Qingxiu Mountain (青秀山), located in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, covers an area of 13.54 square kilometers and is the most famous scenic area in Nanning. The mountain is known for its clear waters, lush greenery, and pure air. It features the Millennium Cycad Garden, a classic garden that combines ex-situ conservation and landscape design, and the Rainforest Grand View, an ecological garden with tropical rainforest characteristics. Qingxiu Mountain also boasts the largest natural ecological orchid garden in China, the Orchid Garden. Other notable attractions include the Zhuang Brocade Square and the Qingxiu Mountain Friendship Corridor, which highlight local ethnic characteristics, and the ASEAN Friendship Garden, which features national flowers, trees from ASEAN countries, and sculptures representing Nanning’s sister cities.
The scenic area of Qingxiu Mountain has several entrances, with the west gate being the main entrance. Visitors can take an electric cart from the west gate to get around. The scenic area is extensive, and hiking the entire mountain can be tiring, so it is recommended to take an electric cart up the mountain and then walk down.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of Qingxiu Mountain
- Vlog about Qingxiu Mountain
- Other Attractions in Nanning
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 2 – 3 hours |
| Ticket Price | 20 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 6.00 – 24.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0771-5828923 |
Location and Transportation
Qingxiu Mountain is located at 6 Fengling South Road, Qingxiu District, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, situated along the banks of the Yong River. The scenic area extends from Qingshan Road in the west to the ASEAN Business District in the north. To get there, you can choose one of the following ways:
- Take bus route 69 to Nanning Confucius Temple stop (南宁孔庙站), and walk approximately 15 minutes to the entrance.
- Alternatively, take bus routes B10, 72, or W19 to the Qingxiu Mountain North Gate stop (青秀山北门站), and walk about 20 minutes to reach the scenic area.
Highlights of Qingxiu Mountain
Longxiang Pagoda (Dragon and Elephant Pagoda)
Longxiang Pagoda, also known as Qingshan Pagoda, is the emblem of Qingxiu Mountain. Located at the mountain’s peak, it was initially built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty by Nanning native and Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) Xiao Yunjie, who served as the Vice Minister of Personnel. The name “Longxiang Pagoda” derives from a Buddhist saying that “dragons are powerful in water, and elephants are powerful on land.” The pagoda stands at an elevation of 204 meters and has a height of 52.35 meters. It features a spiral staircase with 207 steps leading to the top, where each corner of the eaves is adorned with a copper bell (a total of 72 bells). From the top, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of both banks of the Yong River.
In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign (1624), the top two layers of the Longxiang Pagoda were struck by lightning and collapsed, and the pagoda remained unrepaired for many years. In 1937, fearing that the pagoda might serve as a navigation target for Japanese bombers, the Yongning County government dismantled it. For several decades, the Longxiang Pagoda , which had stood on Fengchi Ridge of Qingxiu Mountain for hundreds of years, disappeared from sight. After liberation, the Nanning government reconstructed the Longxiang Pagoda in the style of a Ming Dynasty pagoda on its original site to restore the scenic area of Qingxiu Mountain.
Millennium Cycad Garden
The Millennium Cycad Garden, located within the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area in Nanning, spans over 100 acres. The garden is home to nearly a hundred cycads that are over a thousand years old, with the oldest, known as the “King Cycad,” being more than 1,360 years old. The garden has collected over 50 species of cycads, totaling over 10,000 individual plants, making it one of China’s largest conservation and breeding bases for cycad species such as Bowenia spectabilis, Dioon edule, and Zamia furfuracea.
Orchid Garden
Situated on the southeast side of the North Gate area of Qingxiu Mountain, the Orchid Garden covers a total area of 320 acres. The first phase, encompassing 150 acres, focuses on the landscape design with exotic orchids. Orchids are naturally placed among trees, rock crevices, and ravines, creating scenic spots such as the Stacked Stone Waterfall, Sky Garden, Fragrant Orchid Screen, Colorful Orchid Field, Ancient Pottery Orchid Charm, and Lady Slipper Orchid Waterfall. This phase features 363 varieties of orchids, with over 300,000 individual plants.
The second phase, covering 170 acres, emphasizes “Orchid Medicine Health” and “National Orchid Culture.” This phase incorporates classical garden architecture such as pavilions, corridors, and verandas, enhancing the cultural content of the garden. It increases the variety of orchid species and showcases their medicinal value. Designed with a natural and simple style, the second phase transforms the garden into an outdoor orchid specialty garden, making it the largest natural ecological orchid garden in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and even in China.
Cherry Blossom Garden
The Cherry Blossom Garden is located on the eastern side of the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area. Themed “Poetic and Picturesque, Romantic Garden,” it delves into Chinese cherry blossom culture and love legends, creating a romantic cherry blossom plant landscape. The garden is divided into four scenic areas based on the terrain and landforms: Dense Forest Flower Sea, Sparse Forest Flower Lawn, Cherry Blossom Slope, and Cherry Blossom Streamside. It features seven different varieties of cherry blossoms: Chinese Red, Guangzhou Cherry, Xiao Qiao, Crimson Fujian Cherry Blossom, Pink Fujian Cherry Blossom, Bellflower Cherry, and Mountain Cherry, with a total of nearly 6,000 cherry blossom trees. The garden offers an “Interactive, Cultural, and Educational Cherry Blossom Love Theme Park.”
Friendship Corridor
The Friendship Corridor, located between Zhuang Brocade Square and the ASEAN Friendship Garden in the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area, stretches 618 meters. This corridor is modeled after the Wind and Rain Bridge of the Dong ethnic group in Guangxi and incorporates Lingnan garden architectural styles. The structure is built without nails or rivets, using only pine wood mortise and tenon joints, showcasing the superb architectural skills of the Dong people. The Friendship Corridor combines bridge, corridor, pavilion, and tower elements, serving as both a scenic spot and a place for rest. Along the corridor, visitors can view photographs of the production and daily life of the people of Guangxi, as well as images representing the architecture, clothing, and cuisine of ASEAN countries.
Rainforest Grand View
The Rainforest Grand View in the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area was completed in 1998 and covers over 500 acres. This lush and diverse area boasts over 2,500 species of plants from more than 200 families, totaling over three million individual plants. The garden features rainforest-specific plants such as Pometia, Licuala, and Ficus auriculata, as well as more than 180 nationally protected plant species, including Parashorea chinensis, Cyathea, and Dalbergia odorifera. The area has a high concentration of negative oxygen ions, reaching up to 20,000 per cubic centimeter.
