Top Nanning Instagram-worthy Retro Spots: Yuananglou - A Minute Trip to 80s Hong Kong Movies
Guangnan, Nanning is known as the Green City, with a temperate climate throughout the four seasons. After visiting Qingyushan and Zhongshan Road, I casually overheard locals talking about Nanning's Yuananglou, a building constructed in the 80s with a retro feel, reminiscent of Wong Kar-wai's films.
Just hearing the name 'Yuananglou' piqued my curiosity, and the reenactment of movie scenes made me even more yearning.
When Yuananglou came into view, I felt a sense of traveling back in time.
Nanning Yuananglou is located at No. 28, Tangshan Road, built in 1987. The entire Yuananglou consists of 4 buildings with 168 households. My friends and I came by bicycle, and upon entering the hallway, we could feel the vibrant atmosphere of life. Old-fashioned bicycles were quietly parked in the hallway, combined with the winding staircase, creating a nostalgic feeling from the 80s.
Outside the staircase, iron mailboxes were lined up with building numbers, presumably no longer in use. Residents were still living normally here, and many photography enthusiasts and tourists would come specifically to take pictures, this old, retro building allows you to take photos and videos with a sense of time.
From a distance, the winding staircase on each floor was arranged with several potted plants and Nanning's common triangular plum blossoms. Although the buildings are old, the people living here are very passionate about life, and many of them have been living here for many years,
Yuananglou has 7 floors, it is a connected building consisting of two residential buildings linked together, the middle staircase can lead to the rooms on both sides, after experiencing 30 years of wind and rain, the exterior is quite old, but each floor of the staircase is very clean. There are similar buildings in Chengdu, Sichuan, with about 7 floors connected, and locals also call it Yuananglou. This was a popular urban architectural style in that era,
The current Yuananglou has become a niche internet celebrity check-in point in Nanning, many people who like retro style will find a feeling here, whether local or foreign, they like to come here to take pictures and leave memories, standing on the staircase with a sense of time, it seems to have returned to the 80s, the slow pace of life and the serious living habits of people back then are all very nostalgic,
When taking pictures at Yuananglou, the photographer can stand on the opposite building, which will make the scene more atmospheric. When we took pictures, residents passed by us, and for those who came to take pictures and check in, they were accustomed to it,
Time's change will always leave us with old buildings to remember, this is a symbol of an era, we hope Nanning's Yuananglou will not be demolished.
