Guangxi, officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, and Quảng Ninh Provinces) and the Gulf of Tonkin. Formerly a province, Guangxi became an autonomous region in 1958. Its current capital is Nanning.

Guangxi's location, in mountainous terrain in the far south of China, has placed it on the frontier of Chinese civilization throughout much of Chinese history. The current name "Guang" means "expanse" and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in 226 AD. It was given provincial level status during the Yuan dynasty, but even into the 20th century, it was considered an open, wild territory. The abbreviation of the region is "桂" (Hanyu pinyin: Guì; Zhuang: Gvei), which comes from the name of the city of Guilin, the provincial capital during both the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty.

Guangxi contains the largest population of China's ethnic minorities after Yunnan, in particular, the Zhuang people, who make up 34% of the population. Various regional languages and dialects such as Pinghua, Zhuang, Kam, Cantonese, Hakka, and Min are spoken alongside Mandarin Chinese.

"Guǎng" (simplified Chinese: 广; traditional Chinese: 廣) means 'expanse' or 'vast', and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong literally mean 'expanse west' and 'expanse east'. Together, Guangxi and Guangdong are called Liangguang (Liangkwang; traditional Chinese: 兩廣; simplified Chinese: 两广; pinyin: liǎng guǎng; Cantonese Yale: léuhng gwóng; lit. 'Two Expanses', Vietnamese: Lưỡng Quảng). During the Song dynasty, the Two Guangs were formally separated as Guǎngnán Xīlù (廣南西路; 广南西路; 'vast south west region') and Guǎngnán Dōnglù (廣南東路; 广南东路; 'vast south east region'), which became abbreviated as Guǎngxī Lù (廣西路; 广西路) and Guǎngdōng Lù (廣東路; 广东路).

Guangxi was also previously spelled as Kwangsi in postal and Wade–Giles romanizations. The spelling of the province was replaced by the pinyin spelling of Guangxi in 1958 and has been widely used internationally after 1986. The official name was also known as Kwangsi Chuang Autonomous Region in a number of Western publications outside of China published in the 1950s to 1970s.

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Originally inhabited by a mixture of tribal groups known to the Chinese as the Baiyue ("Hundred Yue", Vietnamese: Bách Việt), the region first became part of China during the Qin dynasty. In 214 BC, the Han Chinese general Zhao Tuo (Vietnamese: Triệu Đà) claimed most of southern China for Qin Shi Huang before the emperor's death. The ensuing civil war permitted Zhao to establish a separate kingdom at Panyu known as Nanyue ("Southern Yue"). Alternatively submissive to and independent of Han dynasty control, Southern Yue expanded colonization and sinicization under its policy of "Harmonizing and Gathering the Hundred Yue" (和集百越) until its collapse in 111 BC during the southward expansion of the Han dynasty.

The name "Guangxi" can be traced to the "Expansive" or "Wide" province (廣州) of the Eastern Wu, which controlled southeastern China during the Three Kingdoms period. Guilin formed one of its commanderies.

Under the Tang dynasty, the Zhuang moved to support Piluoge's kingdom of Nanzhao in Yunnan, which successfully repulsed imperial armies in 751 and 754. Guangxi was then divided into an area of Zhuang ascendancy west of Nanning and an area of Han ascendancy east of Nanning.

After the collapse of the Southern Zhao, Liu Yan established the Southern Han (Nanhan) in Xingwangfu (modern Guangdong). Although this state gained minimal control over Guangxi, it was plagued by instability and annexed by the Song dynasty in 971. The name "Guangxi" itself can be traced to the Song, who administered the area as the Guangnanxi ("West Southern Expanse") Circuit. Harassed by both Song and the Jiaozhi in modern Vietnam, the Zhuang leader Nong Zhigao led a revolt in 1052 for which he is still remembered by the Zhuang people. His independent kingdom was short-lived, however, and the tattooed Song general Di Qing returned Guangxi to China.

The Yuan dynasty established control over Yunnan during its conquest of the Dali Kingdom in 1253 and eliminated the Southern Song following the Battle of Yamen in 1279. Rather than ruling Lingnan as a subject territory or military district, the Mongolians then established Guangxi ("Western Expanse") as a proper province. The area nonetheless continued to be unruly, leading the Ming dynasty to employ the different local groups against one another. At the Battle of Big Rattan Gorge between the Zhuang and the Yao in 1465, 20,000 deaths were reported.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, parts of Guangxi were ruled by the powerful Cen (岑) clan. The Cen were of Zhuang ethnicity and were recognized as tusi or local rulers by the Chinese emperors.

The Qing dynasty left the region alone until the imposition of direct rule in 1726, but the 19th century was one of constant unrest. A Yao revolt in 1831 was followed by the Jintian Uprising, the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion, in January 1851 and the Da Cheng Rebellion in April 1854. The execution of St. Auguste Chapdelaine by local officials in Guangxi provoked the Second Opium War in 1858 and the legalization of foreign interference in the interior. Although Louis Brière de l'Isle was unable to invade its depot at Longzhou, the Guangxi Army saw a great deal of action in the 1884 Sino-French War. Largely ineffective within Vietnam, it was still able to repulse the French from China itself at the Battle of Zhennan Pass (modern Friendship Pass) on 23 March 1885.

Following the Wuchang Uprising, Guangxi seceded from the Qing Empire on 6 November 1911. The Qing governor, Shen Bingdan, initially remained in place but was subsequently removed by a mutiny commanded by General Lu Rongting. General Lu's Old Guangxi clique overran Hunan and Guangdong as well and helped lead the National Protection War against Yuan Shikai's attempt to re-establish an imperial government. Zhuang's loyalty made his Self-Government Army cohesive but reluctant to move far beyond its own provinces. Subsequent feuding with Sun Yat-sen led to defeat in the 1920 and 1921 Guangdong–Guangxi War. After a brief occupation by Chen Jiongming's Cantonese forces, Guangxi fell into disunity and profound banditry for several years until Li Zongren's Guangxi Pacification Army established the New Guangxi clique dominated by Li, Huang Shaohong, and Bai Chongxi.

Successful action in Hunan against Wu Peifu led to the Zhuang GPA becoming known as the "Flying Army" and the "Army of Steel". After the death of Sun Yat-sen, Li also repulsed Tang Jiyao's revolt and joined the Northern Expedition establishing control over other warlords by the Republic of China. His was one of the few Kuomintang units free from serious Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence and was therefore employed by Chiang Kai-shek for the Shanghai massacre of 1927. Within the People's Republic of China, Guangxi is also noted for the Baise Uprising, a failed CCP revolt led by Chen Zhaoli and Deng Xiaoping in 1929.

In 1937, the Guangxi Women's Battalion was founded as a response to Soong Mei-ling's appeal for women to support the Sino-Japanese War. Reports on the size of the battalion vary from 130 students, to 500, to 800.

Being in the far south, Guangxi did not fall during the Chinese Civil War, but joined the People's Republic in December 1949, two months after its founding.

In 1952, a small section of Guangdong's coastline (Qinzhou, Lianzhou (now Hepu County), Fangchenggang and Beihai) was given to Guangxi, giving it access to the sea. This was reversed in 1955, and then restored in 1965.

The Guangxi Massacre, during the Cultural Revolution, involved the killing of 100,000 to 150,000 in the region in 1967 and 1968.

While some development of heavy industry occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, the region remained largely a scenic tourist destination. Even the economic growth of the 1990s seemed to leave Guangxi behind. However, in recent years, there has been a growing amount of industrialization and increasing concentration on cash crops. Per capita GDP has risen as industries in Guangdong transfer production to comparatively lower-wage areas in Guangxi.

During the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, Guangxi communities were important to the Chinese war effort. They supplied logistical support to the People's Liberation Army, including food and housing. Militia members from Guangxi performed tasks including building roads, bridges, trenches, other logistical efforts, and caring for the wounded.

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Located in the southern part of the country, Guangxi is bordered by Yunnan to the west, Guizhou to the north, Hunan to the northeast, and Guangdong to the east and southeast. It is also bordered by Vietnam in the southwest and the Gulf of Tonkin in the south. Its proximity to Guangdong is reflected in its name, with "Guang" (simplified Chinese: 广; traditional Chinese: 廣; pinyin: Guǎng) being used in both names.

Large portions of Guangxi are hilly and mountainous. The northwest portion of Guangxi includes part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the Jiuwan Mountains and the Fenghuang Mountains both run through the north, the Nanling Mountains form the region's north-east border, and the Yuecheng and Haiyang Mountains both branch from the Nanling Mountains. Also in the north are the Duyao Mountains. The Duyang Mountains run through the west of Guangxi. Near the center of the region are the Da Yao and Da Ming Mountains. On the southeastern border are the Yunkai Mountains. Guangxi's highest point is Kitten Mountain, in the Yuecheng Mountains, at 2,141 metres (7,024 ft).

Karst landforms, characterized by steep mountains and large caverns, are common in Guangxi, accounting for 37.8 percent of its total land area.

Guangxi is also home to several river systems, which flow into several different bodies of water: the Qin River and the Nanliu River both flow into the Gulf of Tonkin, several tributary rivers flow into the larger Xiang River in neighbouring Hunan province, and the Xi River system flows southeast through the autonomous region into the South China Sea.

Xi River system schematic (italics indicates rivers outside Guangxi)
			He River (贺江)	Xi River
		Li River	Gui River (桂江)
Beipan River	Hongshui River	Qian River	Xun River
Nanpan River
Rong River	Liu River
Long River
You River	Yong River	Yu River
Zuo River

Along the border with Vietnam there is the Ban Gioc–Detian waterfall (pinyin: Dé Tiān Pùbù), which separates the two countries.

About one-quarter of Guangxi's area is forested.

Major cities in Guangxi include Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, and Beihai. Notable towns include Longmen [zh], Sanjiang, and Yangshuo. The Xi River system provides waterways which connect to the Pearl River Delta. Important seaports along Guangxi's short coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin include Beihai, Qinzhou, and Fangchenggang. Pinglu Canal was constructed to connect Xi River system and coastal Guangxi.

Guangxi has a subtropical climate. Summers are generally long, hot, and humid, lasting from April to October. Winters are mild, and snow is rare. The autonomous region's average annual temperature ranges from 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) to 23.5 °C (74.3 °F), with January temperatures typically ranging from 4 °C (39 °F) to 16 °C (61 °F), and July temperatures typically ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F).

Due to frequent rain-bearing monsoon winds, average annual precipitation is quite high in Guangxi, ranging from 1,080 millimetres (43 in) in drier zones to 1,730 millimetres (68 in) in wetter zones. The region also experiences monsoons, blowing from south-southwest from late April to the beginning of October. Most of the precipitation occurs between May and August. Microbursts can also occasionally occur in the extreme south of the region, from July to September. This is caused by typhoons blowing from the South China Sea.

• 
  Li River, Guangxi
• 
  Longsheng Rice Terrace
• 
  Yulong River
• 
  Ban Gioc Duc Thien– Banyue Detian Falls

Guangxi is divided into fourteen prefecture-level divisions: all prefecture-level cities:

Administrative divisions of Guangxi
Nanning Liuzhou Guilin Wuzhou Beihai Fangchenggang Qinzhou Guigang Yulin Baise Hezhou Hechi Laibin Chongzuo
Division code	Division	Area in km	Population 2020	Seat	Divisions
					Districts	Counties	Aut. counties	CL cities
450000	Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region	236,700.00	50,126,804	Nanning city	41	48	12	10
450100	Nanning city	22,099.31	8,741,584	Qingxiu District	7	4		1
450200	Liuzhou city	18,596.64	4,157,934	Liubei District	5	3	2
450300	Guilin city	27,667.28	4,931,137	Lingui District	6	8	2	1
450400	Wuzhou city	12,572.44	2,820,977	Changzhou District	3	3		1
450500	Beihai city	3,988.67	1,853,227	Haicheng District	3	1
450600	Fangchenggang city	6,181.19	1,046,068	Gangkou District	2	1		1
450700	Qinzhou city	10,820.85	3,302,238	Qinnan District	2	2
450800	Guigang city	10,605.44	4,316,262	Gangbei District	3	1		1
450900	Yulin city	12,828.11	5,796,766	Yuzhou District	2	4		1
451000	Baise city	36,203.85	3,571,505	Youjiang District	2	7	1	2
451100	Hezhou city	11,771.54	2,007,858	Babu District	2	2	1
451200	Hechi city	33,487.65	3,417,945	Yizhou District	2	4	5
451300	Laibin city	13,391.59	2,074,611	Xingbin District	1	3	1	1
451400	Chongzuo city	17,345.47	2,088,692	Jiangzhou District	1	5		1

Administrative divisions in Zhuang, Chinese, and varieties of romanizations
English	Zhuang	Chinese	Pinyin
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region	Gvangjish Bouxcuengh Swcigih	广西壮族自治区	Guǎngxī zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū
Nanning city	Namzningz Si	南宁市	Nánníng Shì
Liuzhou city	Liujcouh Si	柳州市	Liǔzhōu Shì
Guilin city	Gveilinz Si	桂林市	Guìlín Shì
Wuzhou city	Ngouzcouh Si	梧州市	Wúzhōu Shì
Beihai city	Bwzhaij Si	北海市	Běihǎi Shì
Fangchenggang city	Fangzcwngzgangj Si	防城港市	Fángchénggǎng Shì
Qinzhou city	Ginhcouh Si	钦州市	Qīnzhōu Shì
Guigang city	Gveigangj Si	贵港市	Guìgǎng Shì
Yulin city	Yoglinz Si	玉林市	Yùlín Shì
Baise city	Bwzswz Si	百色市	Bǎisè Shì
Hezhou city	Hocouh Si	贺州市	Hèzhōu Shì
Hechi city	Hozciz Si	河池市	Héchí Shì
Laibin city	Laizbinh Si	来宾市	Láibīn Shì
Chongzuo city	Cungzcoj Si	崇左市	Chóngzuǒ Shì

These 14 prefecture-level cities are in turn subdivided into 111 county-level divisions (41 districts, 10 county-level cities, 48 counties, and 12 autonomous counties). At the year-end of 2021, the total population is 48.85 million.

Population by urban areas of prefecture & county cities
#	Cities	2020 Urban area	2010 Urban area	2020 City proper
1	Nanning	4,939,523	2,660,833	8,741,584
2	Liuzhou	2,204,841	1,410,712	4,157,934
3	Guilin	1,361,244	844,290	4,931,137
4	Guigang	921,440	658,887	4,316,262
5	Yulin	877,561	547,924	5,796,766
6	Qinzhou	771,052	489,139	3,302,238
7	Beihai	673,483	463,388	1,853,227
8	Wuzhou	665,910	424,734	2,820,977
9	Guiping	652,210	508,212	see Guigang
10	Beiliu	573,761	652,853	see Yulin
11	Hezhou	560,686	379,889	2,007,858
12	Laibin	531,511	315,875	2,074,611
13	Baise	513,983	185,497	3,571,505
14	Hechi	504,030	197,858	3,417,945
15	Fangchenggang	416,752	278,955	1,046,068
16	Cenxi	397,639	337,052	see Wuzhou
17	Pingguo	277,500		see Baise
18	Chongzuo	265,077	113,539	2,088,692
19	Dongxing	155,538	92,267	see Fangchenggang
20	Jingxi	150,456		see Baise
21	Lipu	146,753		see Guilin
22	Heshan	48,873	66,118	see Laibin
—	Yizhou	see Hechi	155,365	see Hechi

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1912	7,879,000	—
1928	13,648,000	+73.2%
1936–37	13,385,000	−1.9%
1947	14,636,000	+9.3%
1954	19,560,822	+33.6%
1964	20,845,017	+6.6%
1982	36,420,960	+74.7%
1990	42,245,765	+16.0%
2000	43,854,538	+3.8%
2010	46,026,629	+5.0%
2020	50,126,804	+8.9%

The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in Guangxi. Han Chinese populations in Guangxi largely live along the autonomous region's southern coast and eastern portions. Of these, the main subgroups are those that speak Yue and Southwestern Mandarin varieties of Chinese. Qinzhou and Goulou Yue are spoken in the southern and eastern regions, respectively. Pinghua is spoken in Nanning and Guilin. There are Hakka-speaking regions in Luchuan County, Bobai County and in some areas bordering Vietnam.

Guangxi has over 16 million Zhuangs, the largest minority ethnicity in China. Over 90 percent of Zhuang in China live in Guangxi, especially in the central and western regions. High concentrations of Zhuang people can be found in Nanning, Liuzhou, Chongzuo, Baise, Hechi, and Laibin. The highest concentration of ethnic Zhuang people is found in the county-level city of Jingxi, with a 2021 publication by the People's Government of Guangxi stating that Jingxi's population is 99.7% Zhuang.

The autonomous region also has sizable populations of indigenous Yao, Miao, Kam, Mulam, Maonan, Hui, Gin, Yi, Sui and Gelao peoples. Other ethnic minorities in Guangxi include the Manchu, Mongol, Korean, Tibetan, Hlai, and Tujia people.

Ethnic makeup of the Guanxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (2020 Seventh National Census)

Ethnicity	Han Chinese	Zhuang	Yao	Miao	Dong	Mulao	Maonan	Hui	Bouyei	Gin	Other nationalities
Population	31,318,824	15,721,956	1,683,038	578,122	362,580	180,185	73,199	35,347	31,303	29,326	112,924
Percentage (%)	62.48	31.36	3.36	1.15	0.72	0.36	0.15	0.07	0.06	0.06	0.23
Proportion of minority population (%)	－	83.59	8.95	3.07	1.93	0.96	0.39	0.19	0.17	0.16	0.60

The predominant religions in Guangxi among the Han Chinese are Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism. The large Zhuang population mostly practices the Zhuang folk religion centered around the worship of their ancestral god Buluotuo (布洛陀). According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 40.48% of the population believes and is involved in ancestor veneration, while 0.26% of the population identifies as Christian.

The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; 59.26% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, folk religious sects. The Yao, another numerous ethnic group inhabiting the province, mostly practices a form of indigenised and conservative Taoism.