Huashan Rock Art (Huashan Murals)

Huashan Rock Art (Huashan Murals)

Huashan Rock Art (Huashan Murals) is a UNESCO World Cultural Landscape Heritage site.

The rock art is carved on the limestone cliffs along the banks of the Zuojiang and Mingjiang rivers in areas such as Huashan, Zhushan, Gaoshan, and Longxia in the aforementioned counties, preserving a total of sixty ancient masterpieces of the Zhuang people, featuring over 1,770 human figures. Because the Huashan murals in Ningming County were discovered earliest, contain the most images, and feature the largest paintings, they are collectively referred to as "Huashan Rock Art."

Huashan Murals

Huashan is located on the banks of the Zuojiang River in Tuolong Town, Ningming County. Its 260-meter-high cliff facing the river is covered with earthen-red paintings. Research suggests these artworks date back to before the Eastern Han Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago. Within this grand ensemble, the human figures, though depicted with bold lines, are strikingly lifelike—some wielding swords or wearing laurel crowns as chieftains or commanders, surrounded by groups of "smaller figures" facing them, creating diverse scenes. The symbolic meaning of these paintings remains unknown, as does the method ancient people used to create them on such sheer cliffs. Yet scholars and tourists continue to flock here to admire and study these traces of their ancestors. Related legend: It is said that long ago, a local strongman named Mengka, unwilling to endure oppression by the local chieftain, planned to lead the Zhuang people in rebellion. But lacking troops, he was fortunate enough to receive divine guidance on using paper soldiers and turning beans into an army. One day, however, his mother opened the box containing the paper soldiers, and a fierce wind blew, plunging the world into darkness as the figures flew out and landed on the cliffside. Since they hadn’t been consecrated for a hundred days, they didn’t fully transform into humans and instead became the murals we see today.

The Huashan Rock Art is painted on cliffs overlooking the river, with the largest panel measuring approximately 44 meters wide and 170 meters long. The images, rendered in ochre, are vibrant and bold, with crude yet powerful lines and archaic forms. There are over 1,300 figures of various sizes, the largest standing 3 meters tall and the smallest just 30 centimeters. The scale of the murals is immense and quite rare in China. Some figures are depicted with arms raised and legs spread, appearing sturdy and tall, resembling warriors. Others wear crested hats or pheasant feathers, sport ring-pommel daggers at their waists, and ride horses, likely representing chiefs or commanders. Some figures are shown crouching or kneeling sideways, with one hand raised, as if holding objects, dancing, or leaping—likely depicting commoners or women. Among the human figures are also depictions of bronze drums, dogs, and horses. The themes and intentions behind the rock art remain widely debated—some believe they depict war preparations, celebration gatherings, or communal entertainment, while others suggest they were created near water to pray to water deities and ward off water spirits. They hold significant value for studying the region’s ancient culture.

Dining / Accommodation / Shopping

Accommodation: There are many well-equipped hotels and guesthouses in Ningming County; staying at a Huashan mountain village is also a good option. These are typically three- or four-story wooden buildings in a tranquil setting, with moderate prices and relatively complete facilities. Dining: Like in Nanning, rice noodles are a specialty. Note that fast food here is cheap (around 5 RMB), but small stir-fried dishes are small in portion and expensive, and rice is charged per bowl. It’s best to go to a congee shop—congee costs just 1 RMB for a large bowl, making it cheap and filling.

Transportation options include the China-Vietnam Railway and National Highway 322. You can arrive by train, long-distance bus, or self-driving. 1. Nanning – Ningming by train: Take the Nanning–Pingxiang Train 5517 (departing at 8:00 AM), arriving at Ningming Station at 10:41 AM; the return trip in the afternoon is via Train 5518, departing Ningming Station at 3:25 PM and arriving in Nanning at 6:07 PM. (One way takes about 2 hours and 42 minutes.) Alternatively, depart at 8:00 AM, arrive at Ningming Station at 10:41 AM (one way: 2 hours and 41 minutes), and take the 5518 return train departing Ningming Station at 3:25 PM, arriving in Nanning at 6:07 PM (one way: 2 hours and 42 minutes). By road: Nanning Bus Terminal has multiple daily buses to Pingxiang from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, one per hour. Get off at Ningming Station; the trip takes 3 hours and costs 40 RMB. Nanning No. 2 Transport Center has one direct bus to Ningming every afternoon at 2:30 PM, with a 3-hour journey and a fare of 35 RMB. For the return trip, take one of the two daily express buses from Ningming to Nanning, departing at 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Additionally, there are buses between Ningming and Pingxiang from 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM, running every 20 minutes.

Ningming Bus Station Address: Dehua Road, Zhongzhen Town, Ningming County Phone: 0771-8624530 2. Ningming – Huashan: Huashan is about 25 km from Ningming County. After getting off the train or long-distance bus, go to Tuolong Bridge Pier (200 meters from the train station) and take a boat to Huashan. There are generally two options: (1) Tour company boats: round trip 35 RMB/person, the whole trip takes 2 hours (Tour boat inquiry phone: 0771-8628688). (2) Private wooden boats: round trip 80 RMB/boat (can bargain down to 50–60 RMB), available for charter and departure anytime. There are also “public boats” departing from Huashan—arriving at Tuolong Bridge Pier at 8:00 AM and departing for Huashan at 1:00 PM—but these are rare and only available by chance.

Self-driving route: Enter Zhuangjin Avenue in Jiangnan District from Chaoyang Square, head toward Nanning Wuxu Airport, get on the Nanyou Expressway (via the Nahong Toll Station), and exit at Ningming/Huashan (via the Ningming Toll Station).

Ticket / Opening Hours

Free admission. Boat fees apply; refer to the transportation section.

(Boat landing ticket to view the murals, but landing is now largely prohibited to protect the murals, so the viewing cost is included in the 35 RMB boat ticket.)

Address: Yaoda Village, Panlong Village, Ningming County, Chongzuo City

Type: Historical Site / Boat Tour

Recommended Visit Duration: 1.5–2 hours

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites