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Maximum extent of the Nanyue kingdom
Maximum extent of the Nanyue kingdom
Modern day-location Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan, modern northern Vietnam (Annam)

Lingnan (simplified Chinese: 岭南; traditional Chinese: 嶺南; pinyin: lǐng nán; Jyutping: ling5 naam4; literally: "South of the Nanling Mountains") is a geographic area referring to the lands in the south of the Nanling Mountains. The region covers the modern Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan as well as modern northern Vietnam.[1]


The area was inhabited by the Baiyue and was the base of the ancient Nanyue. At that time, Lingnan was considered as a barbarian land and it had loose contact with the Zhongyuan, which was the cultural cradle of Chinese culture.

In the second century BCE, the Han–Nanyue War led to its absorption into Han dynasty during the Southward expansion of the Han dynasty, and its development was boosted once the Mei Pass was paved.[2]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ History of Lingnan. Travel China. Accessed June 20, 2012.
  2. ^ Social and Clan Culture in the Lingnan Region. Accessed June 20, 2012. Archived October 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.