Years ago, I wondered what foreign tourists were doing in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region capital, but since the city makes headway in urban and economic developments, NGOs for poverty and AIDS have been coming in.

Since becoming the main host city for China-ASEAN conferences, the city of Nanning has grown into a hub for tourists bound for Guilin and small border towns in Yunnan and Guizhou. You can always spend a day or two before moving on to a more exotic location.

The Zhongshan food street, tucked away behind the Yongjiang Hotel along the main river and the commercial zone, has the most dining outlets and is a must-see for travelers. A modest meal-for-one starts at less than 10 yuan. A 100g bowl of beef and rice noodles is 2.5 yuan, and desert can range from 1.1-2.5 yuan for herbal tea, rice-skin dmplings or duck blood soup.

Herbal tea, or liang cha, literally means "cool tea." Due to Nanning's hot and humid climate, locals boil the mixed herbs in water for a drin a tradition to balance the warm and cold in one's body. Finding a proper cup of coffee may be impossible in Nanning, but you'll find plenty of shops with liang cha. The flavor depends on the herbs used. The bitterest herbs are recommended for dry throatA night out is a must for visitors and locals alike. Around 9pm, the street is packed with food vendors and shouting, eating, beer-drinking diners. It has a very warm atmosphere, similar to Thailand's dining areas.The city's building are very special. The architecture is a combination of traditional southern-Chinese style and colonial western architecture. While the second floors of homes are reserved for residents, the ground floors are open mom-and-pop shops. The architecture reflects the climate of Nanning, and the first-floor shops provide customers shelter from the city's sun and rain.Even though Nanning's local library has recorded much of the city's histo, when the Guangxi Daily ran an article about the city's architecture, they couldn't find the origins of many of the city's street.

Weather

Nanning is in the subtropics and has plenty of sunshine and rain in summer. The average temperature is 21.7 Celsius Degree and 12.8 Celsius Degree in the coldest month. Avoid traveling there after Spring Festival, the coldest season, as it gets very humid. It feels even colder inside the house than outside, because China has no heating south of the Yangtzi River.

Language

Due to government's promotion ofputonghua, most of the young and middle-aged people can speak and understand without a problem, but they have a strong accent.

The traditional language, baihua, is a division of Cantonese. Due to mixed minorities, the city is home to many dialects.

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