The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is located in southern China. It is the unique province of China that is located along the coast. Nanning, the regional capital, is about 75 miles southwest of the region's geographic center. Guangxi's 2009 nominal GDP was about 775.9 billion yuan (US$114 billion) and ranked 18th in China. Its per capita GDP was 15,800 yuan (US$2,300).

Location and Climate

It is bordered by Yunnan Province to the west, Guizhou to the north, Hunan to the northeast, and Guangdong to the southeast, and by Vietnam and the Beibu Bay to the southwest. It covers an area of 236,661 square km, and measures over 770 km from east to west and 610 km from north to south.

Guangxi has a subtropical climate. The summer, covering a seven-month period from April to October, is marked by enervating heating and high humidity. Winter is mild and snow rare. July temperatures vary between 27°C and 32°C, while January temperatures range between 4°C and 16°C.

Transportation

There are five civil airports in Guangxi province: Guilin, Nanning, Beihai, Liuzhou and Wuzhou. The Hunan-Guangxi Railway, the major railway in Guangxi province, is connected with the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway to the east and the railway in Vietnam to the west. There are ferries from Wuzhou to Guangzhou and head o¬n to Hong Kong.

History

Guangxi was known as the land of Baiyue during the late Zhou Dynasty from 453-221 BC. The ancestors of the Zhuang people inhabited the region and had an economy based on rice. East Guangxi was entered by Han people in 214 BC under the Qin dynasty, and the Lingqu Canal was dug to link the Xiangjiang River and Guijiang River to form a north-south waterway. From the Qing Dynasty (1644 ~ 1911), the region was named "Guangxi". In 1958, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established, and it is now one of the five Minority Autonomous Regions in China.

Ethnic groups

The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group. The region has over 14 million Zhuang, the largest minority ethnicity of China. The Zhuang live largely in the western two-thirds of the region, while the Han are concentrated in the eastern third. The Yao, Miao, and Dong people are widely scattered.

Culture

"Guangxi" and neighboring Guangdong literally mean "Guang West" and "Guang East". Together, Guangdong and Guangxi are called the "Two Guangs". Its culture and language are reflected in this. Though now associated with the Zhuang ethnic minority, Guangxi's culture traditionally has had a close connection with the Cantonese. Cantonese culture and language followed the Xi River valley from Guangdong and is still predominate in the eastern half of Guangxi today. Outside of this area there is a huge variety of ethnicities and language groups represented.

Guangxi is known for its ethno-linguistic diversity. In the capital of Nanning, for example, four dialect-languages are spoken locally: Southwestern Mandarin, Cantonese, Pinghua, and Zhuang.

Tourism

The picturesque scenic spots in Guangxi are famous worldwide, symbolized by Guilin, a natural beauty produced by unique karst geography. At present, the province has established several tourist attractions including three state-level natural scenic spots, 11 state-level forest parks, 30 regional natural scenic spots, 15 state-level cultural and historical relics, 221 regional cultural and historical relics and one state-level tourist resort in Beihai City.

Universities in Guangxi

• Gulin Universities of Electronic Technology 
• Guilin University of Technology 
• Guangxi University 
• Guangxi University for Nationalities 
• Nanning College For Vocational Technology 
• Yong Jiang University 
• Guangxi Teachers Education University 
• Guangxi Economic Management Cadre College 
• Guangxi Arts Institute 
• Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical University