Fangcheng District 防城区

History

The name Fangcheng dates from the Song, when the area belonged to Qinzhou (钦州). In 1888 the western part of Qinzhou became Fangcheng County, under Guangdong. The county moved between Guangdong and Guangxi several times and was merged into the Dongxing multi-ethnic autonomous county (东兴各族自治县) in 1958. In 1978 the county seat moved from Dongxing to Fangcheng town and the county became the Fangcheng multi-ethnic autonomous county (防城各族自治县). On 23 May 1993 the State Council abolished the county and set up Fangchenggang city, with Fangcheng as one of its two districts.

The district government lists the former residence of Liu Yongfu (刘永福故居), the Bailong fort (白龙古炮台), the Tanpeng ancient canal (潭蓬古运河) and the old town of Naliang (那良古镇) among its historic sites.

What to see

Bailang Beach (白浪滩), a 4A scenic area in the northeast of the Jiangshan Peninsula (江山半岛), is named for its rolling lines of white surf. It is about 8 kilometres long and up to 2.8 kilometres wide, and the district government calls it China's largest beach. The fine sand is white flecked with black from titanium ore, and the gentle slope leaves a tidal flat several hundred metres wide, used for beach sports and sand-car driving.

Inland, the Beilun River Source scenic area (北仑河源头景区), a 3A site at Liushi village in Naliang town, lies 72 kilometres from the district seat next to the Vietnamese border and offers rafting, climbing and camping. At Dongzhong town (峒中镇) on the border, hot springs flow at about 38 to 48°C; local people and garrison soldiers have bathed there since the Daoguang reign of the Qing.

Culture and local products

Golden camellia (金花茶), nicknamed the "giant panda of the plant world", grows mainly in Fangcheng, which in 2015 became the first national protected ecological origin area for the plant. The Daban Yao (大板瑶) of Dongzhong and Naliang hold the Abao Festival (阿宝节), "abao" meaning a gathering or date in the Yao language, on the fourth day of the third lunar month and the seventh day of the seventh. Meeting sweethearts and singing love songs are the heart of it, and the Panwang dance (盘王舞) honours the ancestor Panwang (盘王). The festival joined the Guangxi regional intangible heritage list in 2008.

Getting oriented

The district lies 20 kilometres from the port of Fangchenggang. The Beilun River Source area is 190 kilometres from Nanning (南宁).

Highlights

• Bailang Beach 白浪滩: 4A beach on the Jiangshan Peninsula, about 8 km long and up to 2.8 km wide, with titanium-darkened sand.
• Beilun River Source Scenic Area 北仑河源头景区: 3A area in Naliang town beside the Vietnamese border, with rafting and camping.
• Dongzhong Hot Spring 峒中温泉: Border hot spring at about 38-48°C, used for bathing since the Daoguang reign.
• Abao Festival 阿宝节: Daban Yao festival of song and courtship, on the Guangxi intangible heritage list since 2008.
• Golden camellia 金花茶: Rare camellia found mainly in Fangcheng; national protected origin area since 2015.