China Guide
Guangxi and Guizhou
Pingxiang
Surrounded by jutting karst hills, PINGXIANG is a small, bustling trading town and railhead for the Vietnamese border crossing, 15km away. The train station lies about 3km outside town on the border road; the bus station is in the centre of town on the main street, Bei Da Lu. Gaggles of motor-rickshaws descend on new arrivals, the drivers engaging in Ben-Hur-like races down to the border – try for around ¥10.
You shouldn't really need to stay in Pingxiang, but almost every building within 100m of the bus station on Bei Da Lu offers accommodation: hostels ask ¥15–30 per person; while the Jinxiangyu Dajiudian ( 
0771/8521303; Price: ¥80-139) is a typically clean, functional hotel, and gives massive discounts. Heading back to Nanning, the train currently leaves at 3.20pm – stopping at Tuolong and Chongzuo – with buses running the same route between 7am and 7pm.
The Vietnamese border
The Vietnamese border crossing, known here as Friendship Pass, is worth a trip even if you're not heading to Vietnam. It's set in a natural gap through a series of steep cliffs and hills all wooded with conifers and bamboo; the Chinese side is marked by lines of imperious black cars with tinted windows, trucks loaded with vehicle chassis, a defunct French colonial Customs House built in 1914, and a huge Chinese gate tower. A Ming-era defensive stone wall runs off up into the hills to the north of here, which you can follow for a short way; just remember that this is a border area. Back down at the gate tower, walk under the arch and the customs are straight ahead. Assuming you have a valid visa, entering Vietnam shouldn't be too complicated. The Vietnamese town on the far side is Dong Dang, where there's further transport 5km south to Lang Son, the railhead for Hanoi.