Sounds like various small difficulties applied:
scoring a taxi did take outrunning an old lady (Nanning metro is not yet completed)
sitting in boarding area was on floor (did benches and seats not exist, or were they full?)
passengers needed to be bounced from seat on train (was it generally crowded on the train?)
1 hour road trip Fangchenggang-Mong Cai had to be on taxi where the continuation after Mong Cai was by bus (were scheduled buses missing on Chinese side?)

Did you find the Fangchenggang-Mong Cai-Ha Long route convenient? And was it a popular route?
Among other news: in 2012, the GDP per capita of Vietnam was 1753 US$, and that of Guangxi was 4427 $. In 2013, it was 4939 US$ in Guangxi.
Do any Vietnamese work in Guangxi and go home for New Year?