Nanning (南宁)

1. Introduction

Nanning (Zhuang: Nanzningz), abbreviated as Yong, historically known as Yongzhou, is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It serves as the political, economic, cultural, educational, scientific, technological, and financial center of Guangxi. Nanning is located in the south-central part of Guangxi, bordered by Chongzuo to the west, Baise, Hechi, and Laibin to the north, Guigang to the east, and Qinzhou and Fangchenggang to the south. Situated in the hilly region of southwestern Guangxi, the area is mountainous in the north and relatively flat in the south, with the Yong River flowing through its central part and traversing the urban area. The municipal government is located at No. 1 Jiabin Road, Qingxiu District.

Nanning was historically part of the Baiyue region. Since its establishment in the first year of the Daxing era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (318 AD), it has a history of over 1,700 years. Known as the "Green City of China," Nanning has been awarded titles such as the "UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award" and "China's Best Leisure City."

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2. History

Nanning was historically part of the Baiyue region.

In the 33rd year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang (214 BCE), the Qin dynasty unified the Lingnan area and established the Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiang Commanderies. Nanning fell under the jurisdiction of Guilin Commandery.

From the first year of Emperor Gaozu of Han to the first year of the Yuanding era (206–116 BCE), it was part of the Nanyue Kingdom. In the sixth year of the Yuanding era (111 BCE), it came under the jurisdiction of Fang County in Yulin Commandery.

During the Three Kingdoms period, it was under the control of the Wu Kingdom and belonged to Linpu County in Yulin Commandery of Guangzhou, a status that continued into the Western Jin dynasty.

In the first year of the Daxing era of the Eastern Jin dynasty (318 CE), Jinxing Commandery was separated from Yulin Commandery and placed under Guangzhou. Its administrative seat was Jinxing County (present-day Nanning), which became the first recorded name for the area now known as Nanning.

In the 18th year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui dynasty (598 CE), Jinxing County was renamed Xuanhua County, with its administrative seat at Xuanhua City (present-day Nanning).

In the fourth year of the Wude era of the Tang dynasty (621 CE), Xuanhua County was renamed Nanjinzhou. In the sixth year of the Zhenguan era (632 CE), Nanjinzhou was renamed Yongzhou and became the seat of the Yongzhou Dudufu (Military Governor's Office). This marked the beginning of Nanning's role as the administrative center of southwestern Guangxi and the origin of its abbreviated name "Yong" (the character "Yong" comes from the Tang dynasty text Yuanhe Junxian Zhi, which states, "Named after the Yongxi River to the southwest of the prefecture"). In the third year of the Xiantong era (862 CE), Yongzhou was placed under the Lingnan West Circuit, with its administrative seat at Xuanhua County. This marked the beginning of Nanning's status as a provincial-level administrative center.

After the Song dynasty unified the country, Yongzhou was placed under the Guangnan West Circuit, governing seven counties including Xuanhua and Wuyuan. Present-day Nanning remained the seat of Changzhou and Xuanhua County.

In the 16th year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan dynasty (1279 CE), Yongzhou was renamed Yongzhou Lu, governing Xuanhua and Wuyuan counties. The Yongzhou Lu Chief Administrator's Office was established, overseeing the left and right river valleys and the Zhenfu area, and was placed under the Huguang Branch Secretariat. In the ninth month of the first year of the Taiding era (1324 CE), to celebrate the pacification of the southern frontier, Yongzhou Lu was renamed Nanning Lu (meaning "Southern Frontier Peace"). This is the origin of the name "Nanning." In the 23rd year of the Zhizheng era (1363 CE), the Huguang Branch Secretariat was divided, and the Guangxi Branch Secretariat was established. Nanning Lu was placed under the Guangxi Branch Secretariat.

In the first year of the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty (1368 CE), Nanning Lu was abolished and replaced with Nanning Prefecture. Xuanhua County was placed under Nanning Prefecture, with its administrative seat in present-day Nanning. The Qing dynasty inherited the administrative structure of the Ming dynasty.

In July of the first year of the Republic of China (1912 CE), Xuanhua County was abolished and merged into Nanning Prefecture. In October of the same year, the Guangxi Military Government moved from Guilin to Nanning, making Nanning the provincial capital of Guangxi. In October of the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936 CE), the provincial capital of Guangxi was moved from Nanning to Guilin. Later, the Nanning Administrative Supervision District (also known as the Ninth District) was established. In October of the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949 CE), the provincial capital of Guangxi was moved again from Guilin to Nanning.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Nanning was established as a city in January 1950. On February 8 of the same year, the Guangxi Provincial People's Government was established, designating Nanning as a provincial-level capital city. In December 1952, Nanning also became the seat of the Guixi Zhuang Autonomous Region (renamed the Guixi Zhuang Autonomous Prefecture in 1956). In March 1958, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established, with Nanning as its capital.

3. Geography

3.1 Topography

In terms of geomorphological zoning, Nanning City belongs to the Southwest Guangxi Hilly Region in the southwestern part of the Guangxi Basin. Its topography is categorized into plains, low mountains, rocky mountains, hills, and terraces. The main geomorphological units include the Nanning Basin, Wuming Basin, Yongning Terrace, and the Damingshan Mid-Mountain Area. Plains constitute the largest proportion. The basin elevation ranges between 70 and 100 meters, while hills are mostly between 200 and 500 meters in elevation. The highest peak in the city is Damingshan, which spans Shanglin County, Mashan County, Binyang County, and Wuming District. Its highest elevation is 1,785 meters, with an average elevation of 1,200 meters.

3.2 Climate

Nanning City is located south of the Tropic of Cancer and has a South Asian tropical monsoon climate. Winters are relatively short, mild, and dry, with occasional cold spells. Summers are long, hot, and humid, but extreme heat is relatively uncommon. Spring and autumn are warm and comfortable. Although scorching heat is not frequent in Nanning, high temperatures persist for extended periods; historical maximum temperatures from February to October have all exceeded 35°C. In winter, due to the fragmented northern mountainous terrain which facilitates the southward movement of cold air, temperatures are slightly lower compared to other regions at the same latitude (excluding high-altitude areas). The average temperature in January is 12.9°C, with an extreme minimum of -2.1°C (recorded on January 12, 1955). The average temperature in July is 28.4°C, with an extreme maximum of 40.4°C (recorded on May 9, 1958). Annual precipitation is approximately 1,310 mm.

|Month|Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec|Year| |:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:| |Record high °C (°F)|32.6(90.7)|36.2(97.2)|35.5(95.9)|38.3(100.9)|40.4(104.7)|37.9(100.2)|39.0(102.2)|39.1(102.4)|38.2(100.8)|35.2(95.4)|33.7(92.7)|30.5(86.9)|40.4(104.7)| |Average high °C (°F)|17.2(63.0)|18.5(65.3)|21.6(70.9)|26.8(80.2)|30.4(86.7)|32.1(89.8)|32.9(91.2)|33.0(91.4)|31.7(89.1)|28.8(83.8)|24.4(75.9)|20.0(68.0)|26.5(79.6)| |Daily mean °C (°F)|12.9(55.2)|14.5(58.1)|17.6(63.7)|22.5(72.5)|25.9(78.6)|27.8(82.0)|28.4(83.1)|28.3(82.9)|26.8(80.2)|23.6(74.5)|19.0(66.2)|14.7(58.5)|21.8(71.3)| |Average low °C (°F)|10.0(50.0)|11.9(53.4)|14.9(58.8)|19.5(67.1)|22.6(72.7)|24.8(76.6)|25.3(77.5)|25.1(77.2)|23.5(74.3)|20.1(68.2)|15.3(59.5)|11.1(52.0)|18.7(65.6)| |Record low °C (°F)|-2.1(28.2)|0.2(32.4)|3.7(38.7)|9.2(48.6)|13.5(56.3)|18.2(64.8)|19.7(67.5)|19.9(67.8)|15.4(59.7)|6.9(44.4)|0.7(33.3)|-1.9(28.6)|-2.1(28.2)| |Average precipitation mm (inches)|38.6(1.52)|45.4(1.79)|61.9(2.44)|86.7(3.41)|175.4(6.91)|216.8(8.54)|237.6(9.35)|181.9(7.16)|126.6(4.98)|50.3(1.98)|45.7(1.80)|23.1(0.91)|1,290(50.79)| |Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)|11.1|13.2|13.8|13.6|16.6|16.3|16.8|16.2|10.5|8.5|6.8|5.9|149.3| |Average relative humidity (%)|77|81|81|80|80|82|82|81|78|75|74|73|79| |Mean monthly sunshine hours|69.6|56.7|61.8|91.4|144.0|161.1|196.8|186.1|185.1|163.7|144.2|123.7|1,584.7| |Percent possible sunshine|21|18|17|24|35|40|48|47|51|46|44|37|36|

Source: China Meteorological Administration (precipitation days and sunshine data for 1971-2000), www.mherrera.org (all extreme temperatures)

3.3 Rivers

The major rivers in Nanning City all belong to the Xijiang River system of the Pearl River Basin. The larger rivers include the Yu River, Youjiang River, Zuojiang River, Hongshui River, Wuming River, and Bachi River. The section of the Yu River flowing through Nanning is called the Yong River. It is 133.8 km long within the city, with a riverbed approximately 485 meters wide and an average water depth of about 21 meters. Its drainage basin area is 73,728 square kilometers, and it serves as an important source of drinking water for Nanning.

4. Administrative Divisions

Nanning City currently administers 7 municipal districts, 4 counties, and 1 county-level city on behalf of the higher-level government.

• Municipal Districts: Xingning District, Qingxiu District, Xixiangtang District, Jiangnan District, Liangqing District, Yongning District, Wuming District
• County-level City: Hengzhou City
• Counties: Long'an County, Mashan County, Shanglin County, Binyang County

Economic Development Zones

• National-level Economic Development Zones: Nanning Economic and Technological Development Zone, Nanning High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Nanning ASEAN Economic Development Zone[15]
• Provincial-level Economic Development Zone: Wuxiang New Area | Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin (Official Spelling) | Area (km²) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Of which: Ethnic Townships | |:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:| | 450100 | Nanning City | Nánníng ShìNanzningz Si | 22,098.31 | 8,741,584 | Qingxiu District | 530000 | 25 | 89 | 13 | 3 | | 450102 | Xingning District | Xìngníng QūSingningz Gih | 722.68 | 615,485 | Xingdong Subdistrict | 530000 | 3 | 3 | | | | 450103 | Qingxiu District | Qīngxiù QūCinghsiu Gih | 865.27 | 1,124,334 | Changtang Town | 530000 | 5 | 4 | | | | 450105 | Jiangnan District | Jiāngnán QūGyanghnamz Gih | 1,183.26 | 989,823 | Jiangnan Subdistrict | 530000 | 5 | 4 | | | | 450107 | Xixiangtang District | Xīxiāngtáng QūSihsianghdangz Gih | 1,078.00 | 1,643,819 | Hengyang Subdistrict | 530000 | 10 | 3 | | | | 450108 | Liangqing District | Liángqìng QūLiangzcingh Gih | 1,369.88 | 587,618 | Dashatián Subdistrict | 530000 | 2 | 5 | | | | 450109 | Yongning District | Yōngníng QūYungningz Gih | 1,230.73 | 332,280 | Pumiao Town | 530200 | | 5 | | | | 450110 | Wuming District | Wǔmíng QūVujmingz Gih | 3,388.91 | 683,826 | Chengxiang Town | 530100 | | 13 | | | | 450123 | Long'an County | Lóng'ān XiànLungz'anh Yen | 2,305.59 | 325,140 | Chengxiang Town | 532700 | | 6 | 4 | | | 450124 | Mashan County | Mǎshān XiànMajsan Yen | 2,340.76 | 382,430 | Baishan Town | 530600 | | 7 | 4 | 2 | | 450125 | Shanglin County | Shànglín XiànSanglinz Yen | 1,871.00 | 359,323 | Dafeng Town | 530500 | | 7 | 4 | 1 | | 450126 | Binyang County | Bīnyáng XiànBinzyangz Yen | 2,290.17 | 801,407 | Binzhou Town | 530400 | | 16 | | | | 450181 | Hengzhou City | Héngzhōu ShìHwangzcou Si | 3,448.06 | 896,999 | Hengzhou Town | 530300 | | 16 | 1 | |

Note: The figures for Jiangnan District include 2 subdistricts and 1 town under the jurisdiction of the Nanning Economic and Technological Development Zone; the figures for Xixiangtang District include 2 subdistricts under the jurisdiction of the Nanning High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

5. Economy

In 2023, the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 546.906 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 4.0% calculated at comparable prices. Calculated based on the resident population, the city's per capita GDP was 61,338 yuan, an increase of 3.3% year-on-year.

Among the three industries, the added value of the primary industry was 63.640 billion yuan, up by 4.5%; the secondary industry added 119.458 billion yuan, growing by 1.1%; and the tertiary industry added 363.808 billion yuan, an increase of 4.8%. The proportions of the three industries were 11.6:21.8:66.5. Compared with the previous year, the proportion of the primary industry increased by 0.1 percentage points, the secondary industry decreased by 0.8 percentage points, and the tertiary industry increased by 0.7 percentage points. Their respective contributions to economic growth were 14.1%, 6.0%, and 79.8%.

5.1 Agriculture

Nanning has a subtropical monsoon climate and is abundant in agricultural by-products such as rice, sugarcane, vegetables, jasmine, and silkworms, as well as subtropical fruits including bananas, citrus, dragon fruit, longan, lychee, and watermelon. It is a major grain-producing area and cash crop base in Guangxi. The main grain crop is rice, with two harvests per year. Animal husbandry primarily focuses on livestock such as pigs, cattle, goats, chickens, ducks, and geese. Forestry mainly involves planting eucalyptus and oil-tea camellia.

In 2023, the total cultivated land area in Nanning was 14.5463 million mu, with a per capita cultivated land area of 1.78 mu for farmers. The total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, and their supporting service industries in the city was 98.789 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%. This included an agricultural output value of 64.516 billion yuan, an animal husbandry output value of 22.294 billion yuan, a forestry output value of 5.113 billion yuan, and a fishery output value of 3.939 billion yuan.

5.2 Industry

In its early days as the provincial capital, Nanning's industrial foundation was relatively weak, primarily consisting of textile and food industries. Entering the early 21st century, after establishing a strategy oriented towards cooperation and development with ASEAN, industrial development made progress.

In 1950, Nanning's total industrial output value was 7.67 million yuan (calculated at current prices), which grew to 24.2 billion yuan by 2000. In 2023, Nanning's total industrial output value reached 119.458 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.1%. The operating revenue of industrial enterprises above designated size in the city was 280.262 billion yuan, up 0.9% from the previous year; total profits were 10.519 billion yuan, an increase of 27.4% year-on-year. The annual production-sales ratio for industries above designated size was 96.2%, a decrease of 1 percentage point from the previous year. There were 1,497 industrial enterprises above designated size, an increase of 91 from the previous year. Among them, 406 enterprises had an industrial output value exceeding 100 million yuan.

5.3 Service Industry

In 2023, the total output value of Nanning's service industry was 211.515 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%, accounting for 66.5% of the city's GDP for that year. It is primarily composed of finance, logistics, real estate, accommodation, and catering.

5.4 Urban Positioning

In May 1992, the state proposed "to give full play to Guangxi's role as a sea access channel for the southwestern region." With state support, Guangxi began constructing a comprehensive land, sea, air, and water transport network and positioned Nanning as a crucial transportation hub for the southwestern sea access channel. In September 2017, the Southern Corridor began regular operations. With Chongqing as its operational center and Guangxi as the sea access starting point, goods travel by rail from Chongqing to the Beibu Gulf in Guangxi and then by sea to countries like Singapore, reducing transit time by about ten days compared to shipping via eastern regions. This represents a relatively successful practice of the southwestern sea access channel.

In October 2003, with the China-ASEAN Expo taking root in Nanning, the autonomous region government positioned Nanning as a bridgehead city for China's opening-up and cooperation with ASEAN, accelerating economic, trade cooperation, and cultural exchanges between Nanning and ASEAN. In July 2014, the State Council approved the development plan for the Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt, positioning Nanning as the core city in Guangxi for this economic belt. In February 2017, the State Council approved the development plan for the Beibu Gulf City Cluster, designating Nanning as the central city of the Beibu Gulf City Cluster.

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7. Education

Education in Nanning began to develop from the Tang Dynasty onwards. The earliest county school was the Wuyuan County School, established during the Wude period (618–626 AD) of the Tang Dynasty. The earliest prefectural school was the Nanning Prefectural School, initially built in the early Northern Song Dynasty and relocated to Wuhualing (near the area of present-day Yongjiang Bridge North) in the second year of the Baoqing era (1226 AD). By the Ming Dynasty, numerous academies had emerged within Nanning city, notable ones including Dongquan Academy, Fuwen Academy, Dongkuo Academy, Xikuo Academy, and Zhongkuo Academy. Among these, the Fuwen Academy founded by Wang Yangming was the most renowned. Major community schools included Fuhou Community School, Beilun Community School, Zhaozhongci Community School, Shangkuo Community School, Yijin Community School, as well as Beilun Free School. From the 23rd to the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty (1897–1906), Christianity and Catholicism from countries such as Britain, the United States, and France were introduced, leading to missionary and educational activities. During this period, the French Language School and the Rose Convent were successively established to train church personnel. In the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (1905), the Zuojiang and Weinan academies were merged and transformed into the Nanning Junior Normal School.

In the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), the government abolished classical reading, changed schools from "xuetang" to "xuexiao," established an educational system, and mandated compulsory primary education. In the eleventh year of the Republic of China (1922), Lei Peihong, then Director of the Guangxi Provincial Department of Education, promoted national basic education and adult education. He founded the National Middle School and Xijiang College in the twenty-fifth year of the Republic of China (1936), and established the National University in the thirty-third year (1944).

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Nanning Municipal People's Government took over and reformed all schools. It adjusted institutions of higher education, increased the number of primary and secondary schools, established cultural night schools, and actively developed education at all levels and of various types. Private primary and secondary schools with low student enrollment were closed. The Liuzhou and Guilin Preschool Normal Schools were relocated to Nanning and re-established as the Nanning Preschool Normal School and the Guangxi Preschool Normal School. In 1953, the Guangxi Institute for Nationalities was founded. In 1954, the Guangxi Medical College moved back to Nanning from Guilin.

7.1 Primary and Secondary Education

In 2019, the city had a total of 3,249 primary schools, secondary schools, and kindergartens of various types, with an enrollment of 1.5276 million students and 84,200 full-time teachers.

| Type of School | Number of Schools | Enrollment (10,000 persons) | Full-time Teachers (persons) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Kindergartens | 1,765 | 32.20 | 15,266 | | Primary Schools | 1,098 | 68.46 | 37,836 | | Junior High Schools | 266 | 28.59 | 19,468 | | Senior High Schools | 81 | 14.37 | 9,212 | | Secondary Vocational Schools | 29 | 9.00 | 2,139 | | Special Education Schools | 10 | 0.14 | 260 |

7.2 Higher Education Institutions

• Public Undergraduate Institutions: Guangxi University, Guangxi Minzu University, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning Normal University, Guangxi Arts University, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, Guangxi Vocational Normal University, Guangxi Police College, Guilin University of Technology (Nanning Campus)
• Private Undergraduate Institutions: Guangxi University of Foreign Studies, Nanning University, Nanning Institute of Technology
• Private Independent Colleges (Undergraduate): Xiangsihu College of Guangxi Minzu University, Saisi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shiyuan College of Nanning Normal University
• Public Vocational Undergraduate Institution: Guangxi Agricultural Vocational and Technical University
• Public Vocational Colleges: Guangxi College of Physical Education, Guangxi Preschool Teachers College, Guangxi Vocational & Technical College, Guangxi Vocational College of Electrical Technology, Guangxi Vocational College of Water Resources and Electric Power, Guangxi Vocational College of Industry, Guangxi Vocational College of Mechanical and Electrical Technology, Guangxi Vocational College of Construction, Guangxi Vocational College of Communications, Guangxi Vocational College of Health, Guangxi International Business Vocational College, Guangxi Vocational College of Commerce, Guangxi Vocational College of Economics and Trade, Guangxi Vocational College of Finance, Guangxi Vocational College of Safety Engineering, Guangxi Vocational College of Manufacturing Engineering, Nanning College for Vocational Technology, Nanning Technician College
• Private Vocational Colleges: Guangxi Economic Vocational College, Guangxi Vocational College of Performing Arts
• Adult Higher Education Institutions: Guangxi Open University, Guangxi College of Education

8. Population

According to the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 6,661,600. Compared with the Fifth National Population Census, the population increased by 453,600 over the decade, a growth of 7.31%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.71%. Among them, the male population was 3,454,200, accounting for 51.85%; the female population was 3,207,400, accounting for 48.15%. The sex ratio (with females as 100) was 107.69. The population aged 0-14 was 1,208,200, accounting for 18.14%; the population aged 15-59 was 4,596,600, accounting for 69.00%; the population aged 60 and above was 856,800, accounting for 12.86%, of which the population aged 65 and above was 593,000, accounting for 8.9%.

By the end of 2017, the city's registered household population was 7,568,700, of which the urban district population was 3,753,800, and the permanent resident population was 7,153,300.

According to the 2020 Seventh National Population Census, the city's permanent resident population was 8,741,584. Compared with the 6,658,742 people from the Sixth National Population Census, the population increased by 2,082,842 over the decade, a growth of 31.28%, with an average annual growth rate of 2.76%. Among them, the male population was 4,512,644, accounting for 51.62% of the total population; the female population was 4,228,940, accounting for 48.38% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 106.71. The population aged 0-14 was 1,781,416, accounting for 20.38% of the total population; the population aged 15-59 was 5,668,361, accounting for 64.84% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 1,291,807, accounting for 14.78% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 931,918, accounting for 10.66% of the total population. The population living in urban areas was 6,023,504, accounting for 68.91% of the total population; the population living in rural areas was 2,718,080, accounting for 31.09% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, the permanent resident population of Nanning City was 8,891,700, an increase of 58,900 from the end of 2021. The total population ranked first in the autonomous region, accounting for 17.62% of the region's population, an increase of 0.08 percentage points from the previous year.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Nanning is home to numerous ethnic groups, with 50 ethnicities including Zhuang, Han, Yao, Miao, Dong, Mulao, Hui, Manchu, Maonan, and Tujia residing there. The main ethnic groups are the Zhuang and Han, with the Zhuang population accounting for over half. The Zhuang are the indigenous people who have lived here for generations. After the Qin and Han dynasties, Han people gradually migrated in. After the Yuan dynasty, Hui people migrated in. Most Yao and Miao people migrated in after the Qing dynasty, while the remaining ethnic groups mostly migrated from various parts of the country after 1949. The Han are distributed throughout Nanning, with higher concentrations in urban districts except for Yongning District and Liangqing District. The Yao mainly inhabit Mashan County and Shanglin County. The Miao are distributed throughout Nanning, with higher concentrations in urban districts. Other ethnic minorities such as Hui, Manchu, and Dong primarily reside in urban districts.

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han population is 4,243,831, accounting for 48.55%; the Zhuang population is 4,256,523, accounting for 48.69%; and other ethnic minorities number 241,230, accounting for 2.76%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population increased by 1,118,841, a growth of 35.8%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 1.62 percentage points; the population of all ethnic minorities increased by 964,001, a growth of 27.28%, with their proportion of the total population decreasing by 1.62 percentage points. Among them, the Zhuang population increased by 868,984, a growth of 25.65%, with its proportion of the total population decreasing by 2.18 percentage points; the Yao population increased by 49,444, a growth of 50.45%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.21 percentage points; the Miao population increased by 14,126, a growth of 154.08%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.13 percentage points; the Dong population increased by 7,595, a growth of 118.69%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.06 percentage points; the Mulao population increased by 6,521, a growth of 103.12%, with its proportion of the total population increasing by 0.05 percentage points. |Ethnic Group|Zhuang|Han|Yao|Miao|Dong|Mulao|Hui|Maonan|Manchu|Tujia|Other Ethnicities| |:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:| |Population|4,256,523|4,243,831|147,447|23,294|13,994|12,845|6,610|6,054|5,941|4,553|20,492| |Percentage of Total Population (%)|48.69|48.55|1.69|0.27|0.16|0.15|0.08|0.07|0.07|0.05|0.23| |Percentage of Minority Population (%)|94.64|—|3.28|0.52|0.31|0.29|0.15|0.13|0.13|0.10|0.46|

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9. Culture

9.1 Language

In the rural suburbs of Nanning, Pinghua and Zhuang are commonly used, while the Han Chinese in the core urban areas use Cantonese. In the central urban areas, Mandarin (often referred to as "Nanpu") and Cantonese are the main languages for trade and social interaction [53].

According to historical records and local chronicles, before the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, the main dialect and local culture in the urban area of Nanning was Pinghua (a Chinese dialect). During the Song Dynasty, Di Qing was sent to suppress the Nong Zhigao rebellion. After Di Qing's southern expedition, a large number of troops remained stationed, which is the main historical factor in the formation of Pinghua in Guangxi and Nanning. In the late Qing Dynasty, due to the westward expansion of Cantonese merchants, the old city of Nanning (from Shuijie to Zhongshan Road) rapidly transformed into using Nanning Baihua, a Cantonese dialect with certain differences from standard Guangzhou Cantonese but with a high degree of similarity and mutual intelligibility.

In the early years of the Republic of China, Pinghua remained the dominant language in Nanning, but by the 1930s, it had largely shifted to Nanning Baihua. In the early years of the People's Republic of China, Baihua was mainly used in the urban area (less than 4 square kilometers), Pinghua was dominant in the Jiangnan District, and Zhuang was the main language in the suburban Zhuang townships and marketplaces. At that time, the population of Nanning was less than 100,000. To this day, this linguistic overlap can still be observed in Nanning's language distribution. Dialectologists refer to Nanning's language distribution as a "dialect island." The urban dialect is Cantonese, surrounded by a ring of Pinghua in the suburbs, and beyond that is Zhuang, the language of the Zhuang ethnic group, the main minority in Guangxi. In areas such as Shangguo Street and Xiaguo Street near the docks, a rare mixed language known as "Nanning Guanhua" was once popular due to the presence of many northern merchants. This language featured Mandarin phonetics and Cantonese vocabulary and gave rise to the only local opera unique to Nanning, "Yong Opera." However, due to its limited usage and rapid decline, "Yong Opera" did not gain widespread popularity in Nanning. The local operas popular in the urban areas of Nanning are the Shigong opera in Zhuang language in Zhuang regions and the Shigong opera in Pinghua in Han regions.

In 1996 and 1997, Nanning implemented a "Mandarin Promotion" campaign and was awarded the title of "National Advanced City in Promoting Mandarin." Today, Mandarin is widely spoken in both urban and suburban areas. However, this Mandarin often incorporates local accents such as Cantonese, hence it is also referred to as "Nanning Mandarin."

9.2 Festivals

• The third day of the third lunar month is the traditional song fair festival of ethnic minorities such as the Zhuang, Dong, and Miao. Since 2014, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has designated this day as a local statutory holiday, with two days off across the region.
• To alleviate urban traffic during the annual China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held in Nanning, some enterprises in the urban area also take two days off in accordance with the notice from the autonomous region.
• Since 1999, the Nanning International Folk Song Arts Festival has been held annually.

9.3 Intangible Cultural Heritage

• National-level Intangible Cultural Heritage: Zhuang Song Fair, Yong Opera.
• Autonomous Region-level Intangible Cultural Heritage: Zhuang Three-Part Folk Song, Guangxi Bayin, Binyang Fire Dragon Festival, Flower Cannon Grabbing, Fubo Temple Fair.

9.4 Tourism

9.4.1 National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

• Site of the Battle of Kunlun Pass
• Dingsishan Site
• Zhicheng City Site
• Fubo Temple
• Site of Nanning Yucai School

9.4.2 Major Attractions

• Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area
• Jiuqu Bay Hot Spring
• Jinsha Lake Scenic Area
• Yiling Rock
• Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Museum
• Guangxi Nationalities Museum
• Nationalities Cultural Relics Garden
• Shishan Park
• People's Park
• Nanhu Park
• Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden
• Liangfengjiang National Forest Park
• Garden Expo Park
• Wuxiang Lake Park
• Fengling Children's Park
• Fantawild ASEAN Legend
• Nanning Wanda Mall
• Nanning Longmen Water World
• Nanning Huahua Grand World
• Nanning Countryside Grand World
• Yangmei Ancient Town
• Kunlun Pass
• Daming Mountain
• Dalong Lake
• Folk Song Lake
• Jiulong Waterfall Group
• Longhu Mountain

9.4.3 Cultural Relics and Historic Sites

• Dingsishan Shell Mound Site
• Tang Zhichengdong Ancient City Site
• Zhicheng Stele
• Stele Inscription of the "Ode to the Six-Harmony Solid Mansion"
• Yuanlongpo Ancient Tomb Cluster
• Andengyang Ancient Tomb Cluster
• Haitang Bridge
• Tonggubei
• Mingxiu Garden

9.5 News Media

9.5.1 Traditional Media

• Nanguo Morning Post
• Guangxi Daily
• Nanning Evening News
• Nanning Daily

9.5.2 Radio and Television Stations

• Guangxi Broadcasting and Television Station
• Nanning Broadcasting and Television Station

10. Sister Cities

10.1 Consular Institutions

On October 16, 2003, the Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Nanning was officially opened. This was the first foreign consular institution established in Nanning, the permanent host city, following the inaugural China-ASEAN Expo. Currently, Nanning hosts a total of 6 foreign consular institutions, all from ASEAN countries.

10.2 Sister Cities

As of December 2021, Nanning has officially established sister-city relationships with 25 cities (provinces, states).

The 26 cities (provinces, states) are as follows:

• Banjul, The Gambia (June 22, 1987)
• Bundaberg, Australia (May 12, 1998)
• Provo, USA (September 27, 2000)
• Klagenfurt, Austria (June 13, 2002)
• Khon Kaen, Thailand (August 25, 2002)
• Gwacheon, South Korea (April 18, 2005)
• Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, UK (August 16, 2005)
• Haiphong, Vietnam (March 26, 2006)
• Davao, Philippines (September 3, 2007)
• Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia (October 30, 2007)
• Iquique, Chile (February 20, 2008)
• Val-de-Marne, France (October 23, 2008)
• Bogor Regency, Indonesia (December 17, 2008)
• Yangon, Myanmar (October 21, 2009)
• Commerce City, USA (October 21, 2009)
• Victoria, Canada (July 9, 2010)
• Champasak Province, Laos (October 21, 2010)
• Lilongwe, Malawi (October 22, 2011)
• Grudziądz, Poland (October 22, 2011)
• Antananarivo, Madagascar (January 21, 2015)
• Crema, Italy (September 19, 2017)
• Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine (May 3, 2019)
• Murcia, Spain (September 21, 2019)
• Porto Feliz, Brazil (December 3, 2019)
• Paysandú, Uruguay (June 1, 2020)
• Akita, Japan (February 25, 2021)

10.3 International Events

• China-ASEAN Expo: Held annually in autumn (September, October, or November) with participation from various Southeast Asian countries.
• Nanning International Folk Song Arts Festival: Held annually in autumn with participation from art troupes worldwide.

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Qingxiu District

Xixiangtang District

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group comprises 4,243,831 individuals, accounting for 48.55%; the Zhuang ethnic group consists of 4,256,523 individuals, making up 48.69%; and other ethnic minorities total 241,230 individuals, representing 2.76%.

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