Binyang County 宾阳县

History

Administration here begins with Lingfang County (领方县), set up in 111 BC and named after Mount Lingfang. In 631 the Tang created Binzhou (宾州), named after the Bin River (宾水), which the county government identifies with today's Qingping Reservoir (清平水库) and its feeder, the Xiaojiang (小江). The present name dates from 1912 and refers to the county town's position north of the Bin River; the county came under Nanning city on 27 June 2003.

In 1939 and 1940 the Kunlun Pass (昆仑关) on the border with Nanning's Xingning District saw the Battle of Kunlun Pass; the battlefield, the cemetery of the Fifth Army and the Baiyan front-line headquarters (白岩前线指挥部) form a national key cultural relics site.

What to see

The county government points visitors to the Binzhou old town (宾州古城), the Cai family compound (蔡氏古宅) at Cai village in Gula Town (古辣镇), the former residence of Cheng Siyuan (程思远故居) and the bamboo groves at Baiheguan (白鹤观). The Ming-dynasty Binzhou South Bridge (宾州南桥) and the Qing-dynasty Cai compound are both regional protected sites.

The Paolong Festival, listed nationally in 2008, blends Han and Zhuang customs. Local tradition ties it to the Song general Di Qing (狄青), who is said to have staged a dragon dance to the crack of burning bamboo at the Lantern Festival to lull Nong Zhigao's (侬智高) troops at Kunlun Pass. It now falls on the 11th day of the first lunar month, with a parade of costumed children on floats, a lantern gathering and, from 7 pm, the fire-dragon dance.

Food and local products

Binyang sour rice noodles (宾阳酸粉) are eaten cold: sheets of steamed rice noodle are topped with char siu, fried pork, fried beef patties, sausage and fried peanuts or soybeans, then dressed with a sweet-sour sauce, pickled cucumber and red chilli. The rice is soaked for 24 hours and stone-ground, and the batter is rinsed repeatedly for seven days before steaming. Other named products are Litang lotus root (黎塘莲藕), Gula fragrant rice (古辣香米), Heji grapes (和吉葡萄) and Binyang Zhuang brocade (宾阳壮锦), which the county dates back more than 1,000 years.

Getting oriented

Litang Town (黎塘镇) is the county's rail hub: the Hunan–Guangxi, Litang–Zhanjiang and Litang–Qinzhou railways meet there, and Binyang high-speed station, also in Litang, serves the Nanning–Guangzhou high-speed line and the Nanning–Liuzhou intercity line.

Highlights

• Paolong Festival 宾阳炮龙节: National intangible heritage since 2008; fire-dragon dance on the 11th day of the first lunar month.
• Kunlun Pass battle site 昆仑关战役旧址: National key cultural relics site of the 1939–1940 battle.
• Cai family compound 蔡氏古宅: Qing-dynasty compound in Gula Town, a regional protected site.
• Binyang sour rice noodles 宾阳酸粉: Cold rice noodles with char siu, fried meats and a sweet-sour sauce.