CAEXPO 07 'revisited'

Nanning, a city of charm and surprises

NANNING is the capital of Ghuanxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China, 160km from the border with Vietnam. Built in the first year of Daxing (AD 318) of Eastern Jin Dynasty, today Nanning governs six districts and six countries covering an area of 22,293 sq km, almost 4 times larger than the size of Brunei Darussalam. It consists of 35 nationalities out of which 57 percent is predominantly ethnic Zhuang.

Being the top China’s tourist destination city, Nanning is also named the most competitive expo city and dubbed the Green City. These advantages have quickly grows Nanning as a major and leading city linking Asean countries and China. More grandeur awaits visitors as the city is in abundance of gourmet, shopping centers, entertainments, parks and resorts.

A general view of Nanning City

My first impression of this bustling city was on my way to Nanning hotel with an overwhelming number of billboards, banners and streamers put up on facades of major buildings and main roads welcoming visitors to CAEXPO (China-Asean Expo) which was held simultaneously with business conferences, seminars and cultural shows. The vehicles movements were surprisingly at ease despite the huge convergence of cars, buses, motorcycles and bicycles crisscrossing in and out of the city. Off the beaten track for most of us, my observation is arguable since the four days extravaganza was still days away and I have never been to other big cities in China where the population may exceed Nanning city of over 6.7 million inhabitants. The masses seemed oblivious of enormous contingents that have been crowding the city as if no major event was imminent.

Morning rush hour in downtown

Electric-motor bicycles were a familiar sight in this city. Seemingly, the machines outnumbered other mode of transportations because it is economic and environmentally-friendly. Another ‘finding’ surprised us. Motorcycles were fitted with alarm system and parking attendants duly performed their duties issuing tags and collecting fees from the motorcyclists at designated spaces. I noticed there weren’t many traffic lights at downtown either except at heavily congested junctions which I think was one of the many reasons why traffic snag was kept to a minimum. Other contributing factor might be the presence of tirelessly looking uniformed personnel directing vehicles movement throughout the day thus saving everyone’s adrenalin rush. When road accidents occurred, a buildup of inquisitive onlookers was virtually unseen. Whether it was a normal sight or not, undoubtedly put a break on unnecessary traffic congestions.

Nanning expo center

As a rule of a thumb, the thrill and spill of any city is best experienced either on foot or traveling in a vehicle. On an informal short tour of the city by bus, I caught a glimpse of skyscrapers and more importantly the city surroundings for which Nanning is largely well-known for; lush tropical foliage, magnificent landscape and beautiful gardens. No wonder Nanning is nicknamed the Green City. The main river dividing two major parts of the city was illuminated by stationary multi-shaped floating processions at night. Based on the travel guide reference book, visitors will be spoiled for choices with more than 1,700 kinds of plants and over 40 spieces of rare animals which can be spotted in Damingshan, one of the top ten countryside scenic spots at Nanning.

The hectic schedule at daytime and the incessant foggy skyline blanketing most part of the city. Wind blew into every nook and cranny of the city but we managed to help ourselves in the breezing condition sauntering down the road to a popular multi-storey night market, a 15 minute’s walk from the hotel. On the last day at the city, the temperature was dropped to a 15 degrees Celsius with scattered rains.

A two storey Nanning Mosque

A convenient passage to reach the market is either using the subway or overhead bridge. The market has a lot to offer ranging from everything to tailored made garments at reasonable price depending on fabric quality and would be ready for pick up in two days. The only obvious hiccup is of course the language. There are instances bargaining at shopping outlets gave us a torrid time. Nonchalantly, they would turn us away if we tried to confer in a foreign language. The best alternative was to improvise or use other means of interaction to save the day’s blushes.

There was more at stake when night starts to fall where traders unpacked their stuff along a street well into the night with rock bottom prices. Here, plenty of local brand goods from children’s wears and toys to jackets, trousers, begs, shirts and shoes were sold at unbeatable bargains provided you stumble on the right outlets. The only noticeable mosque was within a walking distance from the market which offers an eatery outlet within its precinct.

Attendant (clad in jacket) manning motorcyclist parking space

This year marked the 4th time CAEXPO is being organized by The People’s Government of GuangXi Zhuang Autonomous Region and co-sponsored by all Asean nations. It was held for the first time in 2004 which is based on the Framework Agreement on China-Asean Comprehensive Economic Cooperation. Its sole objective is to promote the building of China-Asean Free Trade Area, striving for mutual benefits and common prosperity. The CAEXPO focuses on regional economic and trade cooperation and provides tremendous opportunities for the business communities from all over the world.

Brunei handicrafts a hit among Chinese visitors

With the potential of Brunei products penetrating a slice of China market in the foreseeable future, it is a matter of times when Brunei Halal brand and other commodities would end up in China’s supermarket shelves and outlets. In anticipation, the event would open up the floodgates for more cooperation between Brunei and China in tourism, ICT, Education, handicraft and budding food sector.