Liuzhou & Nanning: An Unforgettable Trip to Guangxi

I didn't travel much in previous years due to various issues, but this year we started traveling like crazy. However, I didn't write travel notes for our previous trips to Chongqing, Chengdu, and Jilin. This time, for the Guangxi trip, I decided to document it. So that when I recall it in the future, the details will be clearer.

Since we were visiting two cities, we decided to rent a car for convenience. We picked up the car in Liuzhou, drove to Nanning, and returned it there. We booked through a car rental platform that charges no fee for returning the car in a different city, so we didn't have to worry about cross-province travel. This was really convenient for a family like ours that wanted to stay longer and explore more.

Upon arriving in Liuzhou, we picked up the car right at the airport and drove to the hotel. This time we stayed at the Vienna International Hotel – nothing special, just for the affordable price. A room over 400 RMB was pretty decent. After resting a bit at the hotel, I searched online for a Luosifen (snail rice noodle) shop. We found an extremely popular one and walked over. It was sweltering – Liuzhou's winter is still muggy and hot!

I was stunned by the toppings for the Luosifen – I had no idea what to add, and there was so much food I couldn't finish it all. The flavor was amazing – nothing compared to the packaged version. There's simply no comparison. I strongly recommend trying Luosifen in Liuzhou. It's not stinky, not spicy, and incredibly tasty. The best part is it's not expensive – for a little over 40 RMB you can eat well and get full! We bought it and ate in the hotel because it was too hot outside. We watched the Liujiang River from the window and waited for the lights to come on.

In the evening, we went downstairs to see the fountain and the night view, then went back upstairs to watch more – it was never tiring because traveling is all about eating and wandering, happily! The next morning, we had a free breakfast on the 15th floor of the hotel. The selection was rich, and the view from the window was stunning. I felt happy again – such a leisurely life is truly relaxing and enjoyable.

After that, we drove to a place where we could take a water bus. I used to be very afraid of large rivers, lakes, and seas, but after visiting so many places recently, I'm not as scared anymore. And I try to experience every water activity.

The scenery along both banks of the Liujiang River was beautiful and peaceful. The golden building was our hotel – we accidentally booked a popular spot. At noon, we returned to the hotel and didn't want to go out again. It felt like summer, so we turned on the air conditioning and ordered takeout – more Luosifen. Since arriving in Liuzhou, we've been eating Luosifen every day and never get tired of it. And only after eating Luosifen in Liuzhou did I realize that the ones I usually have are just average.

A pile of Luosifen cost just over 40 RMB. I highly recommend adding the fried egg. We didn't have enough of the desserts – so many desserts for only 20 RMB! The prices here amaze me again.

The next day, we drove directly to Nanning. Our main purpose in Liuzhou was to eat Luosifen, so we didn't stay long. We checked into the Nanning Jinshuiwan International Hotel – the room was spacious and comfortable. I ordered takeout from a tea shop in advance: a Uji Matcha special. Thanks to the internet family's recommendation – I loved it! I had one every day during this trip.

As everyone knows, you can take the subway in the city. But I still don't recommend subway travel. Why? Because driving within the city gives you a sense of being immersed in it. Besides, the streets in Nanning are beautiful.

For lunch, a friend recommended an old friend rice noodle restaurant on Qixing Street. It was the only place where we had to queue during this trip. The shop was not small – two storefronts next to each other, with multiple ordering and pick-up counters. The place was packed. You had to watch for someone finishing and quickly stand behind them.

You order at the cashier, get a ticket, and put it on the numbered board at the pick-up counter – then find a seat. This was my first time seeing this queuing system. I ordered old friend pork noodles (2 liang, 13 RMB) – it was my favorite wide noodles, very tasty, and worth the wait. There was no strange taste, so it's easy for newcomers to accept.

I support bringing old friend noodles out of Nanning and to the whole country! This area has tons of delicious food. Several restaurants my friend recommended are here, not far from the river and the Xinmin Road subway station.

After eating our fill, we went to Qingxiu Mountain for some exercise to aid digestion. The entrance fee was 20 RMB, but if you buy a day in advance it's only 18 RMB. The sightseeing cars and small trains inside are not a combined ticket – you pay per ride.

My travel route: West Gate → Enter at Guanyin Temple Station (ancient-modern crossing viewing platform) → Buyuntai Station (Longxiang Pagoda) → North Gate Station (Shade Plant Garden, Orchid Garden, Dawn Redwood) → East Gate Station (Water Garden, Leaf Garden) → ASEAN Friendship Garden Station (Chrysanthemum Exhibition) → Exit from West Gate.

The scenic area is huge, so to save energy, I took the car whenever possible. Each sightseeing car stop has a ticket booth – buy a ticket first, then queue for the car. At some small train stops there is no ticket booth – you pay the conductor directly when boarding.

To the left of Guanyin Temple, there are several viewing platforms along the road. The third one is the so-called ancient-modern crossing photo spot. Too many people were queuing for photos, so I didn't bother. The distant skyscrapers are probably the ASEAN Business District.

Originally I planned to go to Longxiang Pagoda next, but I thought the city view from above would be similar, so I didn't get off and took the sightseeing car directly to North Gate. I regretted this a bit – an internet friend specifically asked if I had been to Longxiang Pagoda at Qingxiu Mountain, saying it's definitely worth visiting. Riding and seeing the scenery, Qingxiu Mountain has mountains and water – the views were magnificent.

I also visited the Shade Plant Garden. There is mist at the top of the hour and half past. The garden is not big, but extremely delicate and beautiful, with many shade plants I had never seen before.

Orchid Garden: I wasn't sure of its boundaries, so I randomly wandered around and saw a beautiful flower field. The field on the left side was a type of celosia. Continuing along a winding path, I reached Jinshan Lake, where the dawn redwoods were not very yellow yet, but already beautiful.

A short walk ahead was the Guihua Garden stop for the small train. I took the train to the attractions at East Gate.

Water Garden: There were several kinds of lotus in the lake, but unfortunately most hadn't bloomed. Finally, I took the small train to the ASEAN Friendship Garden for the chrysanthemum exhibition. It was fairly large, with flower walls and fields. The whole tour took 4 hours, and I even skipped Longxiang Pagoda – Qingxiu Mountain is really huge!

For dinner, we went to Jianzheng Road Night Market. We arrived too early – several popular shops I had bookmarked weren't open yet. When I left around 7 PM, the owner of Guji Rolled Rice Noodles was just setting up. Next time I'll try the very popular Guji Old Brand Rolled Rice Noodles.

Gui Xiaokui: Snail duck feet with tofu skin – the flavor was aromatic, but the duck feet were just okay, and the value for money was low.

Bao Zhu Gong: Signature brown sugar pearl milk tea – delicious!

The rolled rice noodles and sticky rice we randomly picked were not very tasty.

Finally, I packed some sweet and sour fruits with brown sugar (from a shop called Bobo Mei) to take back to the hotel. The brown sugar balanced the sourness, which suited my taste.

After dinner, of course, we needed to digest! The pavilion pier was very photogenic, and the night view was beautiful, but the popular photo spots were too crowded – I couldn't squeeze in. Going down the stairs and walking along the river was also lovely, where you could see the lit Lingtie Bridge.