the sobriquets "bumper harvest," "fruit bow1," and "city skyline." Nan Hu (South Lake) Gardens are also on the itinerary, as is a visit to the Nanning Arts Institute, which exhibits some of China's most colorful minority arts and crafts. Examples of local crafts include bambooware, lacquerware, and wood and stone carvings.
Shopping: Lichee, pineapple, mango, wampee
Cuisine: Similar to Cantonese cuisine, Guangxi cooking features exotic items such as suckling pig, turtle, lizard, and snake. For the less intrepid, there are simpler yet elegantly prepared vegetable dishes.
Nanning Attractive points: Nanhu Lake Park Situated in the southeastern part of Nanning city, Nanhu Lake Park brings together the aquatic scenery and the subtropical gardening outlook. It covers an area of 126.6 hectares, of which three fourths is occupied by the lake. Inside the park are planted palms, Chinese fan palms and pinangs and other tropical trees which are full of southern flavors. Besides which, more than thirty kinds of tropic fruit trees, including litchi, jackfruit, pomelo and mango can be found in the park. The seven-hole bridge arches across the lake, like a huge dragon floating in the water and the blue sky and white clouds are reflected in the clean and green water. You will enjoy yourself a lot by paddling a boat in the lake, or just fishing with a hook and line. Mt. Qingxiu Originally named "Mt. Qingshan", also known as "Oingtai Peak", Mt. Qingxiu lies 5 kilometers away from the southeast of the city of Nanning, where ridges and peaks are rising and falling, magnificent, beautiful and forceful, with woods verdant, old banyan trees towering into the sky. There are rocks and grottos, deep and precipitous, there are stones and springs, sweet and clear. Bordering on the Yongjiang River, leaning against the mountains and peaks, it is an imposing and unrivalled scenery. Mt. Qingxiu is famous for mountains not high but beautiful, waters not deep but clear. The Mt. Qingxiu scenic spot has an altitude of about 82 meters to 189 meters above sea level, including Fenghuang Mountains, Fengyi Mountains and Qingxiu Mountains. With pleasant weather, there are exotic flowers and rare herbs blossoming all the year round. As an ancient poetry described it: "Mt. Qingshan doesn't grow old for seasons, the absent son feels as if spring is joyful at the end of the world, I go up the mountain with the spring scenery, flowers are in blossom to welcome the spring". Since ancient times, Mt. Qingxiu has been a famous summer resort and tourist attraction in the south of Yongjiang River. The Mt. Qingxiu scenic spot was built in the Sui and Tang dynasties, thriving during the Ming Dynasty, falling into oblivion during the period from the end of the Qing Dynasty to the beginning of the Republic of China. At that time, the tourist area is about 1180 mu. There were originally 8 sceneries on Mt. Qingxiu. Owing to having long been out of repair, the 8 sceneries have now fallen into disrepair and have been gradually forgotten, all that remains are the resorts of all dynasties and fairy tale stories circulating among the people. Since liberation, the government now pays attention to the development of scenic spots. And on October 1st, 1987, the Mt. Qingxiu scenic spot has been opened formally to tourists from home and abroad. Through continuous repair and rearrangement, Mt. Qingxiu will be a place for people touring and resting, and will be the place that must be seen by tourists to Nanning. Guangxi Ethnic Relics Center The Guangxi Ethnic Relics Center is the expansion of the exhibition in Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Completed in 1988, the center covers an area of 24 thousand square meters. It is a unique outdoor museum which used to house the relics of various minorities in Guangxi Province. Unique architectures of various minorities such as "Ganlan" of Zhuang nationality, bamboo buildings of Yao nationality, houses projecting over the water of Miao nationality, drum-tower of Dong nationality, bridge in the hometown of Dong, local-style dwelling houses of Maonan nationality are all displayed here. Inside these buildings, the daily use articles and handcrafts are also shown. If you visit there in festival times, you also have the chance to see the beautiful minority's performances there. Guangxi Museum Guangxi Museum. erected in the July 1 Square, is a comprehensive topological museum with an area of 12,900 sq.m.. The museum is composed of five displays of Guangxi historical relics, Guangxi revolutionary relics, Guangxi ancient bronze drums and the Taiping Uprising. Fine arts exhibitions are held here from time to time. Guangxi Medicinal Herb Garden Guangxi Medicinal Herb Garden stands on an area of two million sq.m. in the east suburbs. It is one of the biggest medicinal herb garden in China with a total plantation of over 2,100 kinds. The garden is divided into five sections of Guangxi special herbs, woody plant, animal for medical use and the herbs ranged according to their curative effects and according to the medicinal function. The sweet tea, one of the local special products grown in the garden, has a function of refreshing energy and relieving internal fever. The herb for arthrities here is also well known for its effect.
|