Here is a customized 7-day in-depth travel guide for you in Mingshi Tianyuan, blending karst landscapes, Zhuang culture, border customs, and local cuisine, while considering the summer climate

Here is a customized 7-day in-depth travel guide for you in Mingshi Tianyuan, blending karst landscapes, Zhuang culture, border customs, and local cuisine, while taking into account the characteristics of the summer climate, with a controllable budget and a well-balanced itinerary: --- 🌾 **Itinerary Overview** **Theme**: Scenic Water and Mountains Tour + Cultural Experience + Border Exploration **Transportation Suggestions**: - **High-speed train + car rental**: Nanning East Station → Chongzuo South Station (about 1 hour), then rent a car to Mingshi Tianyuan (1.5 hours, about 200 RMB/car). - **Self-driving**: Nanning → Hena Expressway → S311 Provincial Road (3.5 hours total), with karst landforms gradually coming into view along the way. **Accommodation Strategy**: - **High-end experience**: Mingshi Yaju · Mountain and Water Boutique Stay (pool by the river, includes bamboo raft experience, about 1000 RMB/night). - **Cost-effective choice**: Mingshi Muzhiyu Homestay (near Yulin Dam, 10-minute walk to the core area, about 400 RMB/night). --- 🗓️ **Daily Itinerary** **Day 1: Arrive at Mingshi, First Encounter with a Landscape Painting** - **Afternoon**: Drive or take high-speed train from Nanning to Chongzuo, then rent a car directly to Mingshi Tianyuan, check in at a riverside homestay. - **Evening**: Cycle along the **Mingshi Greenway** (electric bike rental 20 RMB/hour), visit **Mingshi Bridge** at sunset, capture the golden peak forest reflections. - **Dinner**: Enjoy **fragrant leaf grilled fish** + **bamboo tube rice** at the homestay farmhouse, paired with Zhuang glutinous rice wine. **Day 2: Bamboo Raft Tour + Deep Zhuang Culture** - **Morning**: **Bamboo raft drifting on Mingshi River** (80 RMB/person), 60 minutes through karst peak forests, with boatmen singing mountain songs impromptu. - **Afternoon**: - **Zhuang Folk House Museum** (110 RMB ticket including bamboo raft): experience traditional brocade weaving, make embroidered balls, visit stilted Ganlan-style houses. - Climb to **Longtoushan Viewing Platform** (20 RMB) for a panoramic view of the "Little Guilin" where rice fields and peak forests intertwine. - **Night**: If it’s a weekend, join the bonfire party (free entry with room card at Xiutianju Inn). **Day 3: Detian Transnational Waterfall Border Wonder** - **All day**: Rent a car to **Detian Waterfall** (40 minutes by car): - Take a bamboo raft close to the waterfall (ticket + sightseeing bus 140 RMB), check in at the China-Vietnam border marker No. 53. - Climb to the "Detian Temple" viewing platform to capture the waterfall rainbow. - **Lunch**: Vietnamese food street inside the scenic area, recommended **coconut coffee** + **fried spring rolls**. - **Return trip**: Pass by **Green Island Xingyun**, photograph the emerald islands in the Guichun River shoal. **Day 4: Anping Fairy River Secret Realm and Slow Countryside Life** - **Morning**: Rent a boat to tour **Anping Fairy River** (200 RMB/boat, 1.5 hours), filming location of "The Journey of Flower," travel through the water forest. - **Afternoon**: - **Mingshi Tianyuan free creation**: rent Zhuang costumes for travel photography (50 RMB/set), focus on shooting the **Yulin Dam** waterscape and **Happiness Bridge** rice fields. - **Handicraft experience**: workshop to make traditional brown sugar or five-color glutinous rice. - **Dinner**: Must-try **Pearl Duck** (one of Mingshi’s three treasures). **Day 5: Tongling Grand Canyon Earth Core Adventure** - **All day**: Drive 1.5 hours to **Tongling Grand Canyon**: - Hike through the primeval forest (115 RMB ticket), explore underground rivers and ancient hanging coffins, enjoy the cool 22°C temperature. - Pass by **Sandieling Waterfall**, free water play to cool off. - **Evening**: Return to Mingshi, enjoy **Lemon Duck** (sour and appetizing). **Day 6: Cultural Pilgrimage — Huashan Rock Paintings** - **Morning**: Drive 2 hours to **Ningming Huashan Rock Paintings** (World Heritage): - Take a boat to view 2000-year-old rock paintings of the Luoyue ancestors (80 RMB ticket including boat), interpret sacrificial scenes. - **Lunch**: Ningming County’s **Sour Porridge Hotpot** (fermented rice soup base, unique flavor). - **Afternoon**: Return to Mingshi, relax at the homestay pool or riverside afternoon tea. **Day 7: Countryside Morning Mist and Return** - **Early morning**: 6:00 ride to **Xianshan Yaochi**, photograph the misty karst wetlands. - **Morning**: - Shop at **Mingshi Market**: traditional brown sugar, Zhuang brocade handbags. - Experience basket boat rowing (30 RMB/person). - **Afternoon**: Return to Nanning (2.5 hours by car). --- ⭐ **Special Experiences and Tips** 1. **Summer Photography Secrets**: - Shoot misty rice fields from 6:00-8:00, shoot sunset peak forests from 17:00-19:00, wear red/white dresses for better photos. 2. **Food List**: - Must-try: five-color glutinous rice (naturally dyed with plants), locust flower jelly (cool dessert), charcoal-grilled pig eyes (for the adventurous). - Recommended restaurants: Mingshi Mountain Villa (Zhuang-style banquet), roadside sour fruit stalls. 3. **Family-friendly Activities**: - Museum embroidered ball DIY, rice field fish catching, night firefly watching (July-August only). --- 💰 **Budget Reference (per person)** | **Item** | **Cost (RMB)** | |----------------|---------------| | Tickets + Experiences | ≈600 (including bamboo raft, Detian, Tongling) | | Accommodation (6 nights) | 1500-3000 (budget to high-end) | | Meals | 800-1000 (including specialty dishes) | | Transportation (car rental + vehicle) | 1000-1500 (shared by 4 people) | | **Total** | **3900-6100** | --- ⚠️ **Summer Exclusive Reminders** 1. **Heat Prevention Strategy**: - Schedule indoor activities (museum, workshop) or homestay rest from 10:00-15:00 during peak heat. - Essentials: sunscreen arm sleeves, Huoxiang Zhengqi water, handheld fan (mineral water 3 RMB/bottle in scenic areas). 2. **Accommodation Tips**: - **Book 3 weeks in advance!** Mingshi Yaju is often fully booked in summer, Muzhiyu Homestay is cost-effective and easier to reserve. 3. **Ecological Protection**: - Do not litter on bamboo rafts, avoid stepping on rice fields during hikes, respect Zhuang sacrificial sites (such as rock painting areas). > This itinerary avoids the midday sun, concentrating core outdoor activities in the early morning and evening, balancing culture and nature. If physical strength is limited, you can skip Day 5 Tongling Canyon and replace it with a full day of relaxing or cycling exploration of lesser-known villages along the Mingshi River, truly experiencing the essence of the "Hermit's Residence" slow life.