About Nanning
What to see and do in Nanning
Weather in Nanning
Airport in Nanning
Visa
Nanning (Zhuang: Namzningz, meaning 'South Prosperity') is the capital of Guangxi autonomous region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.
It is a huge, modern city and a transport gateway for travellers to and from Vietnam.
Famed as 'China's Green Capital', Nanning is truly a garden city with charming natural subtropical scenery. Green mountains, winding rivers, exquisite lakes as well as a city full of verdant trees and fragrant flowers form a tourist mecca. People of Zhuang and other ethnic groups live here, adding colorful folk cultures to the city's glamour. To explore in and around this attractive city, visitors may refer to the following two routes.
Guangxi Museum (Guangxi Sheng B'w'guan), 34 Minzu Dadao. 8.30am-11.30am and 2.30pm-5.00pm. Located vaguely opposite Minzu square, it has quite an eclectic exhibition. One hall is dedicated to the bronze drums found in Guangxi and neighbouring Yunnan province. In a way, this is also an exhibition about the early culture of Guangxi. Another hall is dedicated to the various ethnic minorities in Guangxi. There is also an open-air exhibition, with performances, and has houses of some of the minorities. RMB 5.
South Lake, Gucheng Street. 8.00am-5.00pm. Lake in the southeastern part of town surrounded by a park including bonsai and orchid gardens. RMB2.
White Dragon Park (Bai Long Gongyuan), Renmin East Street.
Nanning Bird and Flower Market in Yuan hu Lu, at the Zhong hua Lu intersection, and right behind the People's Park (Ren Min Gong Yuan) is an eclectic mix of flowers, shrubs, pot plants and all thing floral, as well as a vast array of birds, fish, and other pets. Thrown into the mix is an assortment of household goodies to brighten up an otherwise dull abode: furniture fashioned from tree stumps, traditional Chinese tea sets, carvings, wall hangings, etc... This is an amzingly interesting place to while away an afternoon, and get some truly good-value items.
This place is packed out on weekends, and is a notorious place for pick-pockets, who cleverly razor-slash pockets and bags to retrieve any valuable carelessly stowed. Keep money, mobile phones and any valuables securely in zippered compartments inside bags. NEVER keep anything valuable in a back pack, which should be carried in front.
Though the older people speak Cantonese (GuangDongHua), the younger generation mainly speak Mandarin (PuTongHua). Nanning is regarded as one of the most successful cities in China in terms of popularizing Mandarin or 'common language'. So it is a very good place to learn PuTongHua for foreigners. Universities offering Chinese courses are many, including Guangxi University for Nationalities and Guangxi University.
Nanning people, like virtually all Chinese in the south, mis-pronounce many of the basic sounds of pu tong hua which is a derivative of the language of the northern Han people - hence it's alternate name, Han yu Han language, and it is best NOT to learn from the locals, but rather from any of the large number of northerners who have taken up business and academic residency in the area.
As the capital of Guangxi, which is an autonomous Zhuang province, embraces the Zhuang ethnic language, and virtually all signs in Nanning display the Zhuang written text, which is incomprehensible to Westerners. It is not to be confused with pin yin, the anglicised phonetic written language of pu tong hua.
Chao Yang Road, Chao Yang Lu. The main shopping street of Nanning city, it is lined with several department stores, like Nanning Department Store, and Walmart, in addition al several other intentional brands and local brands. It is also a nice place to go people-watching, as people from all walks of life can be seen here: youngsters, street performers, roadside vendors.
Nanning is the jumping off point for scenic Guilin, with its world famous hill-scape, northern and western Guangxi and its minority villages, and the border with Vietnam in the south.
In 1998 alone, the city received 26,260 overseas tourists, earning foreign exchange totaling US$7.0663 million, some 5.01 percent of the city's total income. An addition of 6.89 million domestic visitors brought RMB 3.23 billioninto the city, some 19.95 percent of the total. Such achievements made Nanning the second place in the whole region in that year.
Lake Park. Jiahecheng Hot Spring Valley Location: Nan Wu Street, northeast of the city, about 13 kilometers (about eight miles) from the International Convention& Exhibition Center
Description: A recreational center based on relaxing, comforting hot springs. Take your choice of Chinese, Japanese, Finnish, Thai, Turkish, or Jordanian hot spring bathing styles - or try all of them. There are also interesting above-water games such as disco, drift and sliding board as well as mysterious Mayan carvings. The hydropathics and tea houses, full of traditional Chinese atmosphere, are certainly worth trying, too.
Qingxiu Mountains Landscape (a park at provincial level) Location: No.19, Qing Shan Rd., southeast of the city Description: A national AAAA tourist resort. Evergreen trees, strange stones and pure springs on the hill provide a natural environment for sightseeing and relaxation. The Dragon Elephant Pagoda and other cultural relics make the mountain even more intriguing. There are also the world's largest Cycad Garden, the Grand Tropical Rainforest Garden and the Palm Tree Garden worth exploring. Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden
Liangfengjiang River Scenic Spot (a state forest reserve)
Phoenix Lake Holiday Site
Minorities Cultural Relics Center
Western Suburbs Zoo (including the country's largest Crocodile, Elephant,and Hippopotamus Enclosure)
Golden Scented-Tea Park (the country's largest base for golden scented tea seeds)
The Ruins of the Battlefield of Kunlunguan
Yangmei Ancient Town
Lingshui Hot Spring (a large constant hot spring)
Mingxiu Park
Daming Muntain
The Beiqiu ruins of Dingshishan Mountain (one of 1997's 10 Greatest Archaeological Discoveries in China.)
Nanhu Lake Park
Location: Southeast of the city
Description: An above-water paradise with different kinds of cruise ships, scenery
viewing bridges and modern entertainment facilities. Nanhu Lake is surrounded with
typical subtropical plants such as palms, punkas and pinangs. In the lakeside parks,
music fountains, water screen films as well as a colorful lamps scene attract a continuous
stream of locals and tourists.
Yangmei Ancient Town-Liangfengjiang National Forest Park-Da Wang Tan Reservoir Scenic AreaYangmei Ancient Town
Location: west of Yong Xin District, about 38 kilometers (about 24 miles) away from the central city
Description: An ancient town of thousands of years. Built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the town has kept well the ancient architecture, streets and unsophisticated folkways. The three food treasures popular with tourists are preserved salted vegetables, fermented beans and ground rice cakes.
Liangfengjiang National Forest Park
Location: You Yi Road, South of the city
Description: A national AAA tourist resort, called 'Natural Oxygen Bar'
because of its humid air and beautiful scenery. The Banyan Garden,
Botanic Garden, Butterfly Specimen & Grotesque Stone Museum, together
with colorful amusement facilities, offer you an ideal vacation resort.
Da Wang Tan Reservoir Scenic Area
Location: about 28 kilometers (about 17 miles) away from the city center in
south suburb
Description: Also called Phoenix Lake. It functions to prevent flooding, provide water for irrigation, and generate electricity. The beautiful surroundings make it an enthralling tourist spot. The crystal blue lake is surrounded by lush hills and dotted by hundreds of indistinct little islands. When the sun sets, the lake is covered with a golden veil. The scenery is so charming that it attracts many shutterbugs. There are also vacation villages, gyms and many kinds of above-water activities to enrich your vacation life.
Yiling Yan Rock Cave
Location: in Wu Ming County, about 18 kilometers (about 11 miles) away
from the city
Description: A karst landscape formed about one million years ago. The cave looks like a huge trumpet shell and is divided into three layers. Rocks pose in thousands of shapes along the flexuous cave path, leading you to a mysterious world.
Mt. Dragon& Tiger
Location: in Long An County, about 83 kilometers (about 52 miles) away
from Nanning
Description: One of the four monkey mountains in China. Thousands of monkeys and their troupe leaders greet their guests while playing among mountain trees. Playing with them will draw you back to your childhood.
Nine Dragon Waterfalls
Location: in Heng Xian County, about 90 kilometers (about 56 miles) away
from Nanning City
Description: The most spectacular tourist place in this 'Capital of Jasmine Tea'. It is located in a national forest park where valleys and streams form grand waterfall scenery. The ancient sand hills and strange cliffs add more interest to the attraction of the waterfalls.
Mt. Daming
Location: in Shang Lin County, about 130 kilometers (about 81 miles) from
Nanning
Description: One of the most famous mountains in Guangxi. Twisted clouds, winding streams, green cedars and thick forests make a fairy land and rare ecological tourist resort. The scenery varies with the change of seasons but never loses its beauty all year long. It is also the outdoor location of many films.
Detian Scenic Spot
Location: in Da Xin County, about 140 kilometers (about 87 miles) from Nanning
Description: The world's second largest trans-border waterfall, bridging
China and Vietnam. From a distance, the three-step waterfall is just like a
string of pearls set among thick green mountains. The 80 meter (about 262 feet)
vertical drop makes a thunderous sound that can be heard for miles.
Layers of terraces, tranquil rivers, mysterious above-water stone forests,
together with the rich flavor of frontier folk culture, will impress you deeply and
leave you with sweet memories.
Huashan Mural
Location: in Ning Ming County, about 160 kilometers (about 99 miles) away from
Nanning
Description: The art treasure of the Zhuang ethnic minority group.
The murals on the cliff of Mt. Huashan were drawn by the ancient Zhuang people
over 2,000 years ago. Thousands of vivid human and animal drawings in various
postures are presented on the large mural. The uncomplicated drawing method
and simple sketches show the sensibilities of the Zhuang people.
Northern Vietnam is within striking distance.
There is a train to Kunming, reportedly a sensational ride through isolated mountainous country.
The famously scenic tourist area around Guilin and Yangshuo is only a short distance from Nanning (about 3 hrs by bus/train)
Visit the Detian Waterfall, with a 75 meter drop, on the Chinese-Vietnamese border, It's about 4 hours from Nanning.
The annual average temperature is about 27.7 C (81.8 F). The mild climate makes the city green all year, hence its name 'Green City'. Rainfalls are somewhat frequent there, even in the hot summer; while snows are seldom. You do not need to worry about dryness in summer or coldness in winter.
As a melting-pot of Zhuang and other ethnic minority groups, Nanning has its own special festivals at different times of the year.
January 17 C to 10 C
February 18 C to 11 C
March 22 C to 15 C
April 26 C to 19 C
May 31 C to 23 C
June 32 C to 25 C
July 33 C to 25 C
August 33 C to 25 C
September 32 C to 24 C
October 28 C to 20 C
November 24 C to 15 C
December 20 C to 11 C
Nanning Wuxu Airport is an airport in Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China (IATA: NNG, ICAO: ZGNN). The airport is 32 km from the center of the city, and the airport was built in 1962, with improvements made in 1990. In 2004, 1,646,000 passengers used the airport.
Nanning Wuxu International Airport (NNG) is located in Wuxu Town, about 31 kilometers (19 miles) southwest from the city proper. Since its opening, Wuxu Airport has reached a capacity of some 2.5 million passengers each year and can handle 15 large passenger airliners at one time. Advanced technology, including radar system, VOR system and blind landing greatly ensure flight safety while sound freight transit facilities make passengers' trips easier. The airport also provides special services for different groups of passengers, such as seniors, handicapped and children without companions.
There are 26 scheduled airlines mostly to cities in southern and western China, including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen, Kunming, Chengdu, Guiyang, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan as well as Beijing and Xian. Other airlines to northern and eastern China are under consideration now.
For passengers' convenience, the airport manages shuttle buses to the city according to the arrival time of each flight. The bus starts from the Ticket Booking Department in Chao Yang Lu (Chaoyang Rd.) or the Airport Departure Lounge. Tickets cost about RMB15. Alternatively, passengers can take No.301 (RMB 2) city bus to go to the urban city.
Ticket Booking Department
Chaoyang Lu: No.82, Chaoyang Rd.
Minzu Da Dao: No.48, Minzu Da Dao (Minzu Avenue)
Taoyuan Hotel: No.74, Tong Yuan Lu (Tongyuan Rd.)
Jiangnan: No.17, Jiang Nan Lu (Jiangnan Rd.)
Airport: 2nd floor in the departure lounge
Airlines and other destinations of Nanning
Air China (Beijing-Capital, Chengdu, Ho Chi Minh City)
China Eastern Airlines (Kunming, Nanjing, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Wuhan)
China Express Airlines (Guiyang)
China Southern Airlines (Beijing-Capital, Changsha, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Nanchang, Nanjing, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shantou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xi'an, Xining, Zhengzhou)
Hainan Airlines (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Beijing-Capital, Guiyang, Haikou, Xi'an)
Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong)
Shandong Airlines (Changsha, Jinan, Nanjing, Qingdao, Wuhan)
Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Hongqiao)
Shenzhen Airlines (Beijing-Capital, Cebu, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur-Sepang, Nanjing, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Singapore, Xiamen, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai)
Kunpeng Airlines (Guilin, Wuzhou, Xi'an)
Sichuan Airlines (Chengdu, Chongqing)
Xiamen Airlines (Fuzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen)
To be able to travel to Nanning you need to have a valid China Visa, issue from your local government at the China Embassy, Chinese visa fall into four types: diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, service visa and ordinary visa. Ordinary visa is further divided into the following 8 categories each marked with a letter: (1) Tourist and family visit visa (L-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for tourist purpose, family visit or other personal affairs.
(2) Business Visa (F-visa ) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of no more than 6 months.
(3) Student Visa (X-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China for the purpose of study or advanced study for a period of six or more months.
(4) Work Visa (Z-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who comes to China to work and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances in China.
(5) Transit Visa (G-visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is to transit through China on his or her way to a third country (or region).
(6) Crew Visa(C-visa)is issued to crew member performing his/her duties on board an international train, or on an international airliner, to a sailor on board an international ocean-liner or freighter, and also to their accompanying family members..
(7) Journalist Visa (J-visa)is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-1 visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children, J-2 visa to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
(8) Permanent Residence Visa(D-visa)is issued to a foreign citizen who has been approved by China's public security authority to reside in China permanently.
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