Nanning

Chaoyang Square / Xingning

Old downtown, walkable to the river and markets, metro lines 1 and 2. Best for a first visit and for late food.

Nanning East Railway Station (Qingxiu)

For early high-speed departures east; metro line 1, few sights within walking distance.

Jinhu Square / Qingxiu

New CBD with malls and hotels, metro line 3; quieter at night than Chaoyang.

Nanning Railway Station (Xixiangtang)

Convenient for sleeper and western trains, metro lines 1 and 2; the station itself is old and short on food inside.

Etiquette

• Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
• Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
• Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
• Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
• Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
• Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
• Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
• Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4

Scams and watch-outs

• Nanning has several stations: Nanning, Nanning East, Nanning North and Nanning West are far apart. Check your ticket before you leave the hotel.
• Summer is wet: June to August brings 190–245 mm of rain a month and typhoon-season downpours.
• Metro stations have bag X-rays and sometimes metal detectors; allow a few extra minutes at rush hour.
• Airport taxi drivers may refuse the meter. The flat fare is usually ¥100–130, and ride-hailing is often cheaper.