From Wikitravel

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.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

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.

[edit] By train

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

To	Departure	Price (Yuan)	Duration (h)	Last update
Beijing	0950		28	1 Nov 2006
Guilin	0513, 0559, 0825, 0828, 0950 (to Beijing Xi), 1049 (to Xi'an), 1415, 1524, 1829, 1942	65.00	5 to 6	1 Nov 2006
Kunming	18:10	~200.00	10	5 June 2005
Pingxiang (Border to Vietnam)	8.00	17.00	3.5	9 November 2007

[edit] By bus

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 2, 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.

To	Departure	Price (Yuan)	Duration (h)	Last update
Pingxiang	7, 7:40, 9, 10, 11, 12:40, 14, 15:20, 16, 17, 17:40	~60.00	2.5	29 August 2007

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

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[edit] Learn

Though the older people speak Cantonese (GuanDongMa), the younger generation mainly speak Mandarin (PuTongHua). Nanning is regarded as one of the most sucessful 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!

See also: [Chinese Language[1]]

[edit] 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.

[edit][add listing] Buy

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[edit] Budget

[edit] Mid-range

[edit] Splurge

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] 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, [2]. 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.

[edit] Mid-range

• 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.

[edit] Splurge

[edit] Contact

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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)

[edit] 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

[edit] Get out

There is a train to Kunming, reportedly a sensational ride through isolated mountainous country.

The famously scenic tourist area around Guilin and Yangshou is only a short distance from Nanning.

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