Nanning

Geography and Climate

Nanning is located in the southern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 160 km from the border with Vietnam. It is not only the political, economic and cultural center of the province, but also plays an important role in the economic development of southwest China. Pleasant climate endows the city with evergreen trees and fragrant flowers all year round, hence the name 'Green City.' The city is located on the north bank of the Yong River, the chief southern tributary of the Xi River, and lies some 30 km below the confluence of the Yu and the Zuo rivers. Nanning’s urban area covers approximate 22,293 square kilometers with more than 30 ethnic minority groups living harmoniously.

Because of its location in the sub-tropical zone, Nanning has a monsoon-influenced sub-tropical climate with hot and humid summer plus mild and somewhat damp winter. The annual average temperature in Nanning is 21 cent-degree and the mean rainfall accounts 1,300 mm. It is also frost-free for all but 3 or 4 days a year and never snows.

Cityscape

Nanning is home of the 21st tallest building in the People's Republic of China, the Diwang International Commerce Center (276 meters), it is currently the tallest building in Guangxi and southwestern China (excluding Chongqing). The second tallest building in Nanning is the World Trade Commerce City standing at 218 meters. The city currently has seven buildings taller than 100 meters, built or under construction. Nanning has many parks with tropical lush green landscape, it is one of the "greenest" cities in China. Nanning's downtown skyline is rapidly changing and the city is becoming an important hub in China.

Economy

Nanning is a business and distribution center in southern China. During the industrial infrastructure, the city  established an industrial flourishing project focusing on strengthening aluminum processing, sugar refining and paper manufacturing as well as speeding up the development of hi-tech industries, such as electronic and information industry, telecommunication, modern bio-pharmacy, environment protection, new material manufacturing, etc. by cooperating with local universities and other institutes. Nanning is rich in mineral resources and one third of China’s scarce resources are found in Nanning.

Nanning also functions as an important distribution center for commodities from all over the country. As the tertiary industry is progressing significantly, the information industry, transportation, real estate, tourism industry and catering business have all shown bright prospects for future development. Those industries have become major forces for Nanning’s economic development. The open-up policy of Nanning is vigorous and yet flexible. Nanning’s Municipal Government encourages foreign investors to cooperate with local business in various ways. The foreign investors will not only enjoy the preferential policies for costal or border cities, but also enjoy special preferential policies rendered to western cities and minority autonomous regions, which will provide foreign investors with further convenience and maximum returns.

In 2010, Nanning’s GDP reached 180 billion RMB, a year-on-year growth of 14.2%. The official financial income was above 30 billion RMB with a sharp increase by 30% compared to that of 2009. Ordinary urban citizen earns approximately 18,000 yuan a year while the annual income of a rural farmer accounted for 5,000 yuan in Nanning according to the official figures presented in 2009.

History and Culture

Nanning has a history of more than 1,600 years. In 318 A.D. Nanning came into its existence as a county. It was named Yongzhou, or Yong for short in the Tang Dynasty; Yongning prefecture in the Song Dynasty, Yongzhou headquarters in Yuan dynasty; Nanning prefecture in Ming and Qing Dynnasties and Nanning county after the revolution of 1911. It did not acquire the present name until 1949。

Nanning is the center of science and technology, education, culture and sanitation in Guangxi Province. There are altogether 54 scientific research institutes subordinate to districts. 10 colleges and 50 trade schools are training specialty personnel of all kinds for society. Now there are 62 mass cultural organizations, 13 performing groups, 8 cinemas, 285 projecting units, over 70 karaoke halls and over 1000 newsstands. Bookshops and cultural markets can be found everywhere.

Tourism

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. Besides the brilliance of natural scenery in Nanning, the city is also boasts culture differences especially in folk cultures People of Zhuang and other ethnic groups live here, adding colorful folk cultures to the city's glamour. One of the most famous attractions in Nanning is the reputed Guangxi Museum which is erected in the July 1 Square, and is a comprehensive topological museum with an area of 12,900 square meters. The museum is composed of five displays of Guangxi historical relics, Guangxi revolutionary relics, Guangxi ancient bronze drums and the Taiping Uprising. Fine arts exhibitions are held here from time to time