Guangxi
In 214 BC, the Han Chinese general Zhao Tuo claimed most of southern China for Qin Shi Huang before the emperor's death. The region first became part of China during the Qin dynasty, though it remained a frontier of Chinese civilization throughout much of history. Originally inhabited by tribal groups known to the Chinese as the Baiyue or Hundred Yue, the area saw its first major integration under Zhao Tuo's separate kingdom at Panyu called Nanyue. This Southern Yue state expanded colonization and sinicization until its collapse in 111 BC during the southward expansion of the Han dynasty.
The name Guangxi traces back to the Expansive province of the Eastern Wu which controlled southeastern China during the Three Kingdoms period. Guilin formed one of its commanderies during that era. Under the Tang dynasty, the Zhuang moved to support Piluoge's kingdom of Nanzhao in Yunnan. That kingdom successfully repulsed imperial armies in 751 and 754. Guangxi then divided into an area of Zhuang ascendancy west of Nanning and an area of Han ascendancy east of Nanning.
Centuries later, the Song dynasty administered the area as the Guangnanxi Circuit. Harassed by both Song forces and the Jiaozhi in modern Vietnam, the Zhuang leader Nong Zhigao led a revolt in 1052 for which he is still remembered by the Zhuang people. His independent kingdom was short-lived, however, and the tattooed Song general Di Qing returned Guangxi to China. The Yuan dynasty established control over Yunnan during its conquest of the Dali Kingdom in 1253 and eliminated the Southern Song following the Battle of Yamen in 1279.
Following the Wuchang Uprising, Guangxi seceded from the Qing Empire on the 6th of November 1911. The Qing governor Shen Bingdan initially remained in place but was subsequently removed by a mutiny commanded by General Lu Rongting. General Lu's Old Guangxi clique overran Hunan and Guangdong as well and helped lead the National Protection War against Yuan Shikai's attempt to re-establish an imperial government. Zhuang loyalty made his Self-Government Army cohesive but reluctant to move far beyond its own provinces.
Subsequent feuding with Sun Yat-sen led to defeat in the 1920 and 1921 Guangdong, Guangxi War. After a brief occupation by Chen Jiongming's Cantonese forces, Guangxi fell into disunity and profound banditry for several years until Li Zongren's Guangxi Pacification Army established the New Guangxi clique dominated by Li, Huang Shaohong, and Bai Chongxi. Successful action in Hunan against Wu Peifu led to the Zhuang GPA becoming known as the Flying Army and the Army of Steel.
In 1958, Guangxi became an autonomous region under the People's Republic of China. Its current capital is Nanning. In 1952, a small section of Guangdong's coastline including Qinzhou, Lianzhou now Hepu County, Fangchenggang and Beihai was given to Guangxi giving it access to the sea. This was reversed in 1955 and then restored in 1965. This made Guangxi the only autonomous region which is not landlocked.
Large portions of Guangxi are hilly and mountainous. The northwest portion includes part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with the Jiuwan Mountains and Fenghuang Mountains running through the north. The Nanling Mountains form the region's north-east border while the Yuecheng and Haiyang Mountains both branch from the Nanling Mountains. Also in the north are the Duyao Mountains. The Duyang Mountains run through the west of Guangxi. Near the center of the region are the Da Yao and Da Ming Mountains. On the southeastern border are the Yunkai Mountains. Guangxi's highest point is Kitten Mountain in the Yuecheng Mountains.
Karst landforms characterized by steep mountains and large caverns are common in Guangxi accounting for 37.8 percent of its total land area. Guangxi is also home to several river systems flowing into different bodies of water. The Qin River and the Nanliu River both flow into the Gulf of Tonkin. Several tributary rivers flow into the larger Xiang River in neighboring Hunan province. The Xi River system flows southeast through the autonomous region into the South China Sea.
Along the border with Vietnam there is the Ban Gioc, Detian waterfall which separates the two countries. About one-quarter of Guangxi's area is forested. The region has a subtropical climate with summers generally long hot and humid lasting from April to October.
Guangxi has over 16 million Zhuangs making it the largest minority ethnicity in China. Over 90 percent of Zhuang people in China live in Guangxi especially in the central and western regions. High concentrations of ethnic Zhuang people can be found in Nanning, Liuzhou, Chongzuo, Baise, Hechi, and Laibin. The highest concentration of ethnic Zhuang people is found in the county-level city of Jingxi with a 2021 publication by the People's Government of Guangxi stating that Jingxi's population is 99.7% Zhuang.
The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in Guangxi. Han Chinese populations largely live along the southern coast and eastern portions. Of these main subgroups speak Yue and Southwestern Mandarin varieties of Chinese. Qinzhou and Goulou Yue are spoken in the southern and eastern regions respectively. Pinghua is spoken in Nanning and Guilin. There are Hakka-speaking regions in Luchuan County Bobai County and in some areas bordering Vietnam.
In 2021 a report stated the Zhuang people accounted for 31.36% of the region's population. Various regional languages and dialects such as Pinghua Zhuang Kam Cantonese Hakka and Min are spoken alongside Mandarin Chinese. At the year-end of 2021 the total population was 48.85 million.
Liuzhou is the main industrial center and a major motor vehicle manufacturing center. General Motors have a manufacturing base here in a joint venture as SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile. The city also has a large steel factory and several related industries. The local government hopes to expand the region's manufacturing sector during the drafting of China's Five Year Plan in 2011 earmarking 2.6 trillion RMB for investment in the region's Beibu Gulf Economic Zone.
Guangxi holds approximately one-third of all tin and manganese deposits in China. It is one of China's key production centers for nonferrous metals. In September 2007 China's Ministry of Commerce said that it found 120 million tons of new bauxite reserves in Guangxi. Currently proven reserves of bauxite in Guangxi are about 1 billion tons making the province one of the country's biggest bauxite sources.
In late February 2008 the central government approved China's first international and regional economic cooperation zone in Guangxi. The construction of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone began in 2006. The zone covers six coastal cities along the Beibu Gulf integrating Nanning Beihai Qinzhou Fangchenggang Chongzuo and Yulin. Guangxi pledged a 100 billion yuan US$14 billion investment over the next five years for building and repairing railways to form a network hub.
The major tourist attraction of Guangxi is Guilin a city famed across China and the world for its spectacular setting by the Li Jiang among karst peaks. South of Guilin down the river is the town of Yangshuo which has become a favorite destination for foreign tourists. The variety of visible cultures such as the Zhuang and Dong are also a draw for tourists. The northern part bordering Guizhou is home to the Longsheng Rice Terraces some of the steepest in the world. Nearby is Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County.
Guangxi cuisine includes more well known Luosifen soup and a variety of pickled dishes. Much of Guangxi's local cuisine is centered around the cuisine of its ethnic minorities. In the capital of Nanning three varieties of Chinese are spoken locally: Southwestern Mandarin Yue specifically Cantonese and Pinghua. Outside of this area there is a huge variety of ethnicities and language groups represented.
Many Chinese tourists visiting Nanning also visit Ban Gioc, Detian Falls on the China-Vietnam border. The region has 7 airports in different cities including Nanning Guilin Beihai Liuzhou Wuzhou Baise and Hechi. Guangxi Power Grid invested 180 million yuan in 2007 in projects to bring power to areas that still lacked access to electricity.
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Common questions
When did Guangxi become an autonomous region under the People's Republic of China?
Guangxi became an autonomous region in 1958. This status was established following the formation of the People's Republic of China and marked a significant administrative change for the southern Chinese territory.
What is the capital city of Guangxi and when did it gain access to the sea?
The current capital of Guangxi is Nanning. The region gained access to the sea in 1965 after a section of Guangdong coastline including Qinzhou, Lianzhou now Hepu County, Fangchenggang and Beihai was restored to Guangxi following reversals in 1952 and 1955.
Which ethnic group forms the largest minority population in Guangxi and what percentage of the total population do they represent as of 2021?
Zhuangs are the largest minority ethnicity in Guangxi with over 16 million people. A 2021 report stated that Zhuang people accounted for 31.36% of the region's total population which reached 48.85 million at year-end 2021.
Where can one find the highest concentration of ethnic Zhuang people within Guangxi according to 2021 data?
The highest concentration of ethnic Zhuang people is found in the county-level city of Jingxi. A 2021 publication by the People's Government of Guangxi states that Jingxi's population is 99.7% Zhuang.
What major economic zone began construction in Guangxi in 2006 and how many coastal cities does it cover?
Construction of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone began in 2006. The zone covers six coastal cities along the Beibu Gulf integrating Nanning, Beihai, Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, Chongzuo, and Yulin.