Qinzhou, a treasure city in Guangxi, is like visiting Guangzhou, Nanning and Beihai at the same time!
This guide comes from the writer @周阳, thanks for the contribution!
Preface
What comes to mind when you think of Guangxi? Guilin, known for its breathtaking scenery? Weizhou Island's romantic sunset? The incredibly sour and refreshing snail noodles? Or perhaps the famous "Working is impossible" (Qian Gewara)?
Although its tourism isn't as good as neighboring Yunnan's, and its economy isn't as good as neighboring Guangdong's, Guangxi is gradually gaining popularity with its own unique charm! This treasure province is being discovered by more and more people.
The famous Guilin and Beihai have long become nationally renowned tourist destinations with mature commercial development. The real treasures of Guangxi are still hidden in unknown corners, such as today's small city - Qinzhou, which can be called a treasure among treasures.
But you must be confused. Where is Qinzhou in Guangxi and what is special about it?
Qinzhoucheck the details
Qinzhou City, bordering Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, to the north, is located in the southern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the Beibu Gulf coast. It borders Beihai City and Yulin Prefecture to the east, and Fangchenggang City to the west. Qinzhou borders the vast Qinzhou Bay, covering 908.37 square kilometers. It boasts abundant marine resources. The waters are blessed with ample sunshine, suitable water temperatures, and abundant plankton, making them ideal for the breeding and growth of various fish, other seafood, and birds. With 303 small islands and a 520.8-mile coastline, Qinzhou is known as the "Home of Dolphins." Located at the southern tip of the Nanhua Platform, Qinzhou boasts a complex geological structure and a well-developed stratigraphic system, with the most developed outcroppings being the Silurian System of the Paleozoic. The igneous rocks are primarily acidic intrusive rocks, primarily granite and rhyolite. Folds and fault structures are well-developed, with distinct zonation, creating conditions conducive to moderate to large earthquakes.
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Southwest Seaport
Qinzhou is located on the coast of the Beibu Gulf - south of Nanning, the capital of Zhuang Autonomous Region, west of the famous tourist destination Beihai, and north of Fangchenggang, which borders Vietnam.
The surrounding cities all have their own promotional features, and Qinzhou, sandwiched in the middle, is a bit awkward. However, it is precisely this location that gives it the characteristic of "embracing all rivers and seas", where various cultures blend and collide.
Sanniang Bay
Located in the south of Guangxi, although Qinzhou’s coastline is not as long as Beihai and Fangchenggang, it has its own outlet to the sea and a bay comparable to Beihai - Sanniang Bay.
Sanniang Bay is one of the top ten scenic spots in Guangxi and a 4A tourist area, but because it is some distance away from the city, locals rarely go there, so it is still a relatively niche bay.
If you haven't decided where to go to spend the warm winter this year, then coming to Sanniang Bay in Qinzhou may give you a pleasant memory. After all, it is not only warm here, but also very sparsely populated.
There are many strange rocks beside the beach and in the shallow sea, which has a very original beach atmosphere. The sea faces west, and you can often see the golden sunset in the evening, which is so beautiful that you can't bear to look away.
At present, tourism in Qinzhou has not reached a very popular level. Local people often come here to dig snails (picking snails on the rocks by the sea) and then take them to the market to sell. Therefore, in Sanniang Bay, you can still see the local people's lifestyle that has continued for thousands of years.
Maowei Sea
Also in the Qinzhou Bay waters, there is a national marine park - Maowei Sea, which is the largest inland marine park in the country. Currently, it has been planned as a competition area and an ecological area.
When you come here, you can see magnificent oyster racks on the sea, sometimes connected together, and oyster farmers doing breeding operations on the oyster racks.
Geographical experts from other provinces have expressed their admiration: this tranquil inland sea, which is dozens of times larger than West Lake, has the beauty of "vast sea, calm waves, and secluded waters", which are not found in other seas.
Old Cantonese style
The ocean sets the tone for Qinzhou's ecology. Under this tone, Qinzhou also collides with Guangdong and Guangxi provinces to create different cultural characteristics.
The three cities of Fangchenggang, Qinzhou and Beihai along the Beibu Gulf were once under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province. Therefore, the "vernacular" spoken in these three places now is quite similar to Cantonese in Guangdong.
arcade
Qinzhou has been greatly influenced by Guangdong in modern times. The architecture of the old city is very similar to that of the coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan. Foreign elements brought back by Chinese from Southeast Asia have also taken root in Qinzhou.
A building with shops extending to the street in the front and a three-story building in the back is called an arcade. There are famous arcade blocks in Xiamen, Fujian, Shantou, Guangdong, and Wuzhou, Guangxi.
A cyclist on the streets of Xiamen▼
A motorcycle on the streets of Hainan▼
Some arcades are decorated with Western patterns, and deep in Qinzhou Old Street, you can even find Baroque-style arcades.
Old Town
The naming method of the old city is also simple and crude. Just like the coastal cities that opened up in the past, it is named according to numbers from Yima Road to Wuma Road.
These buildings are now in disrepair, but many old Qinzhou people still live here, retaining the original atmosphere of life.
Here, you can find Cantonese herbal tea full of ancient flavor, as well as various great gods who write shrines and repair family temples. It is truly a place where "dragons and crouching tigers are hidden."
Walking in the old city of Qinzhou, it seems as if I have asked God to borrow time and return to that small coastal city in my memory, which is mottled and where the traffic is slow.
Former residence of a national hero
Today, Qinzhou still preserves the former residences of two national heroes, Liu Yongfu and Feng Zicai. Step into the former residences and experience the style of the southern Chinese families a hundred years ago.
The Flavor of Qinzhou
Under the combined influence of maritime culture, Cantonese culture and Zhuang culture, the Beibu Gulf region presents a unique lifestyle in the country.
There are snacks with a strong Cantonese flavor, authentic "noodle" shops from all over Guangxi, and no shortage of delicious seafood from the southern coastline.
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Qinzhou Morning Tea
Like the Cantonese people, morning tea is an integral part of the lives of the people in Qinzhou, and each of the major restaurants in Qinzhou also has its own morning tea time.
The dim sum in the restaurant is very close to the Cantonese style, with classic rice rolls, chicken feet, and crab roe buns all on the menu.
If you walk into a restaurant during breakfast time, you can hear the traditional Qinzhou dialect. Sometimes a family is sitting at the table chatting about family matters, sometimes business partners are discussing business, and sometimes two good friends are chatting here.
Must-try special pig's trotter rice noodles
All parts of Guangxi are famous for noodles. For example, if you go to Guilin, you must try Guilin rice noodles. If you go to Liuzhou, you must try snail noodles. Nanning has Laoyou noodles, Binyang has sour noodles, Fangcheng has beef brisket noodles... Then, if you come to Qinzhou, you must try pig's trotter noodles!
Qinzhou's specialty, pig's trotter rice noodles, is tossed with pig's trotters in a special secret marinade, which is then placed in the boiled rice noodles. The marinade spreads from the pig's trotters and overflows into every corner of the rice noodle soup, creating a fragrant aroma that makes people salivate.
sour things
Guangxi has a strong ability to produce acid. You can see "sour things" on the streets of every city. They are a bit like fermented goods, and are sour products brewed from various fruits and vegetables.
Among them, salty sand pear is one of the "sour things" that Qinzhou people like to eat the most. Whenever salty sand pear is mentioned, Qinzhou people can't help but swallow their saliva, because the salty and sour taste is so refreshing.
Qinzhou Night Market
Because of the hot and humid climate, most of the lives of Qinzhou people are left in the night after the sun sets. People always go out to find food at eight or nine o'clock, relying on the smell of fireworks to dispel the worries of the day, thus giving rise to the colorful night market life.
Since it is not a tourist city, Qinzhou's night markets do not have commercial blocks. Most of them are concentrated in vegetable markets and alleys where locals gather more.
The night market sells many braised dishes, sweet soups and barbecues, which are a mixture of Cantonese and local flavors. Here, you can also find the most authentic beef offal soup. Each vendor has his own secret to making the soup.
Qinzhou Sweet Soup
But the most distinctive thing about Qinzhou is Qinzhou Tangshui, which has both Cantonese style and some differences.
The ingredients of the sweet soup include taro, sago, water chestnut cake, red beans, mung beans, grass jelly, locust flowers, etc. Customers can prepare it by themselves and then add coconut milk or brown sugar water. A bowl of sweet soup costs only three to five yuan.
The dessert shop also sells sesame paste, rice balls, mung bean soup and other shaped desserts. It can be said that the dessert shop is the paradise for Qinzhou people, and the sweetness of the dessert can eliminate all the bitterness of life.
Garlic Roasted Oysters
The oysters from Zhanjiang, Guangdong are famous in Guangdong and Guangxi, but few people know that Qinzhou is also known as the hometown of oysters.
Every year, Qinzhou holds the "Oyster Festival", a local food festival where street vendors come to the festival to show off their skills and share their experiences in grilling oysters over the past year.
Snail
The people of Qinzhou are good at dealing with the sea. There are all kinds of strange snail food in the night market, which can be cooked in many ways, such as boiled, stir-fried with chili peppers, stir-fried with sour bamboo shoots, and made into soup. People call eating snails "liao luo".
Conclusion
Rather than getting rich quickly, people in the Southwest seem to care more about their own lives. For example, Sichuan and Chongqing have become popular because of "life". Although Guangxi's presence is not high in the country, people are still quietly cultivating a rich life.
Qinzhou is a place of understated elegance and hidden gems. We currently don't have any itineraries for Qinzhou, but interested tourists can leave a comment. Perhaps your words will lead to the creation of an exciting itinerary.
