Other than Guangxi, there are no other places anyone likes. Seems this is why we are all here in Yunnan.

I lived in Guangxi for 2 years and very much liked, but the heat and humidity were killers for me. Also rarely did the sun shine during the 2 winters i spent in Beihai and Liuzhou.

I am making the BIG move to Nanning, Guangxi next month. I have been back several times to do some apt hunting. The place has really changed since I was there 14 years ago. Here are a few of the things I really like about Nanning from my visits the last few months.

1 - Cars and buses stop for pedestrians on crosswalks.

2 - People, bikes, and cars respect traffic lights and wait patiently for their turn.

3 - Bus drivers are not in a mad rush and they wait for older people to sit down before moving.

4 - People on buses give their seats to older people and women.

5 - Buses have a TV but the volume is completely turned OFF so a bus ride is much more relaxing.

6 - Cars and buses do NOT blow their horn all the time.

7 - Bikes stations are conveniently located at all subway stations and in many other locations - NOT a catastrophe like Kunming.

8 - Men do NOT smoke so much as they do in the tobacco capital of China (Yunnan). Very rare to see a smoker on the street.

9 - Many old parts of the city are still intact and have NOT been demolished like here in Kunming.

10 - There are benches everywhere in the city so people can just sit and rest. All bus stops have benches.

11 - A lot more E-bikes then in Kunming but much less cars and traffic.

12 - The people are friendly and answer questions politely.

13 - The best thing I like is that all bus stops have the name of the street corners. This is so convenient for tourists because one knows exactly where one is all the time.

14 - Nanning is much more civilized than Kunming in so many ways.

Are

you selling your condo and doing a total break from Kunming?

No, still keeping both our homes; in Kunming and Dali.

Campo, I visited Nanning a year and a half ago on the way back from Yangshuo. I remember my astonishment when a car stopped to let me cross the road at a pedestrian crossing. It wasn't repeated many times while I was there, but that it happened to me within 2 hours of arriving probably indicates that it probably wasn't just a one off. For a tourist there isn't much there, but the things you mention sound great for a comfortable and convenient life. Good luck with your move, hope it all goes well.

@H
Thanks for the info on guangxi. The altitude is lower, things are greener (more mold and mildew?), and the place just seems more progressive than Yunnan in general, based on the many projects it leads.

The GDP per capita is significantly higher (about ¥10k per year) than Yunnan, so I'd be wondering if Guangxi is a more expensive place for day-to-day living (or is Kunming just a ripoff city) - veges, fruit, meat, cooking oil, etc - staples.

As I am sure you know, Kunming is NOT a big fruit producer.

Yes, many things can grow here but in the hotter climates with a lot of sun and rain all one needs to do is just drop a seed into the ground and God does all the work for you.

For me, food is by far the main reason I am leaving Yunnan - the food sucks here - everything is topped with red chilly which I can NOT bear. The Cantonese food in Guangxi is GREAT! I don't have to eat nasty noodles 3 times a day any more.

Prices are just about the same as Kunming and I sure do NOT mind the hot weather.

Another reason I prefer Nanning is the effect the pollution from construction as well as the dry weather have on me here in Kunming. The day I leave Kunming, I immediately STOP producing so much phlegm and mucus. My nose is NOT dry and I don't have dry blood in my nose every morning in Nanning - I can breathe!

Good Luck to all!

@HFCAMPO
Eat plenty of red chilly and you can stand any amount of pollution and no problem with phlegm and mucus.

@HFCampo
Have fun.