Guangxi

Relief

Guangxi forms a tableland that descends in elevation from the north and northwest to the south and southeast. Elevations between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (900 and 1,800 metres) above sea level are reached at the edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou (Yunguei) Plateau in the northwest, the Jiuwan and Fenghuang mountain ranges in the north, and the Yuecheng Mountains in the northeast. The greater part of the region is composed of hilly country lying at a height of between 1,500 to 3,000 feet (450 to 900 metres). In the west, the Duyang Mountains rise to some 6,500 feet (2,000 metres). In the southeast, lowlands are situated at a height of between 300 and 1,500 feet (90 and 450 metres).

The predominance of limestone gives many parts of Guangxi a spectacular type of landscape known as karst, in which pinnacles and spires, caves and caverns, sinkholes, and subterranean streams abound. Picturesque rocky hills, spires of grotesque proportions, and strangely shaped caves with all types of stalactites and stalagmites are found in many parts of this region, especially in the vicinity of Guilin. These landscapes—along with similar types found in neighbouring Guizhou and Yunnan—were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.

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Drainage and soils

The Qin and Nanliu rivers flow into the Gulf of Tonkin. The headwaters of the Xiang River flow northeastward into Hunan province. The remainder of the region’s numerous rivers—including the Hongshui, Liu, Qian, You, Zuo, Yu, Xun, and Gui—follow the general southeastward slant that characterizes the greater part of Guangxi’s terrain. They rise from a profusion of sources and flow into one another in a succession of convergences until they merge into one major river, the Xi. This mighty river system rises in Yunnan province and cuts across the entire width of Guangxi before emptying into the South China Sea near Guangzhou (Canton) in Guangdong province. The hilly areas are composed of red soil, while the lowlands are characterized by alluvial soil brought down by the many rivers.

Climate

Throughout the region, temperatures are warm enough to assure agricultural production throughout the year. Summer lasts from April to October and is marked by enervating heat and high humidity. Winters are mild, and snow is rare. July temperatures vary between 80 and 90 °F (27 and 32 °C). January temperatures range between 40 and 60 °F (4 and 16 °C).

Because of the influence of the rain-bearing monsoon wind, which blows from the south and southwest from late April to the end of September, precipitation is abundant. Drier areas are in the northwest, while the wetter areas are in the south and east. The average annual rainfall varies from about 43 inches (1,080 mm) in the drier areas to 68 inches (1,730 mm) in the wetter zones, with a maximum reaching 109 inches (2,760 mm). Most of the precipitation occurs in the period between May and August. In the extreme south, rain bursts caused by typhoons (tropical cyclones) occur between July and September.

Plant and animal life

Forests cover nearly one-fourth of Guangxi. Stands of fir, red pine, cedar, camphor, and rosewood are found in the north and west; oranges grow in profusion in the south; while the cassia tree, anise, and betel palm flourish in many parts of the region. The two tree species of the coniferous genus Cathaya are found in the northeastern forests. In central and southern Guangxi, many denuded hillsides have been taken over by tall coarse grasses, which are used for fuel or as pasturage for young water buffalo. Prominent types of wildlife include bison, boars, bears, gibbons (a kind of ape), hedgehogs, and cockatoos.

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Population composition

The population includes Han Chinese, Zhuang, Mien (known in China as Yao), Hmong (known in China as Miao), and Dong. The Zhuang are found largely in the western two-thirds of the region, while the Han are concentrated in the eastern third. Two distinct Chinese linguistic influences can be noted: Southwest Mandarin is spoken in the Guilin district in the northeast as well as in the north, while Cantonese is spoken throughout the remainder of the region. The Yao, Miao, and Dong settlements are widely scattered.

The Zhuang, a Tai people, have inhabited Guangxi for some 2,500 years. Living on the plains and in the river valleys of the hilly west, they cultivate paddy rice and practice an economy that easily merges with that of the Chinese. They are often referred to as “water dwellers” because their settlements are close to water and their dwellings are constructed on piles or stilts. For two millennia the Zhuang have coexisted with the Han. The Zhuang have absorbed Chinese culture, speaking both their own dialects and Cantonese. A romanized Zhuang alphabet has been created and is one of the four writing systems to be printed on Chinese banknotes.

The origins of the Dong are not clear, but they are generally considered to be a branch of the Zhuang, whom they resemble closely. They live in the high mountains close to the Guizhou border to the north. The Miao and the Yao, however, have long resisted the absorption of Chinese culture. Their languages are distinct and, at most, are only distantly related to Chinese. None of the Hmong-Mien (Miao-Yao) languages were written until alphabets based on adaptations of the Latin script were introduced in the late 1950s.

Upland dwellers who suffer from a scarcity of arable land, the Miao and the Yao practice shifting (slash-and-burn) agriculture. Characteristically, the Miao and Yao settlements are removed from transportation routes and are walled for defense. Besides farming and lumbering, which form the basis of their economy, the Yao make charcoal and bamboo basketry.

Settlement patterns

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The great majority of Guangxi’s population lives in rural areas. The population is unevenly distributed. Approximately two-thirds inhabit the eastern third of the region, while only one-third occupy the remainder of the territory to the west. The principal cities of the region are the capital, Nanning, which is the major city and industrial centre of the southwest; Liuzhou, in the north, a hub of water and rail transport, the trading centre for the region’s forest products, and a burgeoning industrial area; Guilin, in the northeast, which lies on the traditional trade route to central China and is a leading educational and commercial centre; Wuzhou, at the border with Guangdong in the east, the gateway to trade along the Xi River; Beihai, on the Gulf of Tonkin, one of China’s designated “open” coastal port cities; and Pingxiang, on the China-Vietnam border, which is a major centre of regional and international trade.