Guangxi (redirected from Kwangsi Chuang)

Guangxi

 or Kuang-hsi conventional Kwangsi in full Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi

Autonomous region (pop., 2002 est.: 48,220,000), southern China. Lying on the Gulf of Tonkin, it is bordered by Vietnam and by Guangdong, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces. It has an area of 85,100 sq mi (220,400 sq km) and is largely hilly, with river valleys where rice is grown. Its capital is Nanning. Its recorded history dates from 45 BC, and it was given its present name during the Song dynasty (AD 960–1279). With Guangdong, it became the base of the Nationalists under Sun Yat-sen in the early 20th century. Local leaders later formed the Guangxi Clique in opposition to Chiang Kai-shek, who crushed their revolt in 1929. Guangxi was declared a province of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and in 1958 it became an autonomous region. Noted for its agricultural production, it is also an important source for forest products.