Qingxiu Mountain

Qingxiu Mountain

Qingxiu Mountain is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is located in the center of Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, nestled along the meandering Yong River. It spans a planned protected area of 13.54 square kilometers, with a core scenic zone covering 6.43 square kilometers. The mountain features undulating peaks, lush forests, steep cliffs, and clear springs with uniquely shaped rocks. Known for its South Asian tropical plant landscapes, it is often shrouded in mist year-round, boasting a high concentration of negative oxygen ions. This creates a unique natural leisure oxygen bar, earning it reputations such as the "Green Lung of the City," "Jade of the Green City, Phoenix of the Zhuang Homeland," and making it one of Nanning’s most iconic urban attractions.

In 1989, the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area was designated as an autonomous region-level scenic spot, followed by recognition as one of Nanning’s “Top Ten Tourist Attractions” in 1997. In November 2014, it was upgraded to a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and is also among the “Top Ten Scenic Spots in Guangxi.” The area receives over 2 million visitors annually, making it a top destination for national leaders, foreign dignitaries, businesspeople, and tourists visiting Nanning for inspections, sightseeing, and vacation.

The Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is a renowned tourist destination integrating sightseeing, leisure, cultural exchange, and scientific research. It features classic gardens that perfectly combine relocated plant conservation with landscape design—such as the Millennium Cycas Garden, the Rainforest Grand View with its unique tropical rainforest characteristics, and the Orchid Garden, the largest natural ecological orchid-themed garden in China. Other highlights include the Zhuang Brocade Square and the Qingxiu Mountain Friendship Corridor, which showcase ethnic charm; the ASEAN Friendship Garden, which gathers national flowers, trees of ASEAN countries, and representative sculptures from Nanning’s sister cities; as well as historic sites like Zhuangyuan Spring, Dong Spring, and the Ming-style Dragon Elephant Pagoda. Popular attractions also include the Palm Garden with its distinct subtropical scenery, the fragrant and colorful Fragrance Garden, and Peach Blossom Island. Additionally, there are more than 50 attractions such as the Buddhist temple Guanyin Chan Temple, Shuiyue Nunnery, and the exotic China-Thailand Friendship Garden, each with its own unique landscape features and beloved by visitors.

Explore century-old trails, visit millennia-old temples, wander through vast forests, and admire hundred-million-year-old cycads. With “verdant mountains and clear waters, beautiful flowers and unique woods, expansive valleys and serene gorges, joyful flora and lively visitors,” and the saying “not high but elegant mountains, not deep but pristine waters,” this is the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area—an exceptional large-scale integrated ecological landscape green space in the heart of a provincial capital, rare across the nation. Here, you can experience the harmonious beauty between plants, between plants and animals, and between humans and nature, as well as the close harmony between urban civilization and natural ecology.

The Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is a renowned tourist destination integrating sightseeing, leisure, cultural exchange, and scientific research. It features classic gardens that perfectly combine relocated plant conservation with landscape design—such as the Millennium Cycas Garden, the Rainforest Grand View with its unique tropical rainforest characteristics, and the Orchid Garden, the largest natural ecological orchid-themed garden in China. Other highlights include the Zhuang Brocade Square and the Qingxiu Mountain Friendship Corridor, which showcase ethnic charm; the ASEAN Friendship Garden, which gathers national flowers, trees of ASEAN countries, and representative sculptures from Nanning’s sister cities; as well as historic sites like Zhuangyuan Spring, Dong Spring, and the Ming-style Dragon Elephant Pagoda. Popular attractions also include the Palm Garden with its distinct subtropical scenery, the fragrant and colorful Fragrance Garden, and Peach Blossom Island. Additionally, there are more than 50 attractions such as the Buddhist temple Guanyin Chan Temple, Shuiyue Nunnery, and the exotic China-Thailand Friendship Garden, each with its own unique landscape features and beloved by visitors.

Also known as Qingshan or Taiqing Ridge, Qingxiu Mountain is one of the ancient “Eight Scenic Spots of Yongzhou.” It has long been famed for its “not high but elegant mountains, not deep but pristine waters,” and earned its name from its lush green forests and graceful mountain ridges. The mountain is covered with dense foliage that blocks out the sky, and when the breeze blows, it creates ocean-wave-like rustling sounds, forming the famous Qing Shan Song Tao (Qing Mountain Pine Waves) spectacle.

Stretching from southeast to northwest, Qingxiu Mountain connects with Phoenix Ridge, Bronze Drum Ridge, and Phoenix Wing Ridge, showcasing majestic and beautiful scenery with ancient trees towering overhead. The mountain features rocks and caves—some deep and sheer—and sweet-tasting springs. Since the Song Dynasty, temples such as Baiyun Temple, Wanshou Temple, and Dugu Temple have been built here. There is also an inscription on the cliff commemorating the Confucian scholar Wang Shouren’s contributions to education in Nanning, reading “The Land Transformed by Lord Yangming.” Structures built in honor of Dong Chuanze include the Dongxu Pavilion, Baiyun Jingshe (Hermitage), and Dongquan Pavilion, later followed by the construction of the Dragon Elephant Pagoda, Liangyi Pavilion, Pan’ou Pavilion, Haohao Pavilion, Zhenjing Pavilion, Zhugong Jingshe, Qingxiu Shanfang, Buyun Gate, and Yuntian Pavilion. Other scenic spots include Haitian Yilan (Sea and Sky View), Taxing Lingxu (Pagoda Shadow Hovering in Emptiness), Lion Grove, Lotus by Moonlight, Cuiping Feipu (Emerald Screen Waterfall), Ziyeh Songfeng (Midnight Pine Wind), Taiqing Yuantiao (Distant View from Taiqing), Shanjian Huagang (Flower Harbor in the Mountains), Ancient Banyan Embracing Rock, and Qianbu Lang (Thousand-Step Corridor). It is a popular tourist destination in Nanning. The Dragon Elephant Pagoda stands atop Qingxiu Mountain and is commonly known as Qingshan Pagoda, serving as the symbol of Qingxiu Mountain.

The Dragon Elephant Pagoda was first built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, originally having nine stories. Two stories were later destroyed by lightning, and during the Anti-Japanese War, the government demolished the pagoda, believing it served as a “navigation marker” for Japanese bombers targeting Nanning. It was rebuilt in the mid-1980s. The current Dragon Elephant Pagoda retains the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty, featuring blue bricks, green tiles, and an octagonal multi-eave design. The nine-story tower is 60 meters tall with a base diameter of 12 meters and 207 spiral steps, making it the tallest and largest pagoda in Guangxi. From the top, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, with the Nanning cityscape fully visible.

Transportation

1. Take bus routes 10, 34, Inner Ring Line 1, or Inner Ring Line 2 within the city.

2. Take a tourist shuttle bus from Chaoyang Square in the city center to Qingxiu Mountain.

Phone: 0771-5560130

Address: No. 19 Qingshan Road, Nanning

The Guangxi Anti-Japanese Student Army Monument was built in December 2001. Standing 20 meters tall and constructed from granite, it features a green glazed tile roof with upturned eaves, resembling a flying swallow soaring through the sky—majestic and spectacular.

The monument commemorates the anti-Japanese history of the Guangxi Student Army: In 1939, during the occupation of Nanning, these gentle scholars engaged in 978 battles against the enemy, fought bravely, and more than 10 of them sacrificed their lives heroically, composing a moving and tragic youth anthem with their blood. The Guangxi Student Army Anti-Japanese Martyrs Monument has been listed as a Guangxi Patriotic Education Base.

The Guanyin Chan Temple was first built during the Northern Song Dynasty, with a history of over a thousand years. Located near the mountaintop of the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area, the temple covers an area of 15 mu (approximately 1 hectare) and includes structures such as the Mahavira Hall, Fuhui Lecture Hall, Guanyin Pavilion, Dizang Hall, Reclining Buddha Hall, Sangharama Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Five Contemplations Dining Hall, Guest Hall, Monks’ Quarters, Lay Practitioners’ Quarters, Bell and Drum Towers, and Screen Wall. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Guangxi. The temple houses the largest and finest hand-carved sandalwood gold-plated Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin in China, as well as the world’s largest jade reclining Buddha carved from a single piece of Burmese jade, gifted by the Burmese royal family. It is a gathering place for Buddhists and enjoys flourishing incense offerings.

The historical Buddhist connections of Guanyin Chan Temple date back 980 years to the Northern Song Dynasty, when monks built huts for practice on Qingxiu Mountain. These were later expanded into temples such as Miaochao Temple and Baiyun Jingshe. During the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, it was reconstructed as Wanshou Chan Temple, but gradually fell into disrepair in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period. In 1986, local devotees spontaneously raised funds to rebuild it on the site of the former Wanshou Chan Temple as Sanbao Hall. At the beginning of 2000, Sanbao Hall was handed over to monks, who enshrined Buddha statues and established a solemn sacred space, naming it Guanyin Chan Temple.

The overall layout of Guanyin Chan Temple is exquisite and solemn. It includes more than ten Buddhist halls such as the Mahavira Hall, Reclining Buddha Hall, Dharmapala Hall, Prajna Hall, and Sangharama Hall. The temple buildings are resplendent, with newly crafted golden statues and solemn appearances, enjoying flourishing incense offerings. Outside the temple, a viewing platform on the mountaintop offers panoramic views of Nanning’s cityscape.

Covering an area of about 15 mu, Guanyin Chan Temple features a Tang-style architectural design, facing south with its back to the north. Its layout consists of the Mountain Gate and Heavenly King Hall as the front halls, the Dashi Pavilion in the center, and the Mahavira Hall at the rear, forming the main structure. Four groups of halls on the left and right are symmetrically arranged, reflecting the classical Chinese Buddhist architectural style characterized by a square floor plan, a north-south central axis, symmetrical stability, and meticulous order.

Originally named Guanyin An, Shuiyue Nunnery is located west of Qingxiu Mountain’s Tianchi (Heavenly Lake). Covering 3.3 mu, it was first built in the 44th year of the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi reign (over 300 years ago) and earned its name from the enchanting reflection of moonlight on water at night, resembling a fairyland. The entire nunnery features red walls, red pillars, and a yellow glazed tile roof with upturned eaves, presenting a solemn and dignified atmosphere. It serves as a residence for monks and nuns and a venue for religious activities.

Nanning’s Shuiyue Nunnery has a history of over 300 years. Originally named Guanyin An, it was first built in the 44th year of the Qing Kangxi reign (1705 AD). Monk Shang Guangxia from Wulong Temple constructed Guanyin An on Linjiang Street and appointed Bhikkhuni Shang Dao Shu as the abbess. In the 4th year of the Yongzheng reign (1726 AD), it was expanded. Facing the Yong River, the nunnery’s moonlit water reflections inspired the name change to Shuiyue Nunnery by Chan Master Shang Ji Yin. Among the Thirty-Three Forms of Guanyin, Shuiyue Guanyin is one—depicted sitting on a rock by the water, gazing at the moon’s reflection, symbolizing the illusory nature of phenomena like the moon in water.

Commonly known as “Qingshan Pagoda,” the Dragon Elephant Pagoda derives its name from the Buddhist saying “Dragons are powerful in water, elephants in land.” It is an iconic landmark of Qingxiu Mountain. The original pagoda was built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era by Xiao Yunju, a native of Nanning and a minister of the Ministry of Rites. Destroyed in 1939 during the Anti-Japanese War, the current pagoda was rebuilt in 1985 and is the tallest in Guangxi’s pagoda cluster. From the top, visitors can gaze at the Yong River and distant mountains, with the cityscape sprawling across dozens of miles—a breathtaking sight.

The Rainforest Grand View was completed in 1998, covering over 500 mu and home to a rich diversity of species. With layered vegetation, it hosts over 2,500 species across more than 200 plant families and 3 million individual plants. The area features unique rainforest plants such as human-face fruit, sugar palm, and fig trees, as well as over 180 species of nationally protected plants including sky-reaching trees, tree ferns, and Dalbergia odorifera. The negative oxygen ion concentration reaches up to 50,000 per cm³. Spectacular “hanging gardens,” astonishing “single-tree forests,” incredible buttress roots, thrilling old-stem flowering, and dazzling giant leaves with mottled hues leave visitors mesmerized.

Covering over 150 mu, the China-ASEAN Friendship Garden is an ecological park witnessing the cooperation, exchange, and profound friendship between China and ASEAN nations. The garden includes the China-ASEAN Expo Memorial Forest, China-ASEAN Youth Friendship Forest, ASEAN Leaders’ Tree Grove, ASEAN National Flower and Tree Grove, and a sculpture park of Nanning’s sister cities. It has hosted events such as the China-ASEAN Youth Friendship Tree Planting Campaign, China-ASEAN Architectural Art Large-Scale Light Exhibition, China-ASEAN Outdoor Fun Knowledge Competition, and the Nanning Southeast Asia International Tourism Food Festival—serving as a hub for communication and friendship among ASEAN countries.

The Land-Based Adventure Park is located in the ASEAN Friendship Garden and features 15 sets of challenging obstacles. Activities include dynamic competitive challenges, high-altitude obstacles, static challenges, and fitness recreational facilities—such as dynamic combinations like Flying Over the Great Wall, Intricate Web, Brush Rack Mountain, Cloud Ladder, and Net Crawl. Here, you can enjoy the fun of adventure sports, breathe fresh air from nature, and take in the beautiful scenery of green mountains and waters—making it an ideal spot for corporate team-building activities.

The Zhuang Brocade Square is designed in the pattern of a traditional Zhuang brocade, with the sun’s rays at its center symbolizing light and representing the Zhuang people’s reverence for brightness. Surrounding it are patterns of clouds, water, and thunder made from stones like Kunlun Plum and Sanbao Red, expressing the Zhuang people’s aspiration for favorable weather and prosperity throughout the year.

The Qingxiu Mountain Friendship Corridor is located between Zhuang Brocade Square and the ASEAN Friendship Garden within the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area, stretching 618 meters in length, making it the longest corridor in Guangxi to date. Designed with the distinctive features of the Dong ethnic group’s wind and rain bridges in Guangxi and incorporating the architectural style of Lingnan gardens, the corridor is constructed entirely without nails or rivets, using mortise-and-tenon joints of Korean pine, showcasing the exceptional architectural craftsmanship of the Dong people.

The Friendship Corridor integrates the elements of a bridge, corridor, pavilion, and tower, serving not only as a scenic attraction but also as a resting place. The corridor displays photographic works depicting the production and daily life of various ethnic groups in Guangxi, as well as image materials featuring representative architecture, clothing, and cuisine from ASEAN countries. Visitors can immerse themselves in the rich cultural atmosphere of Guangxi’s ethnic groups and ASEAN nations while admiring the famous trees, unique rocks, fragrant flowers, and exotic plants along the corridor.

The Guangxi Precious Tree Species Exhibition Garden covers an area of approximately 300 acres and focuses on collecting, displaying, protecting, and breeding precious native tree species of Guangxi. It is a specialized botanical garden that combines science education with tourism. The garden houses over 1,000 large, high-ornamental, interesting, and culturally rich precious trees, including national first-class protected plants such as Camellia nitidissima, Parashorea chinensis, and Taxus chinensis, as well as national second-class protected plants like Xylia xylocarpa, Dalbergia odorifera, and Aquilaria sinensis. It is currently the largest specialized park in Guangxi for collecting precious tree species.

The Fragrance Garden spans over 200 acres and is planted with more than 120 varieties of fragrant flowering plants, totaling over 10,000 individual plants. The garden boasts continuous floral scents throughout the seasons. The purple magnolia, which blooms in early spring, is beloved for its beauty and fragrance. The white magnolia, blooming in midsummer, charms with its delicate and subtle scent. The osmanthus, flourishing in late autumn, intoxicates with its richly fragrant blossoms. The camellia, blooming in early winter, is admired for its dignified elegance.

The main gate area of Qingxiu Mountain was built in 1998 as a tribute project for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The main gate is designed in the shape of a Dong ethnic group’s wind and rain bridge, featuring strong local characteristics. The shape of the gate resembles the Chinese character “山” (mountain), symbolizing “Qingxiu Mountain.” The plaque above the gate, inscribed with the three characters “青秀山” (Qingxiu Mountain), was handwritten by Comrade Li Zhaozhuo, former Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The Nanning Jilin Pavilion Golden Nanmu Ebony Museum is located by the Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) in the central scenic area of Qingxiu Mountain. It is one of the first batch of one hundred private museums in Guangxi and the first Golden Nanmu Ebony Museum in the region. The museum boasts a rich and exquisite collection, including precious golden nanmu ebony artifacts formed over thousands of years. It houses works carved by national master artisans of arts and crafts, among which large-scale golden nanmu carvings themed on China’s Four Great Classical Novels are unique in China. The museum’s developed golden nanmu ebony and related cultural and creative products are highly sought after by enthusiasts and the general public.

The Huan Shan Xiu Ping (Scenic Flat around the Mountain) is a green space in the core area of the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area, covering nearly 100 acres. Along the edge of Huan Shan Xiu Ping, there are eighteen life-like situational sculptures of children—some practicing martial arts, some setting off firecrackers, and some playing soccer—bringing out a strong sense of childlike fun and evoking nostalgia for one’s own childhood. Strolling across the carpet-like green space of Huan Shan Xiu Ping allows visitors to experience the rhythm and comfort of body and mind. With its “vast waters, serene mountains, beautiful woods, and graceful people,” the area is poetic in beauty and elegantly picturesque. It is a preferred spot for Qingxiu Mountain visitors to rest, admire the moon during Mid-Autumn Festival, gather, or host large outdoor events. The Fourth National Minority Games, the Third Guangxi Folk Song Festival Gala, and the Qingxiu Mountain Southeast Asian Food Festival were all held here.

The Tower Shadow Tianchi (Tower Reflection Heavenly Lake) features the stunning scenery where the Longxiang Pagoda and the Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) to its north reflect each other, with the lake mirroring the pagoda and the pagoda casting its shadow into the water. It is one of Nanning’s “Top Ten Scenic Spots” and is located within the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area. The pagoda is named Longxiang Pagoda, and the Tianchi is a large artificial lake situated halfway up Qingxiu Mountain. With shimmering waters, the pagoda’s reflection in the lake, the surrounding green pines and cypresses, and the blue sky with white clouds mirrored on the water’s surface, it is known as the “Tower Shadow Tianchi.” While enjoying the beautiful scenery, feeding fish by the lake is also a delightful activity.