Qinzhou 钦州市

Setting and landscape

The Liuwan Mountains (六万大山) rise to 1,118 metres in the north-east of the prefecture and the Shiwan Mountains (十万大山) to 994.5 metres in the north-west, and the Qin River (钦江) flows south-west through the city into the gulf. The mainland coast runs for 562.64 kilometres, with 294 islands offshore. The city government describes the Maowei Sea (茅尾海), an inlet of 135 square kilometres, as south China's largest natural oyster-spat and oyster-farming base, and mangroves grow where rivers meet the sea.

History

Under the Han the area belonged to Hepu County, whose seat stood in today's Pubei (浦北). In 598 the Sui renamed Anzhou (安州) as Qinzhou, the origin of the name. Liu Yongfu (刘永福, 1837–1917), who settled in Qinzhou, led the Black Flag Army against the French in Vietnam, killing their commander west of Hanoi in 1883, and stayed on in Taiwan to fight the Japanese after the Sino-Japanese War. The former residences of Liu and of Feng Zicai (冯子材) form a national key cultural relics protection unit, as do the Yuezhou (越州) ancient city site and the old buildings of Dalu village (大芦村). Qinzhou became a prefecture-level city in 1994.

What to see

About 300 Chinese white dolphins live at Sanniang Bay; boats take visitors out to see them, their skin is white, grey, black, blue or pink depending on age, and a science museum explains them. Qinzhou Port's Seventy-two Jing (七十二泾) is known as the "Penglai of the South", with oyster rafts stretching across the water. Inland, Wuhuang Mountain (五皇山) in Pubei has high tea gardens, and Liufeng Mountain (六峰山) in Lingshan (灵山) is one of the Eight Views of Qinzhou.

Food and local products

Qinzhou Bay's four famous products are big oysters, green crabs, prawns and groupers, and early winter is when the oysters are plumpest. Sea duck eggs (海鸭蛋) and Guandong fish (官垌鱼) are other local products, Lingshan is known for lychees, and Chinese Wikipedia lists Qinzhou pig's-trotter noodles (钦州猪脚粉) and Lingshan big zongzi (灵山大粽) among the snacks.

Getting oriented

The city government sits in Qinbei District (钦北区). The Nanning–Fangchenggang, Qinzhou–Beihai and Qinzhou–Fangchenggang railways meet in the city, and Qinzhou Port is a major Beibu Gulf port.

Highlights

• Sanniang Bay 三娘湾: Main habitat of about 300 Chinese white dolphins, seen from boats; has a dolphin science museum.
• Maowei Sea 茅尾海: Inlet of 135 square kilometres, an oyster-spat and oyster-farming base known for oysters, green crabs, prawns and groupers.
• Former residences of Liu Yongfu and Feng Zicai 刘永福、冯子材旧居建筑群: National key cultural relics protection unit.
• Seventy-two Jing 七十二泾: Qinzhou Port area known as the Penglai of the South, with oyster rafts offshore.
• Nixing pottery 坭兴陶: Pottery that originated in Qinzhou; a national geographical-indication product.