|
 |
 |
 |
|
About
Nanning
Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Province,
is in the south west of China. Nanning is a prosperous industrial
city with a population of almost 6.5 million - that's five
times the whole population of Merseyside! The population of
Knowsley Borough is only 150,000!
Nanning enjoys a favourable geographical location, connecting
the Indo-China Peninsula to the west and Guangdong Province,
Hong Kong, Macao and Hainan Province to the east.
As an important gateway to southeast Asia,
Nanning is a regional centre that plays an active role in
the commerce between China and the so-called "Pacific
Rim" countries of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Nanning has its own airport served by over
20 domestic and international airlines. It is well connected
by road and rail with the rest of China but perhaps the most
important transport route is the Yongjiang
river - which carries most of the city's exports to their
destinations overseas.
With its rapid urban development, Nanning attaches great important
to improving its natural environment. It enjoys the reputation
of “the Green City of China”
because of the many green spaces within it.
Find out more about Nanning in the sections
below:
> Maps
> Tourism
> Sport
> Food
> Festivals
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
There are many tourist attractions both within the city
of Nanning and in the surrounding area. These are just
a few of them.
|
| |
Situated in the
southeastern part of Nanning city, Nanhu Lake
Park is a mixture of colourful subtropical gardens
and aquatic scenery. It covers an area of 127 hectares,
of which three quarters is covered by the lake.
It has a famous fish restaurant and is is also the venue
for the annual dragon boat festivals (see below) which
attract thousands of people. |
| |
 |
|
Nanhu
Lake with Nanning skyline in background |
|
Once a fisheries
lake, it has now been landscaped and planted up with thousands
of trees including Chinese fan palms, "pinangs"
and other tropical trees. In addition more than thirty
kinds of tropical fruit trees, including litchi, jackfruit,
pomelo and mango can be found in the Park.
The Qingxiu mountain range is the 'green
lung' of Nanning City. Located 3 miles southeast of the
suburbs of Nanning and bordering the Yongjiang River,
the mountain range is renowned for its beauty and the
clear waters which run through it.
Mt. Qingxiu was originally named Qingshan. On the top
of the mountain stands a pagoda called Longxiang Tower
which is the symbol of the mountain. From the pagoda,
the vista is magnificent, overlooking Nanning City.
|
|
 |
|
Hotel
Qingshan |
|
On the
mountainside are two big lakes - Tianchi and Yaochi. Tianchi
sparkles in the sunlight, and the green pines, blue sky
and white clouds mirrored in the water are like a beautiful
painting. On the shores of Yaochi is an orchard of peach
trees. In the spring, the peach tree blossom is a beautiful
sight.
At the upper reaches of the Guichun River, the roaring
Detian Waterfall appeals to visitors
because of its unique setting on the border of China and
Vietnam. It is the second largest trans-national waterfall
in the world, second only to the Niagara Falls on the
US-Canadian border. Water rushes down over 60 metres into
the pools below, which is a great place for swimming.
|
|
 |
|
Detian
Waterfall on Vietnam border |
|
back
to top |
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
People in Nanning love sports and many famous Chinese
athletes grew up and trained in the city.
|
|
|
In the last 10 years, athletes from Nanning have
won 15 world championships in international sports.
The city has excellent sports facilities which
has contributed to this success. They include
the Guangxi Gymnasium, Guangxi Stadium, Nanning
Stadium and many other grounds and halls for training
and competitions.
|
 |
| Nanning
Stadium |
|
|
|
Guangxi Stadium is the
largest arena in the city. It can hold more than 30,000
people. Built in accordance with international standards,
it has a soccer field and an athletics circuit. With
modern lighting and sound equipment, it is a place where
many national and international sports games are held.
With more than 20,000 seats, Nanning Stadium can hold
athletics matches and soccer competitions. Around the
stadium are handball, villeyball and badminton courts,
a weightlifting hall, a gymnastic hall and a swimming
pool.
Dragon Boat Races are the traditional
sport of Nanning. Every year the banks of the Nanhu
Lake are crowded with spectators cheering on their favourites
and making as much noise as possible!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The dragon boats are elaborately decorated, with a carving
of a dragon's head on the bow and a dragon's tail on the
stern. They are manned by anywhere from 20 to 100 oarsmen
and a drummer who sits in the rear and sets the pace of
the rowing. The winner is awarded a baked pig. A prize
also goes to the best-decorated boat. |
| |
back
to top |
|
| |
 |
|
|
Nanning
cuisine reflects its geographical location at the crossroads
of South East Asia. Cantonese dishes from Hong Kong
are popular, as is Vietnamese food such as noodles and
soups. Thai restaurants can be found in the city and
there is even a branch of MacDonalds! Here are a couple
of the local favourites.
|
| |
Old
Friend Noodles are cooked with chopped
garlic, lobster sauce, sour bamboo shoots and chopped
beef.
Legend has it that a local tea house owner invented
the dish to cure a regular customer who was suffering
with a cold!
|
|
 |
|
| |
Nanning
people eat a lot of Roast Duck because
they believe in the healthy effects of the dish on the
liver. Nanning Roast Duck is different to Beijing Roast
Duck in the way it is prepared and presented at the table.
|
| |
Finally,
Nanning people enjoy Sour Pickles
- or preserved fruits and vegetables. In a hot
climate, this was the only way to preserve local
produce before modern refrigerators and the custom
has persisted to the present day. Many products
such as pawpaw, mango, plums, peaches, cabbage
and olives are pickled in this way. |
|
 |
|
| |
back
to top |
|
| |
 |
|
|
There are
many festivals in Nanning throughout the year.
Chinese New Year is the most important
of the traditional Chinese holidays. It starts on New
Year's Day, celebrated on the first day of the first
month of the Chinese calendar. This is the day of the
second new moon after the winter solstice. It ends with
the Lantern Festival, on the fifteenth day of the festival.
According to legend, in ancient China, Nian ("Nyan"),
a man-eating predatory beast from the mountains, could
get into houses silently. The Chinese were always very
scared of this monster. They learned that Nian was sensitive
to loud noises and the colour red, and so they scared
it away with explosions, fireworks and the red clothes
and decorations.
|
|
Each
new year is named after an animal under the Chinese
Zodiac. The twelve animals are, in order, the rat,
ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or
goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
A legend explains the sequence in which the animals
were assigned. Supposedly, the twelve animals fought
over the importance of the animals, so the Chinese
gods held a contest to determine the order. |
|
 |
| |
2006
is the year of the dog |
|
|
All the animals lined up on the bank of a river and were
given the task of getting to the opposite shore. Their
order in the calendar would be set by the order in which
the animals managed to reach the other side. The cat wondered
how he would get across if he was afraid of water. At
the same time, the ox wondered how he would cross with
his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that
he and the cat jump onto the ox's back and guide him across.
The ox was steady and hard-working so that he did not
notice a commotion on his back. In the meanwhile, the
rat snuck up behind the unsuspecting cat and shoved him
into the water. Just as the ox came ashore, the rat jumped
off and finished the race first. The lazy pig came to
the far shore in twelfth place. And so the rat got the
first year named after him, the ox got the second year,
and the pig ended up as the last year in the cycle. The
cat finished too late to win any place in the calendar,
and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore.
This year (which began on 29 January 2006) is the Year
of the Dog.
The Nanning International Folk Song Arts Festival
takes place in October every year. The festival is rooted
in the local Zhuang people's love of songs. Their traditional
competitions have now been incorporated into a very modern
celebration of regional music - with shows staged in front
of thousands and broadcast throughout South East Asia.
Many famous Chinese musicians and singers come to the
festival to perform. |
|
| |
back
to top |
|
|
|
|
|
