Nanhu Park and Downtown Nanning

Yesterday, being a nice day and being my 8-930 am work day, Yen and I decided to hop on the subway down to Nanhu park. We headed to Nanhu station and got off at the park exit. The new subway makes life in Nanning incredibly easy, as you walk out and are basically in the park.

It is the largest park in Nanning, and runs next to a big lake which has been dammed to keep it full year round. It is a decent place for a walk and a spot to take a few pictures. There isn't much else to say about it, and information in English on China is surprisingly scarce (internet censorship I guess). What I have learned is that the park was established in 1972, though the lake itself was formed when a tributary of the Yong river was dredged during the Tang dynasty. It has tropical plants from all over Guangxi province. There is a museum there dedicated to Zhuang (the local minority) revolutionaries in the 1920's, though it is all in Chinese.

For us though, it was a nice stroll in the park on warm winter afternoon.

After that we headed to the Nanning elephant statue, said to represent the city. Then a subway to MixC mall for a meal (what is it at 4pm?) and then home.

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.

Mobile Pics Fall 2017

I've done this a few times before. I sometimes enjoy taking a few random pics off of my pgone and sharing them. I have to admit that I sometimes get the urge to just snap a random shot on my phone, and am not always sure why. But they are fun, so here are a few pics.

yet another beer that tastes the same

as all the other beers.

Guangxi University St. 

On campus, on a (genuinely) foggy day.

old habits die hard

Old Nanning meets new Nanning

old relic at Yangmei Ancient Town

in Yangmei

view from Tad's

In front of the gym.

yellow snow

west of Nanning

Nanning pagoda at night

Yong river

Zhongshan rd.

again

again