Travels in Nanning: An Unforgettable Cultural Experience

After our visit to the Confucius Temple, we walked about 15 minutes to the Guangxi Museum of Nationalities. China has 56 different ethnic groups, totaling nearly 1/10th (that’s 140 million people) of the total population. 12 exist in the Guangxi Province, including the Yao, Dong, Miao, Mulao, Maonan, Jing, Yi, and Gelao, among others. The Guangxi Museum of Nationalities celebrates all the groups with displays of the different ethnic costumes, buildings, and artwork in a huge museum.

Once inside, the rotunda is very impressive, from below and looking down from the third floor.

Our favorite part were the local apparel, some dating back hundreds of years, and still worn today in some villages.

There was also a large variety of costumed puppets:

Outside the museum in the rear was a man-made lake and surrounding it where buildings unique to the different ethnic groups. There were few fellow visitors and sitting by the lake was relaxing and serene.

We only booked one western hotel during our two months in China, the Holiday Inn Express in Nanning. We enjoyed it fine, not necessarily more so than the Chinese hotels, but it was nice to have some (though not many) western breakfast choices. One morning, we met a couple from Canada, Craig and Belle, who were traveling with the two sons. They were from Vancouver, and Belle was born and raised in China, and we started talking to them. We would see them every morning, about the same time as we would be coming down to breakfast, and it was nice to be able to speak English and get to know them.

They were so kind and invited us to visit their favorite park on a Sunday, Nanhu Park, where many of the different ethnic groups, some coming to the Park from their native villages, to dress in the traditional garb, and sing songs, share food, and hang out with their relatives that live in the city.

We waited for them at one of the entrances, the wrong one, in fact, and spent a half hour tracking each other on the map app until we eventually found them, we wandered through the huge city park.

Once we met up, we walked through the park, getting to know each other. We stopped in a large square as a group was playing music and dancing. The beat was familiar to us, so we were encouraged and joined in; but not for long, as a policeman made them stop playing as it was too loud, we learned, and moved on.

We walked and talked some more, eventually finding ourselves (led by Belle) watching a performance by a group of Dong women (dressed in blue), and a few men (dressed in purple). It was entertaining and we watched from afar, enjoying the singing, dancing, and colorful dress.

A woman in purple saw us nodding our heads to the beat, and asked if we wanted a picture with the group…of course we did, and they obliged so kindly, holding our hands and smiling, making us feel so welcome. (Belle is with her son in the bottom picture, and Craig is between us, with their other son beneath Craig).

Then they invited us to dance, and we were reluctant at first, but everyone was so welcoming we had to join. Everyone held hands and moved around in a circular pattern, one circle inside another as it expanded outward, while everyone chanted a song in unison (and we sang along as best we could). I couldn’t stop smiling, as you can see in the pictures. Then, a few people wanted pictures with us, and of course, its fun to feel wanted, so we had to oblige.

The time went by so quickly and it felt a little like a dream, as it was so unexpected and so much fun. We try to remain open to meeting new people, and even if its just for a short time, an afternoon, a day tour, a week of hotel breakfasts, people in a park for a dance or two, sharing these experiences with kindness and openness has really improved our lives (even if we’re very nervous, which we are).

As we ended our walk with Craig and Belle and their boys, the boys were very excited to show us the robot working in the coffee kiosk, so of course we had to check it out. We also learned that the robot charged double for a coffee than the coffee shop up the road, but then, the robot has bills to pay too, I guess.

As we ended our walk, I wanted to take a picture of the park map; as I looked, a young gentleman approached and asked, in decent English, where I was from. I learned his (English) name was Pierson, and that he was studying engineering, and he wanted to practice speaking English. We talked for a few minutes and then he went on his way, and we headed toward the park exit.

We said goodbye to Craig, Belle and their boys, and found a seat on a street bench to rest our tired feet as we waited for our Didi. A few minutes later, Pierson rode by, his younger brother on the back of his scooter, and waved. We waved back, and soon, were on our way toward the hotel, an unforgettable day in the books.