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TravelTips24 : Asia : East Asia : China : South West : Guangxi : Nanning

Nanning

Nanning (南宁; Nánníng) is the capital of Guangxi in south-west China. It is a huge, modern city and a transport gateway for travellers to and from Vietnam.

Travel to Nanning & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Nanning

Nanning has an airport serving both domestic and international flights, though the latter feature is only offered on a few destinations on a non-daily basis. But there are plans to have Nanning-Ho Chi Minh City and Nanning-Bangkok direct flights in the near future. Since Nanning City is China's gateway to Southeast Asian countries, the local government puts a lot of emphasis on connecting Nanning to the capitals of every Southeast Asian country. Getting there: There is a shuttle bus every half hour to/from Chaoyang Lu in front of the Minhang (CAAC) Hotel and next to the Yinhe Hotel close to the railway station. RMB 15 per person. 45 minutes.

You can also take a taxi. As of March 2006, a taxi costs about 75 RMB. If you're going to the city center or close by, don't let them charge you more. Have them use the meter. As of November 2008, fixed price to downtown (Wal-Mart and Parksons shopping center) is 100 RMB for two persons.

By train

The railway station is at the northern end of Chaoyang Lu just north of the city center.

Buses to Nanning

Nanning has two major bus terminals.

  • Langdong bus terminal is on Minzu Dadao to the east of the city centre amongst all the new skyscrapers.
  • Jiangnan bus terminal is on Xingguang Dadao way south of the city center. Buses to the south, Pingxiang near the Vietnam border, and Yangshuo (via Guilin) operate from Jiangnan. Getting there/away: Bus 41 (RMB 3, 20min journey) connects Jiangnan to Chaoyang Lu in the city centre. Catch them from the square in front of the terminal. Alternatively a taxi will take you for approx. RMB 5-Y10.

Tours & Getting around Nanning

Local buses serve the city, and most are at RMB 1.20 per trip. Purchase a bus map of the city at around RMB 5 for the routes around the city, which doubles as a city map. Bus #301 also serves the Wuxu International Airport, and costs RMB 3 for the 1hr ride to the city-- it terminates at the city center.

Taxis are also a convenient way of getting around the city, and most rides within the city should come under RMB 20. Fares start at RMB 7, but there is an additional RMB 1 fuel surcharge to be added to your final fare, regardless of distance.

Another way of getting around is a three-wheeled buggy that resembles a motorbike with two seats.

Nanning attractions and sightseeing

  • Guangxi Museum, Minzu Dadao. 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.Free.  edit

Nanning city tours

Learn

Though the older people speak Cantonese (GuanDongMa), 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.

Remember, with Mandarin there are 4 tones: flat, up, down-up and down; which are characterised by -,/,v,\ or 1,2,3,4. So, for example, to say Mandarin or PuTongHua it is really Pŭ Tōng Hùa or Pu3 Tong1 Hua4. Please note: Pu1 Tong1 Hua1 means something completely different!

Work

As a provincial capital, Nanning has a lot of working opportunities compared to other cities of the Guangxi region. The booming import and export business exchanges between Guangxi and Vietnam means that there is a big demand for people who can speak both Chinese and Vietnamese. Also, if you are a native English speaker, teaching jobs are also abundant.

Nanning souvenirs & shopping

  • Chao Yang Road, Chao Yang Lu 朝阳路. The main shopping street of Nanning city, it is lined with several departmental stalls, like Nanning Department Stall, 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, etc. edit

Nanning Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Nanning nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Nanning cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Hostel

Lotusland Hostel [1] [2] TEl:86-771-2432592 Booking Email: lotuslandhostel@163.com

Budget

Around the square in front of the station, there are several hotels offering bargains for rooms and dormbeds starting at RMB 15.

  • Yingbing Hotel, (directly infront of railway station, on the right side of Chaoyang Lu if looking away from station). Tel: 86-771-2116288, E-mail: yingbin.hotel@163.com, [3]. Huge budget hotel with long corridors of rooms (probably a former hospital). Rooms are small but adequate. Location is ideal for the station. English-speaking staff on 24 hour duty and a comprehensive list of train and bus connections. However, if you need to get more than 15 minutes continuous sleep, turn the ringer of the phone off, or leave it off the hook. Prostitutes will call repeatedly, offering their services.

Mid-range

  • Wan Xing Hotel, [4] There are two branches of this hotel, 47 Minzhu Street and 41-2 Beining Street, a 5-minute walking distance separate the two. Both are located about 2km from the train station, and within walking distance to the main shopping street in Nanning-- Chaoyang Street. Excellent, clean and elegantly-decorated rooms that have air-conditioning and come with ensuite bathrooms are available from RMB 198. For the above rate, book from the TravelChinaGuide website. [5] Rates also come with a Chinese breakfast that is adequate, though not something that I would wake up especially for. Counter staff speak some amounts of English and accept international credit cards.
  • Yin He Hotel, 84 Chaoyang Lu (right in the centre of town just south of the railway station and next to airport bus terminal). Tel: 86-771-2116688. Fax: 86-771-2420303. Conveniently located near the railway station, airport bus terminal, CAAC office, Langdong bus terminal ticketing office and other amenities. Some rooms newly renovated. Rooms from RMB 388, better ones from RMB 470.
  • Jinyue Hotel, 59 Xinmin Lu (about 20 minutes walk or 10 minutes by taxi from the railway station, 10 minutes from Chaoyang Square. Access to hotel is from a ramp from Minzhu Lu opposite post office). Oldish business hotel with recently upgraded rooms in 2006. Clean and comfortable rooms, all with bath, telephone and TV. Rooms from RMB 388.

Splurge

  • Best Western Premier Red Forest Hotel[6], 127 Minzu Ave. Located near the Guangxi Exhibition hall, and generally within the business district, this five-star establishment offers excellent rooms at a reasonable rate. Higher rooms also offer a great view of the city, as rooms are furnished with floor-to-wall windows. Hotel amenities include an indoor pool and gym, and hotel staff are attentive and efficient. Doubles start from RMB 488. Although this hotel is a little far from the shopping district of Nanning, however, it is well-served by a large shopping mall that is a 3-minute walk from the hotel. [7]
  • Guangxi Wharton International Hotel 88 East Minzu Avenue Nanning 530022. Located in the Landong Development Area, the hotel is nice by Chinese standards and centrally located. The rates are about $120 US per night for a nice sized room. If you have a family, ask for a suite. There are a pool and a gym on the premises and a few restaurants inside as well. The Chinese restaurant in the basement (the "Shen Zhou Food Street") offers the best value. [8]

Contact

Stay safe

Chinese cities are generally speaking very safe and Nanning is no exception. But petty robberies are quite common. On buses, be extra-careful about your mobile phones and wallets.

Cope

Vietnamese Consulate: The consulate issues Visas for Vietnam. Regular service takes 14(!) workdays, but you can opt for express service (600 yuan), in which case you can retrieve your passport and visa at 18:00 in the evening. Address:

Ground floor, Touzi Dasha, 109 Minzu Dadao, Nanning.
Tel: (86-77) 1551 0562
Fax: (86-77) 1553 4738

You can either take a taxi there (ca. 15 yuan one way) or the local bus (1.2 yuan one way): Bus number 6 bound away from the railway station; get off at the second stop after you cross a big bridge. The consulate is in the first really high building you can see on the left hand side when crossing the bridge. (June 2005)

From Nanning to Vietnam

Take the morning train to Pingxiang. It leaves at 08:00 from the train station. The trip takes about 3.5h and costs 17RMB. From Pingxiang's train station take the bus/taxi/tuk-tuk to the border. Cheapest option was 2RMB while taxi cost 10-20RMB. The trip takes around 15min. Beware of scams with the cheapest transportation options.

At the border, remember to fill in your entry form before handing in your passport.

On the Vietnamese side there are several taxis waiting for you. Price should be around $5 and takes about 15 min to the centre of the nearest town, Dong Dang. Taxi will probably take you to some private minibus company which will offer you transportation to Hanoi. Initially, they will ask $10/person, but don't pay more that $5/person. The trip to Hanoi takes a few hours. --Rollipeikkoh 10:02, 11 August 2007 (EDT)

There are some direct buses from nanning to Hanoi, Haiphong and Ha Long Bay. It costs about 140RMB from Nanning to Hanoi and the buses leave in the morning. More information: Bus Company

For those who can't read Chinese, here's additional information:

Buses for Hanoi leave from Lang Dong bus station, and are priced at 150RMB (June 2008), which includes drinks and a lunch at Ping Xiang and insurance. (it is possible to opt out of insurance, which costs 2RMB, if you tell the ticket-seller) This is a through-service, which will bring you all the way to Hanoi, though it does involve a change of buses and other vehicles in between. Buses leave Langdong at 8.30 am, 10 am and 1.40 pm. The journey took approximately 7 hours.

Get out

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.

This page was last edited at 05:05, on 6 November 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Colin Jensen, China Rob and Nick Roux, Wikitravel user(s) Morph, Meifeng, Bobo12345, Rollipeikkoh and Episteme, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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