恤ng Son was a prehistoric Bronze Age culture in Vietnam centered on the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam. At this time the first Vietnamese kingdoms of Van Lang and 聈 L?c appeared. Its influence flourished in other neighbouring parts of Southeast Asia from about 500 BCE to 100 CE.

Nanning was originally founded during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368); although there was a county seat here called Jinxing as far back as 318 CE.

Opened to foreign trade by the Chinese in 1907; Nanning grew rapidly. From 1912 to 1936 it was the provincial capital of Guangxi; replacing Guilin.

Due to its proximity to the Vietnamese border Nanning became a major centre for supplying Ho Chi Minh's North Vietnam during the Second Indochina War (Vietnam War).