While in Nanning, I wandered for an afternoon around Xiangsi Town and, franky, it’s one of those places that’s a little difficult to describe. It’s not a historic village exactly, more like a purpose-built cultural theme park meets shopping district, but they did it well enough that I still enjoyed it. The whole complex is designed around Dong minority architecture, with lanterns hanging absolutely everywhere (including from the giant drum tower which acts as a sort of centrepiece), though it’s more of a purpose-built cultural theme park and shopping district then an actual historic village.
With pretty low expectations going in (thinking it’d be a little too manufactured), I ended up walking around for a good few hours, poking my nose into some of the shops, and taking in the atmosphere. Here’s what I saw.
My Walk Around Xiangsi Town
Xiangsi Town
I walked through main entrance gate and took a photo of the map board just inside. This proved helpful because the place is larger than it looks from the outside. From a central lake, the layout spread out in all directions with different themed areas branching away.
I wandered around in one of the winding garden paths through the complex! The covered walkways, with long strings of lanterns hanging above them, was a surprisingly relaxing place to be even with all the crowds. I had some stretches where they guided me down rocky pathways and through what looked like little courtyards.
It was definitely meant to feel rustic and traditional, but everything was quite obviously new construction.
It’s all very much designed as a minority village look, too; the buildings themselves has been done up in traditional wooden architecture, lined with shops and restaurants along stone walkways. There were quite a few interesting design touches that I noted (carved details), wind sculptures, that sort of thing. It’s not simply slapping up generic storefronts, and yes, they’ve put some effort into the details.
The drum tower dominate the central plaza. And let me tell you, it is really impressive. I don’t know much about Dong architecture, but this thing is big!
There are multiple levels of wooden eaves stacked high. It is all made without nails in the traditional fashion. Around it, people was milling around the shops and taking photos in the busy plaza.
I took a complete lap around and saw rows of wooden buildings filled with anything from clothing boutiques to snack stall.
They had lanterns strung along them that I’m sure are very beautiful at night. There was one entire wall right next to the plaza that was simply covered in lanterns, hundreds of them hung in rows. Obviously there for pictures and people were certainly taking advantage of it.
I popped into the drum tower itself for a peek. Inside, there were mostly open wooden beams and support structures that was cool to see up close. Everything is built so intricately; they all slot together in interlocking joints.
The shopping streets are a good example of how when you step back from the traditional facades, the mix is actualy quite moddern. Bubble tea places and dessert shops is mixed in with a Miniso tucked away on one of the buildings. I saw a fortune-telling stand that had one of those automated machines, you know, where you select a number and it prints out your fortune.
A little random but it fitted right in with the overall slightly surreal theme-park vibe. Finally, I roamed around lakeshore and through the back alleys (there are a lot of them).
This is what you see from the pavilion where they hold cultural events at night (which were silent during my visit). All those houses on stilts along the lake? They’re all made of wood like this.
And there are so many ways to get views of the drum tower; I was constantly turning down another alley to find something new.
Get close enough and notice some of the really nice carvings/eaves: There were other little decorative touches that kept things visually interesting, such as a row of decorative bird cages hanging in one hall, and chillies drying on strings from the ceiling in another corridor. The overall vibe was quite planned though. It’s a nice little lake to stroll about anyway.
Lantern poles line the shore, and more of those stilt buildings is reflected in the water. Even more fancy bird cages are dotted all around, another recurring theme that I’ve spotted.
One of the cafés caught my eye so I paused there for a rest. Outside, they have rustic wooden tables and chairs, potted plants and umbrellas that fit in perfectly with the theme. Plates hang from the walls, and umbrellas with traditional designs is displayed outside.
Everything is very instagrammable, and it seems this is at least partly the goal.
As I wandered around further, there was even more decorative detail. Lanterns were strung in the branches of trees, there were lattice windows, and poles was decorated with some sort of colourful pom-poms that appeared leftover from a recent celebration or festival. Everything seemed intentional, with every corner having something to draw you in.
I followed the paths out to the edge of the complex where there were things such as a suspension bridge spanning part of the lake, along with a big wooden water wheel. Then there was a woven gate made from branches that opened up onto what appeared to be a resort area with buildings for accommodation. The entire thing is obviously a little bit of everything, leisure destination, cultural showcase and shopping centre all rolled into one.
Overall, I was happy with my experience in Xiangsi Town. It’s made-for-tourists, it’s fake, but it’s nicely done so I wasn’t bothered by it at all. If you’re in Nanning and looking for a relaxing afternoon of shopping, walking around, and taking pictures, it’s worth visiting; just go there knowing what you’ll get.
In fact, I imagine it must be quite lovely here in the evenings with all those lanterns lit up. What do you think; is this kind of cultural theme town worth it or has it gotten too touristy? Have you visited any other ones in China?
