Capital of Gansu, China
Photo: dayu490301, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lanzhou (兰州; Lánzhōu) is the capital of Gansu province of China.
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甘肃省博物馆
Silk Road history in one place. The museum is divided into two sections, natural resources and historic exhibits. The main exhibition is on level 2 and 3. Level 1 holds Temporary Exhibition. It houses collections of various colour-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. It's also home to precious linen and silk fabrics, books, wooden and bronze vessels, bamboo writing-slips from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), frescoes and many other items. The 4-meter high Mammoth is a replica of one excavated from the Yellow River basin in 1973.
The iconic exhibit is the Galloping Horse, excavated in 1969 in Wuwei County, Gansu Province. A horse gallops with long tail waving and head perking; three hooves are in the air, while the right hind hoof has alighted on the back of a small flying swallow. Bird and horse turn in surprise to try to see what's happening. A small replica from the gift shop is ¥500.
Wuquanshan Gongyuan
(五泉山) A jumble of a poor amusement park and some renovated temples.
Zhongshan Qiao, 中山桥
With a name like that, it ought to be a scenic arch on a willow-pattern plate. It's actually a sturdy metal trellis, which it needs to be to withstand the surging, foaming Yellow River, and it's far from pretty. When completed in 1909, it was the first permanent bridge across the river. Pedestrian only nowadays, it's the natural route to and viewpoint for White Pagoda Mountain.
黄河母亲像
Gansu sculpture by the famous sculptor He E creation, 6 meters long, 2.2 meters wide, 2.6 meters tall, weighing 40 tons, from "mother" and a "baby" of composition.
天斧砂宫地质公园
This is the most unique natural landscape in Lanzhou City, located in the Longfeng Gorge east of Renshou Mountain, Taohuayuan, Anning District, is a red sandstone about 25 million years ago, after long-term weathering and water erosion formed a group of Danxia-like landform wonders. It is named because it is natural, such as the sand palace carved by God.
甘肃三木自行车博物馆
A privately owned museum with a large collection of old bicycles from all over the world.
白塔山公园
Park ranging over the wooded hillside north of the river, dotted with pagodas and shrines. Enter next to Zhongshan Bridge and wander uphill by any path, eventually to the White Pagoda Temple. (There's also a cable-car from south bank of the river.) Refurbished in 2013 yet the buildings look well-worn, several boarded-up; the "Jade Temple" compound is in the best condition. The pagoda was closed in 2021. It is unknown if it has been reoponend.
(滨河路绿色长廊)
(水车博览园) Small park along the Yellow River housing impressive traditional waterwheels, originally used to irrigate farmland around Lanzhou.
皋兰山
Cool place to be when the summer heat kicks in.
雁滩公园
Since founding a state, here has built up to 20 km ring at the dam and 10 km asphalt road, and across the Yellow River tributary, the Yantan and urban integration. Later turned into parks, gardens lush forests, beautiful scenery, has built a pavilion, and the Yellow River scenery mutual authentic, very magnificent.
小西湖公园
Metro Line 1 Xiaoxihu Stn. A small park, supposedly to be a (poor) replica of the Xihu (West Lake) in Hangzhou.
兰州西关清真大寺
One block south of the Taoist Temple. A modern newly built mosque with simple modern design.
Bridge Gate Mosque, 桥门清真寺
Qiaomenjie Mosque is located in Qiaomenxiang, a Hui inhabited area south of Zhongshanqiao, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. It is a Chinese Islamic mosque. According to legend, as early as the Ming Dynasty, there was a simple mosque in Qiaomenxiang (street). The temple was once listed as a "provincial cultural relic protection unit".
兰州南关清真大寺
also known as the Gongnanmen Mosque or Nanshao Gate Mosque. It stands as one of the six most renowned mosques in Lanzhou since the Ming and Qing dynasties, initially constructed during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1398). The present-day grand mosque was rebuilt in 1986.
Baiyun Guan, 白云观
t is also known as 'Lüzu Temple' because it is dedicated to worship Lü Dongbin. It is on the south river bank, Nanbinhe East Road, one block west of Zhongshan Bridge. It's much less touristy, a peaceful little compound, so the wear-and-tear on the buildings feels venerable rather than run-down.
庄严寺
The great cause of thirteen years (617 years), Xue Ju in Lanzhou later became the emperor, the solemn temple as the palace. Tang Pingdingxue cited later renamed the temple, by the gate, and QianDian rooms, the main hall, houdian constitute HHS falls. Original gate board, "Chi stately Temple" six characters, is the famous calligrapher Li Puguang the book, font bold. The main hall after a Buddhism godness Guanyin wall murals, dignified and beautiful, wearing white, wanran such as yarn, Panicum Jingping, Cuise such as the new.
炳灵寺
Bingling means 'ten thousand Buddhas' in the Tibetan language.. This is a cave grottoes, with the highlight of 27m Maitreya Buddha. Can be visited in 2h on normal walking speed.
兰州水墨丹霞国家公园, Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia Scenic Area 兰州水墨丹霞旅游景区
A park noted for its colorful rock formations known as Danxia. Admittedly it’s not as spectacular as the more famous Danxia park in Zhangye, but it’s certainly worth a visit. The park only opened in 2021 and has good infrastructure, which is specially designed to blend in with the rock formations. A bus is available to take visitors around the park and if you can drive, there is also the option of hiring a small sightseeing car. The highlight perhaps is the 2.5km raised walkway that allows you to walk over the landscape. A pair of animatronic dinosaurs greet visitors at the end of the walkway.
马子禄牛肉面
Popular restaurant chain specialising in Lanzhou beef noodles ('Lanzhou niurou lamian')
正宁路夜市
A street with plenty of food stalls in the evening. Seems it has replaced the old Hezheng Lu Night Market. The street is located between Qingyang Lu and Gannan Lu, about one km south from the big pedestrian street.
Shangdao Kafei Ting
For when you need a Western food break that's consistent wherever you are.
very nice inside decoration but since 2017 they can no longer accept foreigners, unfortunately. So contact them to make sure you are allowed to stay or not, before you go because the location is away from city center.
兰州渡口青旅
Opened in 2017, this small hostel run by a super friendly young guy named Whale, who speaks good English. The location is great : quite central but in a small quiet street, so no noisy. However the place is a bit hard to find. You can check the location on OsmAnd or Mapy.cz, or booking.com where pictures helps to locate the entrance. Go to the end of the dead-end street, where you wouldn't believe it is here, go left when you cannot move forward, you are now in a small square surrounded by crapy-looking buildings. It is number 36, big metal door, ring on #103. But best is to contact Whale to explain or pick you up.
迎宾旅馆
Lanshan Binguan
Pleasant enough rooms at decent prices. The fire escapes are locked. There is a public internet cafe in an adjoining building (ask at reception).
兰州饭店
友谊宾馆
宜必思酒店
Good chain offering, 4 km from West railway station.
兰州飞天大酒店
4 star with eating places & gym.
锦江阳光酒店
A 4-star hotel business hotel. It has 236 guestrooms, meeting venues, business centre, restaurants, sauna and health club. Online reservation is accepted.
家乐活酒店 formerly Home Lohas Hotel
Modern hotel, clean and functional for a reasonable price.
和政路夜市
A very authentic market from mid-afternoon onwards.
The leading outdoor gear stores in China.
The main shopping district.
By train
All long-distance trains nowadays use Lanzhou West Railway Station, a huge modern building that from the street looks like a gigantic Walmart.
By bus
The East Long-Distance Bus Station is on Pingliang Lu.
There are two Metro lines, Metro Line 1 (blue line) runs east–west across the city, linking downtown with West Railway Station, and Metro Line 2 (red line). Fare is around ¥2-4.
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Lanzhou (Yongdeng) · International · LHW
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