Yangmei Ancient Town

A couple weeks before Yen got here, I went out with a few of my new coworkers to the Yangmei Ancient town. It is a Ming era merchant town that rose to prominence in the late Qing (1800-1912) before losing its status to Nanning, just down the river, and becoming a bit of a backwater. It has had a revival as China has opened up, and a middle class has developed which is eager to go explore on the weekends.

The name ancient is a bit misleading, as many of the buildings are less than 100 years old, and even the oldest are no more than 300 years old. That being said, it is still a great place to visit.

To get there, go to the bus station on the south side of the road just past the Luban rd. subway station (walking west away from the university). You can also get a bus to other tourist places in Guangxi.

Anyway, despite not technically leaving Nanning, it takes 90 minutes to get there, and it is not a gentle ride. Once there there is not a lot to actually DO. It is a neat place to walk around for a few hours and grab lunch. It was a fun trip.

Yangmei itself is more an "as long as you're here" destination rather than somewhere you would fly a long ways to see.  But I kind of like that. Much as I love Hong Kong it isn't exactly a place no one has ever heard of before. These small gems are often what make their way in to stories down the line. It was a fun trip, and I may have to take Yen there soon.