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| Tourist
Guides for China |
Nanling,
Guangdong Tourist Guide (October 2008) |
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General Comments:
NanLing is a large rural town about 20 miles from Guilin
in Guangdong Province, and it has one very interesting
secret - it is home of the Premier Kung Fu School in
China. Kung Fu, known as Gong Fu locally, is not considered
a sport as it is in England. It is a cultural exhibition
by those who do not practice it as a Martial Art. The
School in NanLing teaches it as a Martial art, and courses
are available for visiting tourists by arrangement.
The town is also known as Guangling - depending upon
who you are speaking to?
Gong Fu has 3 disciplines: the Martial Art as we
know it, Lion Dance, and Dragon Dance. Nanling School
is the foremost in China for the first two of these
disciplines. So much so, that in a recent All-Asia
Lion Dance Competition, they took the first three
places!
I was fortunate to be able to watch a full dress
rehearsal for a forthcoming 'Lion Dance' Competition.
Inside the costume are 2 people who's skill and agility
is absolutely breath-taking. The performance lasted
over one hour, culminating in the Traditional Lion
dance, where a 'Lion' jumps across a set of poles
set high above the ground. After spending 2 years
in China, this is still the most memorable event I
have witnessed.
The whole evening was a showcase of talent, as it
also contained a Gong Fu display of consummate skill,
using real swords and spears where appropriate. Some
of the performers were girls as young as 6 years,
and the most adept was a 13 year old girl who actually
spoke English
Other than this school, Nanling is easy to miss.
It is a centre for Bamboo products, and has a bamboo
themed amusement park. One shop on the outside of
town sells Jade, and it was remarkable for having
the largest Jade carving I have ever seen in real
life. It was a perfect eagle in dark Jade standing
some 9 feet high and 10 feet wide - awesome!
Summary:
If you want the very best in Chinese
Kung Fu Instruction, or have a personal predilection
for Bamboo, then 'Fill your Boots'. Otherwise forget
it! |
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This information is as supplied by the Chinese Embassy
in UK, as dated 20th June 2008, and/or other reliable
sources. Please check this information yourself as it
may alter without notice, and whilst we try our best
to ensure it is correct, please do not hold us responsible
for any errors - this is intended as a simple guide
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