Nanning Zoo locates in Xixiangtang District, Nanning City. It was founded in 1973 and officially opened to the public in 1975. It has a total area of 39.1 hectares and receives more than 1 million tourists from home and abroad each year. It is currently the only large-scale zoo in Guangxi Province that mainly focuses on the wild animal excursion, animal protection, breeding, management and scientific research. Nanning Zoo is the National 4A Class Scenic Area as the leading zoo in the city.
Features of Nanning Zoo
When the park was firstly built, it covers an area of 39.1 hectares, of which the land area is 31.1 hectares and the water area is 8 hectares. The expansion of the zoo started in 1995 and finished in 2003.
The topography in the park is naturally undulating: the trees are dense and evergreen and the lawn is huge. The ecological garden landscape has the characteristics of the southern subtropics, which is regarded as the "zoo in the botanical garden".
Nanning Zoo is composed of the Dolphinarium, Elephant Hall, Gibbon Hall, Francois’s Leaf Monkey House, Giraffe House, Penguin House, Hippo House, Reptile House, Hornbill House, Kangaroo House, Waterfowl Lake and more than 30 other small scenic spots.
There are more than 2,500 animals in 250 species on display in Nanning Zoo, such as dolphins, sea lions, Asian elephants, African elephants, giraffes, Siberian tigers, African lions, gibbons, black langurs, hippos, hornbills and other precious species. At the same time, the zoo also has the largest artificial domesticated groups of gibbons, dolphins, hornbills, and hippos in China.
The Dolphinarium was built in 2002, with an investment of 20 million RMB. Coving for 30,000 square meters, it has the best dolphin performance hall in the southwest China. The hall can accommodate more than 2,000 spectators. At the same time, the unique design, wonderful dolphin and sea lion animal performances make it become the most beautiful and iconic building in the zoo. It is also a shining pearl in Nanning attracting the tourists worldwide.
The Terrestrial Animal Protection Center is located in the central part of the zoo and can accommodate 4,000 people at the same time. The center has the advanced stereo equipment and perfect visual effects. The audience can obtain good audiovisual effects from different parts of the building. The center features wonderful and diverse elephant performances, which are very popular among tourists as one of the must-see attractions in the zoo.
In October 2008, the zoo invested a lot in the construction of "Three Rings Roller Coaster", "Hurricane Movement", "Magic Windmill", "Spin Block", "Big Pendulum", and other large-scale exciting amusement projects in China. The zoo has the first roller coaster in Guangxi Province and becomes the only themed amusement park in Nanning. Nanning Zoo will strive to become a national first-class zoo, integrating fine animal performances, rare animal exhibitions and themed amusement park.