Mingxiu Garden is one of the three main gardens in Guangxi, located on Mingxiu Road, Wuming District, Nanning City. Mingxiu Garden is surrounded by water on three sides and covered by green plants. It covers an area of 42 acres which looks like a peninsula. The existing entrance gate, the pavilion, lotus pond and some stone benches were all built during the 1920s and 1930s.
History of Mingxiu Garden
Mingxiu Garden is the private courtyard of Lu Rongting, the leader of the Guangxi warlord in history. It is also a great place to learn about the legendary life of Lu Rongting. It was once a place where Lu’s subordinates and soldiers recuperated. Lu Rongting usually discussed important political and military matters here. His merits and demerits are still hot topics of debate among experts and scholars. Mingxiu Garden is an indispensable and important basis for studying the legendary life of Lu Rongting and the Guangxi warlord.
In 1821 of the Qing Dynasty, Liang Shengqi, a provincial graduate in the western suburbs of the city, asked his sons Liang Yuanluo and Liang Yuanna to build a private orchard garden there, which is named as "Fuchun Garden". The Liang brothers planted fruits in the garden and built various buildings and pavilions. In 1919, Lu Rongting, bought the garden from Liang Yuanna, and renamed it as "Mingxiu Garden" after his uncle Lu Mingxiu.
In 1921, the Guangdong-Guizhou War broke out and most of the buildings in Mingxiu Garden were burned down. In 1934, Liang Hansong, the commander of the Nanning, repaired the buildings and the gates of the park, and then re-titled "Mingxiu Park".
In the 1930s, Hu Hanmin, Zhang Taiyan and other officials, as well as Liang Qichao, went to the garden to discuss the affairs with Lu Rongting. In 1938, it became the Anti-Japanese Command Post of the government armies. During the Anti-Japanese War, Bai Chongxi set up the General Command in the park.
Beautiful Mingxiu Garden
One of the main attractions in the garden is the steel rope bridge connecting Mingxiu Garden and Chunxia Garden. This used to be the resting area for Lu Rongting's soldiers. In the garden, various towering and ancient trees, rugged rocks, wandering paths and pavilions offer quite a unique and beautiful landscape. The environment is quiet and the air is fresh. The old litchi trees have grown into the forest for centuries. On the left, the Zhi Pavilion was rebuilt to appreciate the lotus flowers and goldfish. Hidden under the green leaves, the Dongtian Pavilion stands on the rock, with a hexagonal wooden structure.