About Lanzhou
What to see and do in Lanzhou
Weather in Lanzhou
Airport in Lanzhou
Visa

Lanzhou

Lanzhou (Wade-Giles: Lan-chou; Postal map spelling: Lanchow)
is a prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China.

Lanzhou is an industrial city of about three million people. It is located on the shores of the Yellow River and was a major stop on the Silk Road, where it was known as the Golden City. From the 5th to the 11th century the city was a major seat of Buddhist learning, and it acquired its present name during Qing Dynasty in 1656. Until 19th century, Lanzhou was the primary point in crossing the Yellow River via a bridge made by chaining a flotilla of boats together with a road on top to cross on.

What to see and do in Lanzhou

Gansu Provincial Museum
Silk Road history in one place located in Lanzhou City, the Gansu Provincial Museum is the biggest comprehensive museum in the province. It is one of the best sights in the city and a visit is well worthwhile. Built in 1956, the museum covers a total area of 18,000 square meters (about 4 acres). Designed by the soviet experts, this museum will provide visitors with a unique and memorable experience.

The museum is divided into two sections-natural resources and historic exhibits. It houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. In addition, the museum is home to precious linen and silk fabrics, books, wooden and bronze vessels, a great many bamboo slips for writing from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), frescos and so many other items. A 4-meter-tall Mammoth fossil replica is stored in the museum whose remains were excavated from the Yellow River basin in 1973. Aside from the prehistoric presentations, there are also rare animal exhibits, such as pandas, golden monkeys and red -crowned cranes. Green Corridor along Binhe Rd.

Admission Fee: RMB 35
Opening Hours: 09:10 to 11:30, 14:40 to 17:30 (Tuesday to Saturday)
Recommended Time for a Visit: One hour
Bus Route: 1, 31, 32, 41, 50, 51, 53, 58

Five-Spring Mountain (Wuquanshan Gongyuan). A jumble of a poor amusement park and some renovated temples.Five Springs Park lies in the northwest part of Gaolan Mountain, which stands in the south part of the downtown area in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. The park, the largest in Lanzhou, occupies 266,400 square meters (2,867,599.56 square feet) on Five Springs Mountain.

There are always legends and stories behind beautiful scenic spots in China. Five Springs Park is no exception. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 24 A.D.), a famous general, Huo Qubing, was dispatched by the Emperor to go on a punitive expedition to the Hun people, a minority group who lived in the northwestern part of China at that time. Since the troops had traveled from Chang'an (now Xian ), General Huo and his soldiers were exhausted when they arrived at the foot of Gaolan Mountain. They couldn't find any water nearby, so General Huo forcefully jabbed his horsewhip five times into the ground. Abruptly five springs spurted water into the air. Thereafter the locals called the mountain the Five Springs Mountain. While this story sounds surreal, the quality and the quantity of the five springs are true. They have flowed and served the locals for several thousand years. In 1955, it was officially opened as a park. Local authorities added a zoo, an amusement park for adults and another for children.

The five springs are not the only tourist magnet. This park is also a famous scenic religious spot. Wenchang Temple, Butterfly Pavilion, Golden Buddha Temple, Mahavira Hall, Wanyuan Pavilion, Thousand Buddha Temple, etc., are arranged along a passage on Five Springs Mountain. Corridors and stone steps, which add artistic atmosphere to the park, connect the buildings.

The natural beauty of the five springs is enhanced by verdant groves while the temples make it a famous religious destination. Five Springs Park not only offers visitors a place to relax, but also provides a place to learn about Buddhism.

Admission Fee:   RMB 5
Opening Hours:    06:00 to 18:00
Bus Route:   8

White Pagoda Mountain (Baitashan)
Yuan dynasty White Pagoda Temple overlooks the Yellow RiverLocated in the north of Lanzhou City, the White Pagoda Park owes its name to the amazing White Pagoda within it. With images of Buddha on its eight sides, the seven-story pagoda with a height of 17 meters (about 55.8 feet), is a pure white from top to bottom with the exception of the green top which greatly enhances the glamour of the whole building.

Legend has it that the White Pagoda was built in honor of a well-known Tibetan Lama who died of an illness in Lanzhou when on his way to Mongolia as representative of the leader of Sakyapa in order to meet Genghis Khan, founder of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Unfortunately, the original pagoda later toppled down. The present White Pagoda was constructed by an official in the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and later extended by an imperial inspector in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The local snack Lanzhou Beef Noodle (Lanzhou Niu Rou La Mian) is highly recommended.

Admission Fee: RMB 6

Waterwheel Garden
The Waterwheel Garden, built in 1994, is located in the Binhe Middle Road (Binhe Zhong Lu) in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. The garden covers an area of 1.45 hectares (3.58 acres) and is comprised of two waterwheels, a cofferdam, the recreation area and a house of water mill.

Waterwheels in the gardenLanzhou is the only city through which the Yellow River flows; there are thus many irrigation machines in the city. The waterwheel invented by Duan Xu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is the oldest one. Duan Xu learnt from the irrigation machines in Yunnan Province and invented a distinctive style with the appearance of chariot wheels and a diameter ranging from 10 to 20 meters (32.8 to 65.6 feet). The center of the wheel was placed with an axle and boards, while the brim of the wheel was fixed with many quadrate buckets. These buckets could carry water to a height of 15 to 18 meters (49 to 59 feet) in order to irrigate fields. Until 1952, about 252 waterwheels stood along the river in Lanzhou, and at that time, the city was reputed to be the 'City of Waterwheels'.

In the garden, tourists can experience crossing the river on a sheepskin raft, which is the most primeval ferrying tool in the northwest region of the Yellow River. A visit to the Waterwheel Garden will provide an insight into the irrigation tools of ancient times.

Admission Fee:    RMB 4
Opening Hours:   08:00-18:00
Bus Route:   15

Sculptures of the Mother River

Lanshan Mountain - cool place to be when the summer heat kicks in

Qiaomen Mosque

Tianfusha Palace

Hezheng Lu Night Market, (Between Tiansuhi Lu and Pingliang Lu). A very authentic market from mid-afternoon onwards. free.

Yellow River
Known as the mother river by all the Chinese people, the 5,464-kilometer (about 3,395 miles) Yellow River is the second longest river in China after the Yangtze River . The headwaters of this mighty river lie in Kunlun Mountains in northwestern Qinghai Province. It runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions on its way to the Bohai Sea. It is not exaggerating to say that Yellow River is a melting port, because there are more than 30 branches and countless streams feeding it through its course. The vigorous upper reaches of the Yellow River starts in Qinghai Province to Hekouzhen in Inner Mongolia. This magnificent river flows quietly, like a shy girl in this section, irrigating the farmlands and nurturing the people. Its middle reaches ends at Taohuayu in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. Here the Yellow River splits the Loess Plateau in half, forming the longest continuous gorge in the whole drainage area of the river. The Yellow River's lower reaches ends in a delta on the Bohai Sea.

It is agreed upon by almost all the Chinese people that the Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization, the spiritual home of the Chinese people. It is the waters of the Yellow River and its spirit that nurture the whole Chinese nation. For thousands of years, the Yellow River has been admiring by literary giants, artists, as well as by the common people. The Yellow River is not just several letters, nor is it just the name of a yellow-ochre-colored river. It bears special significance: the symbol of the Chinese nation, the spirit of the Chinese people and more importantly, civilization itself.

Zhongshan Bridge / Sun Yat-Sen Bridge (Zhongshan Qiao) Zhongshan Bridge, also called the first bridge over the Yellow River, lies at the foot of Bai Ta Mountain and in front of Jin Cheng Pass in Lanzhou city, the capital of Gansu Province.

Before Zhongshan Bridge was built there were many floating bridges over the Yellow River, but only one existed for a relatively long period. This bridge was called Zhen Yuan Floating Bridge and was made up of more than 20 ships, tied up by ropes and chains. It floated on the river in order to help people pass over, but it was neither solid nor safe enough. Almost every year floods destroyed the bridge or even killed people. Problem also arose in the winter, when ice would build up on the river, so the bridge would have to undergo the costly process of being disassembled and then re-built in the spring. Used for over 500 years, the Zhen Yuan Floating Bridges was finally retired in 1909, when an iron bridge was built. This new bridge is what we call the First Bridge over the Yellow River.

Tianshui Maiji Caves
Located 45 kilometers (about 28 miles) southeast of Tianshui City in Gansu Province, Maiji Mountain rises up abruptly 142 meters (about 155 yards) from the landscape. The people named the mountain 'Maiji' because it resembles a stack of wheat straw (mai meaning wheat, and ji meaning stack).

On the sheer cliff that marks the southwest side of Maiji Mountain, people have labored for centuries carving niches and caves, giving rise to what is known today as the Maiji Caves. Inside the caves are clay statues, whose heights vary from 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) to 15 meters (over 49 feet). Besides 194 Buddhist caves and niches, containing more than 7, 200 clay statues, there are also murals of over 1, 300 square meters (about 1, 555 square yards) in the Maiji Caves as well. These statues are works of art that reflect ancient craftsmanship and dedication to the Buddhist ideal. Rarely can one find caves and statues carved over sheer cliffs in China, and this is one of the most distinguishing features of Maiji Caves. Being carved on the cliff, these caves are connected by plank roads that hang precariously along the face of the cliff. Visitors can only reach each cave by using these plank roads, which offers a breathtaking experience.

Because of its exquisite clay statues and superb sculptural skills, Maiji Caves acquired special recognition. They have been classified as an 'Oriental Statues Exhibition Hall'. Maiji Caves are one of the four most important caves in China. The other threes are Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, Yungang Caves in Datong, Shanxi Province, and Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan Province. Their emphasis is on exquisite statues and beautiful natural scenes, while the others' are on florid murals or magnificent stonecutting.

There are other places of interest near Maiji Mountain as well, Xianren Cliff, Shimen Mountain, Quxi and Maiji Arboretum, all offer fine panoramic views of mountains, rivers and plants in Northwest China.

Admission Fee:    RMB 22
RMB 50 for entering the cave (Including the fare for a guide)

Bingling Si - cave grottoes and a boat ride, all in one trip Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves is located on the Small Jishi Hill, about 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) west of Yongjing County in Lanzhou City. Being one of the very noted four caves in China, it is the second to Mogao Caves in respect of artistic value.

Bingling means 'ten thousand Buddhas' in the Tibetan language. The starting construction time of Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves dates back to the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). In the following dynasties, the caves had been excavated many times. There are now 183 niches, 694 stone statues, 82 clay sculptures and some 900 square meters' (about 1,076 square yards') of murals, which are all well preserved. Famous for its stone sculptures, Bingling Thousand Temple Caves stretches about 200 meters (about 600 feet) on the west cliff in Dasi Gully. Among the caves, the main characters are Sakyamuni, Kwan-yin, Amitayus Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, and other Buddhas. With elegant postures, flying robes and ribbons, the statues are life-like. Among the caves, Cave No.169 is worthy of a particular mention. Made in the Northern Dynasties (386-581), it is the most imposing and delicate one which holds the clay sculptures of Kwan-yin, Dali Buddha (Dali means powerful strength in Chinese), etc. Dali Buddha has a round face, sitting with legs crossed. When we see this sculpture we will feel its expression as being very solemn. On its two sides stands Bodhisattvas with their hair bound, waving bare arms. The colors present us vivid Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. Cave No.125, which holds the stone sculpture of Sakyamuni, is also one not to be missed.

The stone sculptures in Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves represent the social situations and customs during ancient times. In the vicinity of the caves are green hills, crystal water, grotesque stones and precipitous cliffs, which adds more beauty to this artistic site.

After the founding of People's Republic of China, the State Council designated the site as a key cultural relic, and placed it under state protection.

Tips: From Lanzhou to Yongjing County, you can go there by expressway (around one hour). Then you can get to Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves by yacht (the only way to go there and back).

Admission Fee:   RMB 50
Opening Hours: 09:10 to 11:30 in the morning, 14:40 to 17:30 in the afternoon, from Tuesday to Saturday Recommended
Time for a Visit:    One day
Bus Route:    Take bus from Lanzhou to Liujiaxia Reservoir, then transfer to barge.

Xidan, off Zhangye Lu, is the main shopping district of Lanzhou.

Linxia - center for the Dongxiang minority, has colorful markets and relaxing teahouses

Sichuan Back Entrance Route - south via Xiahe, Hezuo and on past Langmusi into Sichuan province

Weather in Lanzhou

Though historical records show that in some extreme cases the temperature can be as low as -23.1 C (-9.6 F) and can rise to as high as 39.1 C (102.4 F), Lanzhou enjoys a favorable climate. The annual precipitation is 328 millimeters (12.91 inches), which is concentrated during the summer. So an umbrella and raincoat should be packed in your bag if you plan to visit Lanzhou at that time. The best season is usually from May to October when the temperature is most suitable. Other things to carry with you are a bottle of water, and sun protection, especially a lip balm. If local folk customs like festivals appeal to you, winter is also a good tourist season.

January                  2 C to -11 C

February                5 C to -7 C

March                    12 C to 0 C

April                       19 C to 6 C

May                        24 C to 10 C

June                       27 C to 14 C

July                         29 C to 16 C

August                   28 C to 15 C

September            22 C to 11 C

October                  17 C to 5 C

November              9 C to -3 C

December             2 C to -9 C

Airport in Lanzhou

Lanzhou Airport also known as Lanzhou Zhongchuan is an airport in Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China (IATA: LHW, ICAO: ZLAN). It is located 70 km (43.5 miles) north of downtown Lanzhou.

It was opened in 2001 and serves as a major air hub for the province of Gansu and western China. Currently it serves a total of 35 air routes within China.

Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport (ZGC) is located about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the downtown area. More than 30 airlines connect Lanzhou to the outside world, with daily flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xi'an. The direct daily flights to and from Lhasa now is available and the whole flight lasts only 3.5 hours. Flights to major cities like Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Kunming, Hangzhou, Taiyuan, Jinan, Changsha, Haikou, Wuhan, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Zhuhai, Shenyang and international and regional flights to Okinawa, Singapore, and Hong Kong are also available from Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport.

It takes roughly an hour for the airport shuttle bus (at about RMB 30 per person) to arrive at Lanzhou Eastern Hotel (No. 555, Tianshui Lu) at downtown. A taxi will cost about RMB 140.

Zhongchuan Airport Inquiring: 0931-8968160
Ticket Center Inquiry: 0931-8821964 (domestic) 0931-8828174 (international) CAAC Ticket Center: No.258 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou

Airlines and other destinations of Lanzhou

Air China (Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Urumqi)

China Eastern Airlines (Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Shanghai-Pudong, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xi'an)

China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenyang, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Xi'an)

Hainan Airlines (Beijing, Changsha, Chongqing, Dunhuang, Guilin, Hohhot, Jiayuguan, Qingyang, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Zhengzhou)

Shandong Airlines (Taiyuan)

Shanghai Airlines (Xi'an)

Shenzhen Airlines (Changsha, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an)

Sichuan Airlines (Chengdu)

United Eagle Airlines (Chengdu, Dunhuang)

Xiamen Airlines (Zhengzhou)

Visa

for Language guide please refer to: http://www.china-city-guide.com/beijing/pages/localguide.php for free download of basic survival Chinese conversation in China.