Nanning： A Citywith DazzlingBeauty

Upon arrival in Nanning， you are able to take a breath of fresh air brought by its postcard-perfect hills surrounded by glittering lakes， luxuriant green trees and brilliant flowers that bloom all year round. As the kapok flowers are interspersing everywhere， spring is coming. At the time of year， everything in nature rouses up from sleeping and promises new hope. Summer is a little bit hot in this city， but the subtropical plants are forming charming scenery here. Autumn is the best time for visiting， and a variety of special and important festivals are held during this period， such as Nanning International Folk Song Arts Festival and Tourism Festival， etc. Also， jasmine tea aficionados should not miss this fragrance in August！ And the following winter is short and cool in Nanning.

When you are here， either a view of a butterfly resting on the flowers， or any seasonal color of Qingxiu Mountain. will allow you a longer stay on this beautiful and mysterious land. So let us slow our steps， speed up camera shots， enjoy natural beauty created by God and digest its historic legend.

An emerald in the south of China

After a stroll in Nanning， you will find that trees such as peach， palm and artocarpus are taking turns adorning the city with their colorful flowers. The city was once described by a poet as a city shaded by green trees. Alao， there is an old saying that Nanning is a place where grasses never wither even in winter and flowers bloom in all seasons.

Situated in the Tropic of Cancer and surrounded by mountains， Nanning enjoys the subtropical monsoon climate which features plenty of sunshine and ample rainfall. Generally speaking， there is a clear distinction between the four seasons： summer is humid while winter is dry， and spring and autumn are normally warm. Endowed with such mild climate， Nanning is decorated with green mountains， winding rivers， exquisite lakes as well as evergreen trees and fragrant flowers， enjoying the fine reputation of “Green City”.

Titled as “National Garden City”， Nanning is a tourist destination where the scenery is second to none in Guangxi. Within the city， there are various tourist sites such as Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area， Yangmei Ancient Town， Nanhu Lake， Liangfengjiang National Forest Park， Dawangtan Reservoir Scenic Area， Shimen Forest Park， etc.

The lung of the Green City

The Father loves and favors this land by writing musical notes with mountains of various heights： Qingxiu Mountain， Daming Mountain， Yiling Cave， etc.； He writes poems with waters of various shapes： Yong River， Nanhu Lake， Jiahecheng Hot Spring， Dawangtan Reservoir， etc. Now please go and learn the mountains in Nanning， recalling the image of its past and marking it into your heart.

Located in riverbank of Yong River， Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is one of the eight wonderful sceneries of the ancient Nanning. Records indicated that Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area was flourishing during the Ming dynasty. However， due to the destruction brought by fire and war and the lack of repair for a long time， some sights were forgotten by the locals. At present， with continuous restoration and construction of new sites， Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area has been awarded as the National 5A Scenic Spot.

Honored as the “Green Lung” of Nanning， Qingxiu Mountain owns a stretch of hills and thick trees， constantly offering a breath of fresh air for the downtown and providing a tranquil， leisure and relaxing environment for visitors. Every time the wind blows， you will hear the waves through the lush forests. The Cycads （also called iron trees） Garden in Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is the largest garden of its kind in China. As the iron tree rarely blooms， it was considered as a marvelous spectacle. Not far from Cycads Garden， Tianchi and Yaochi are two big man-made glittering lakes surrounded by green trees on the mountainside， creating a natural air-purifier. And the pagoda -- Longxiang Tower standing on the top of the mount is a symbol of the mountain. From the pagoda， visitors can have a panorama of the whole city.

The picturesque back garden

There is an old saying in China that the virtuous find pleasure in hills while the wise find pleasure in water. Accordingly， water is able to nurture people’s spirituality and purify their soul imperceptibly. Over many thousands of years， Dawangtan Reservoir Scenic Area has become a popular tourist spot， receiving numerous visitors each year.

Legend has it that there was once a temple called Dawang Temple （King Temple）， hence its name. During the period of the Great Leap Forward Movement， the reservoir was built by the local government for flood prevention， farm irrigation， and electricity generation. By virtue of its breathtaking scenery， the lake has become an ideal place for shutterbugs and outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy boating， hiking and fishing.

As the sun rises， the city begins to cast her spell with a painting brush. As night falls， Nanning is covered with a glittering veil. Whenever you are in this city， she will always raise you up with her dazzling beauty.

Tourist routes：

Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area -- Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden -- Daming Mountain -- Dawangtan Reservoir Scenic Area -- Yiling Cave -- Jiulong Waterfall Forest Park

1. Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area： Seated on the bank of the Yong River， Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area， a National 5A Scenic Spot， covers a total area of 4.1 square kilometers. Now， it has become a must-see sight for domestic and foreign visitors.

2. Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden： It is a comprehensive garden founded in 1959， which serves the following purposes： tourism， teaching and production. With over 2，100 different species of plants and a wide range of collections from southern medicinal herbs to northern ones， it serves as one of the biggest medicinal botanical gardens in China.

3. Daming Mountain： Influenced by subtropical monsoon climate and local topography， the temperature in the upper mountain range is lower than the yearly average at its base. Due to different views in different seasons， it is often called “Guangxi’s Lu Mountain”.

4. Dawangtan Reservoir Scenic Area： Situated in south suburb of Nanning， Dawangtan Reservoir Scenic Area is praised as the “Back Garden of Nanning”. And it is seated at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain， which explains the origin of another name -- Phoenix Lake.

5. Yiling Cave： Also called “Gan Palace” in Zhuang language. The karst cave was formed by the corrosion， erosion and collapse of geological agent. With a history of over one million years， there are many beautifully shaped stone flowers， pillars， stalagmites and stalactites. Visitors may find different sights at each step and understand the culture， history and folkway of Zhuang minority.

6. Jiulong Waterfall Forest Park： The most spectacular tourist place is located in Heng County -- the home of Jasmine tea. Lush plants， old trees and strange flowers are growing in the park along with crossing canes and running streams. The forest park can be ranked as a natural air anion bar with fresh and moist air. In addition， the ancient sand hills and strange cliffs add more interest to the waterfalls.

Tips

Peach Blossom Festival： Every year in spring， groups of tourists go to Nanning to enjoy the blooming peach flowers in Qingxiu Mountain， which has been a top destination for a spring outing. Famed as the brand of Qingxiu Mountain， it has successfully held for 22 sessions.

Spring Festival Temple Fair： Every year， there is a large-scale Spring Festival Temple Fair， showing the cultural customs of auspiciousness and the history of the Chinese nation culture. At that time， Guanyin Temple is filled with incense and oblations are always given to it by pilgrims and visitors.