Founded in Butterfly Mountain of Wu Zhou in 1928, Guangxi University set a precedent for higher education in Guangxi. The first president was the famous educator and scientist Doctor Ma Junwu. The motto of “Reviving China and Advancing Guangxi”, which was advocated by Ma Junwu, is the mission. Guangxi University, despite many vicissitudes and relocations, has been deeply rooted in this land of ethnic groups and growing in strength.

 Being a national university in 1939, Guangxi University consisted of Science, Engineering and Agriculture Schools at the beginning, and created the colleges of Arts and Medicine in 1936. By 1949, the Guangxi University had developed to be a well-known comprehensive university in China, which consisted of five colleges namely Culture and Education College, Law and Business College, Technology College, Engineering College, Agriculture College, including 22 departments and 4 special courses. By 1949, Guangxi University had developed into a comprehensive university with 5 colleges, i.e., culture and education, law and business, science, engineering and agriculture. In 1952, Chairman Mao autographed the university name for it and Guangxi University was suspended in a nationwide readjustment of colleges and universities in 1953. In 1958, Guangxi University was reestablished.