Day 3 in Nanning

 Nanning was formerly known as Yongzhou. It is also known as the "Green City" because of its green mountains, clear waters and pleasant climate. 

I took a bus to Nanhu Park 南湖公园 which is the largest inner lake park in Nanning. It has a beautiful environment and is suitable for walking, boating or fishing. The park is shaded by green trees and the lake and mountains complement each other, making it a great place for leisure. I walked along most park of the bank for 11 km. 

I took another bus to the three streets and two alleys 三街两巷 which are a microcosm of the ancient Yong City. They were the core of the politics, economy and culture of the ancient city of Nanning, and also witnesses of the traditional commerce and commercial port guild culture of the ancient city of Nanning during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The "three streets" refer to the three pedestrian streets of Xingning Road, Minsheng Road and Jiefang Road, and the "two alleys" refer to the two ancient alleys of Jinshi Alley and Yinshi Alley. The ancient buildings and bluestone pavement all exude a strong historical atmosphere, making people feel as if they have traveled back to ancient times.

The nearby Changyou Pavilion 畅游阁 is a landmark building that showcases the history of Nanning and the culture of the Yongjiang River. It adopts the traditional multi-story pavilion architectural form, with a total of 5 floors and a height of nearly 50 meters. It is not only a good place to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Yongjiang River, but also an important place to understand the history and culture of Nanning. Unfortunately it was close today, so I have to go back another time to get on the 5th floor for the views.

"Tingzi Ferry came first, then Nanning City". I walked 4 km to Tingzi Wharf 亭子码头 that is located on the bank of Yongjiang River, downstream of Lingtie Bridge. It was once the busiest commercial port in Nanning and the hub and transit center for the "Maritime Silk Road" to the "Water Silk Road". The origin of Tingzi Wharf can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty, and it has a history of more than 900 years. Tingzi Main Street connected to it is the oldest street in Nanning with written records. Currently, the wharf has Gothic European-style buildings, blue-roofed buildings in white and blue tones, and Guangxi National Theater are the landmark buildings of the wharf. I then walked 3 km back to my hostess’s place. I stopped by a supermarket to drink a 500ml beer (cost only 2.5 yuan, which is cheaper than a same size coke). I also strolled via a local traditional market, and bought 8 pieces of out of season mooncakes for only 5 yuan, 5% of the original prices.