Stand at the West Gate of Qingxiu Mountain on a wet May morning and the name "Green City" stops being a slogan. Mist sits on the ridges, the Yongjiang River curves below, and the subtropical foliage closes over the paths within a few steps of the ticket gate.
Nanning suits travellers who are passing through Guangxi and want a day or two of museums, parks and old streets before moving on, and anyone interested in the Zhuang and other ethnic cultures of the region. It is a warm, humid city for most of the year, with rain most frequent from May to October, so plan around the wetter months rather than against them.
This guide covers the sights in and around the city that are worth your time, followed by a one-day route and answers to the questions travellers ask most often.
Top things to do in Nanning
1. Qingxiu Mountain
Qingxiu Mountain sits in the heart of Nanning on the banks of the Yongjiang River, with rolling peaks, steep cliffs, clear springs and unusual rocks, and a subtropical plant landscape that stays green year-round. It is known as the "Green Lung of the City" and is the single best introduction to why Nanning calls itself the Green City.
Entry is ¥20, with sightseeing cars from ¥5 for one ride and a tourist train from ¥10 for one ride. The gates keep different hours: East Gate 06:00–24:00, North and West Gates 08:00–18:00, South Gate 08:00–17:00. The West Gate is at Qingxiushan Station on Metro Line 3, which makes it the simplest arrival point.
2. Anthropology Museum of Guangxi
This museum holds over 50,000 items and sets, including bronze drums, garments, silver ornaments, textiles and embroidery, stone tools, bamboo and wooden objects, ceramics and fossil specimens. Its collection of 346 ancient bronze drums is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, and its textile holdings represent all twelve indigenous ethnic groups of Guangxi.
It is free, opens 09:00–17:00 with no entry after 16:15, and closes on Mondays except public holidays. Take bus route 69 from the Nanning Bridge North bus stop, a few hundred metres south of Qingxiushan Station on Metro Line 3, which pairs neatly with a morning on Qingxiu Mountain.
3. The Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
The only national-level museum in Guangxi, with an eclectic exhibition spread over two floors. Pottery and porcelain fill the first floor, while the second covers the early culture of Guangxi, including bronze drums, prehistoric tools and metalwork. There is also an open-air exhibition with performances and houses of some of the minorities.
It is free, runs 09:00–17:00 with no entry after 16:30, and closes on Mondays except public holidays. You can rent a self-assist audio guide for ¥10 with a ¥200 deposit. It sits just outside Exit B of Minzu Square Station on Metro Line 3.
4. Yongzhou Ancient City
Also known as Three Streets and Two Alleys, this classical residential area stretches from Chaoyang Road to Shuijie Street Market. Its core is three pedestrian streets — Xingning Road, Minsheng Road and Jiefang Road — plus two ancient lanes, Golden Lion Alley and Silver Lion Alley. Established during the Song Dynasty, it was the commercial birthplace of ancient Yongzhou, and its blue-brick, black-tiled roofs and horse-head walls hold landmarks including Nanning City God Temple and the Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall.
It sits outside Chaoyang Square Station on Metro Lines 1 and 2, so it is easy to fold into an evening. Come on foot and wander rather than aiming for a single address.
5. Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden
A botanical garden devoted to medicinal plants, at 189 Longgang Road in Xingning District. From Jiangqiao Station on Metro Line 5 it is a walk of 800 m southeast to the East Gate or 1.4 km southwest to the West Gate; alternatively take bus 20, 42 or 608 from the Kunlun Jiangqiao Cross bus stop at Exit A of the metro station and get off at the Xingning District Government bus stop for the West Gate.
Because the two gates are some distance apart, decide which one you are aiming for before you set out.
6. Guangxi Natural Resources Museum and Archives
Eight exhibition halls cover the Earth, palaeontology, mineral resources, geological environment, land resources, marine resources, geodetic surveying, and jewellery and gemstones, with a cinema, a science popularisation library and a geological science experience centre alongside them. It is free, opens 09:30–16:30 with no entry after 16:00, and closes on Mondays except public holidays.
It stands at 2 Zhongma Road, across from the North Gate of Qingxiu Mountain, so it works as a wet-weather substitute or an add-on to a mountain visit.
7. Guangxi Art Museum
An art museum at 22 Qiuyue Road in Wuxiang New District, free to enter and open 09:30–16:30 with no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays except public holidays. Take bus route 99 from the Qiuyue Pingle Cross bus stop, a few hundred metres south of Exit C of Qingge Lu Station on Metro Line 3.
Its location puts it in the newer part of the city, so treat it as a half-day rather than a quick stop between central sights.
8. Guangxi Science and Technology Museum
A science museum at 20 Minzu Avenue in Qingxiu District, right by Xinminlu Station on Metro Line 1. General admission is free, and the museum cinema charges ¥20 per head. It opens 09:30–17:00 and closes on Mondays except public holidays.
It sits on the same avenue as the Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, so the two can be combined in a single day of indoor sightseeing.
9. Nanning Museum
A city museum at 15 Longdi Road in Liangqing District, free and open 09:00–16:30 with no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays. Bus routes 107 and 117 serve it, and bus 107 can be caught from Dashatian Square, near Dashatian Station on Metro Line 2.
Use it to fill in the local picture before or after the larger regional museums.
10. Natural History Museum of Guangxi
A natural history museum inside Nanning People's Park at 1-1 Renmin Road East in Xingning District, on the east side of the park about 1.5 km east of Nanning Railway Station. It is free, opens 09:00–16:30, and closes on Mondays except public holidays.
Because it sits within Nanning People's Park, you can pair the museum with a walk through the park itself.
11. Xinhui Academy
A traditional Confucian academy from the Qing Dynasty, established during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor and rebuilt in the 19th century. There are no students here now and the site functions as a museum, and it also serves as a venue for Cantonese opera performances.
It is free, opens 08:00–17:00, and closes on Mondays. You will find it at 1/42 Jiefang Road in Xingning District, 840 m west of Chaoyang Square Station at the intersection of Metro Lines 1 and 2 — close enough to Yongzhou Ancient City to visit both on the same walk.
12. Guangxi Planning Exhibition Hall
A free exhibition hall at 8 Songxiang Road in Liangqing District, open 09:00–17:00 with no entry after 16:00 and closed on Mondays. Reach it on bus 15 from Jiangnan Coach Station Station on Metro Line 2, bus 48 from Yudong Station on Metro Line 2, or bus 220 from Jinhu Square Station on Metro Line 1.
All three routes involve a bus leg, so allow extra time and check your connection before setting out.
13. Kunlun Pass
The site of the Battle of Kunlun Pass of 1939–1940, a significant Second World War battle won by the Chinese army. There is a major museum at the site as well as several monuments; remnants of the battle such as trenches and pillboxes exist but are not yet accessible to visitors.
The park is open every day but the museum closes on Mondays. Hours are 09:00–17:00 in summer and 09:00–16:30 in winter, and entry is ¥13. Direct buses leave from the Tourist Transportation Center near Exit B of Lubanlu Station on Metro Line 1 at 07:30, and the return bus leaves Kunlun Pass at 17:00, at ¥30 each way — a full day out, so go only if you have the time to spare.
14. Yangmei Ancient Town
An ancient town in Jiangxi Town, Jiangnan District, with an entry fee of ¥10. Take Tourist Bus 1 to Yangmei from the Tinghong Zhuangjin Cross bus stop just outside Exit A of Zhoujiapo Station on Metro Line 5; the bus runs from 07:00 to 18:30, every half hour between 07:00 and 10:00 and hourly after 10:00, at ¥5.
The hourly service after 10:00 means you should note your return timing before you wander off.
15. Yongjiang Inlet Art Museum
An art museum on the south side of the Xiazhou Village section of the Xianhu Economic Development Zone, free and open 09:00–17:00 with no entry after 16:30. Bus routes 87, 97, 105, 701 and 704 serve it, and routes 87, 701 and 704 can be caught from Langdong Coach Station Station on Metro Line 1.
It is the least central of the museums here, so save it for a trip when you have already covered the city centre.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Qingxiu Mountain through the West Gate at Qingxiushan Station on Metro Line 3, and give the subtropical paths a couple of hours before the day heats up. If rain sets in, cross to the Guangxi Natural Resources Museum and Archives opposite the North Gate instead.
Afternoon. Take bus 69 from Nanning Bridge North to the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi for the bronze drums and textiles, then continue to the Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region outside Exit B of Minzu Square Station on Metro Line 3. Both are free and both close on Mondays.
Evening. Finish at Yongzhou Ancient City outside Chaoyang Square Station on Metro Lines 1 and 2, walking Xingning Road, Minsheng Road and Jiefang Road and the two lion alleys, with Nanning City God Temple and the Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall along the way. If you still have energy, Xinhui Academy is 840 m west of the same station.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Nanning?
Summers are hot and humid, with July averaging 28.5 °C over 24 hours, while winters are mild and dry, with January averaging 13.3 °C. Rain is most frequent from May to October, so if you want to spend your time outdoors rather than in museums, the drier winter months are easier.
Do Nanning's museums close on Mondays?
Most of them do, except on public holidays. The Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi, the Guangxi Natural Resources Museum and Archives, the Guangxi Art Museum, the Guangxi Science and Technology Museum, Nanning Museum, the Natural History Museum of Guangxi and Xinhui Academy all close on Mondays, and the museum at Kunlun Pass does too.
How do I get around the city's sights?
Nanning Metro is the backbone: Line 3 reaches Qingxiushan Station for Qingxiu Mountain and Minzu Square Station for the Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, while Lines 1 and 2 meet at Chaoyang Square Station for Yongzhou Ancient City. Several sights, including the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi, the Guangxi Art Museum and the Guangxi Planning Exhibition Hall, need a bus leg from a metro station.
Which sights are free?
The Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi, the Guangxi Natural Resources Museum and Archives, the Guangxi Art Museum, the Guangxi Planning Exhibition Hall, the Guangxi Science and Technology Museum, Nanning Museum, the Natural History Museum of Guangxi, Xinhui Academy and the Yongjiang Inlet Art Museum are all free. Qingxiu Mountain charges ¥20, Kunlun Pass ¥13 and Yangmei Ancient Town ¥10.
Pick your dates around the drier months, note which sights close on Mondays, and you can start laying out your days in Nanning.