History & Culture: Lanzhou was an important town on the ancient Silk Road. A Jincheng commandery was established here in the Han dynasty, and the name comes from 'a city of metal walls and boiling moats'. With the Yellow River running through the city, it has been a transport and trade hub in the northwest for more than two thousand years. Lanzhou is an important bearer of Yellow River culture: the Yellow River iron bridge and sheepskin rafts have witnessed the mother river's millennial flow. Lanzhou's Taiping drumming is powerful, the drummers leaping and spinning — the northwest's most representative folk drum dance. The Silk Road Culture Festival recreates the bustle of trade on the ancient route, and the brilliance of Dunhuang art is carried on in Lanzhou. A bowl of beef noodles in the morning is not only a pleasure of taste but the passing on of a way of life. The high, impassioned tones of Qinqiang opera echo in teahouses and theatres; when lilies bloom, Lanzhou is rich with fruit, and the everyday warmth and forthright character on both banks of the Yellow River make up the city's distinctive temperament.
Geography: Lanzhou sits in a river valley basin where the Yellow River runs through the city, flanked by mountains to north and south, long and narrow from east to west. It has a temperate semi-arid climate with abundant sunshine and a large day-night temperature difference. Lanzhou lies in Gansu, where landforms, rivers and climate together shape the city's layout. Summer (Jun–Aug) brings fruit in abundance; autumn (Sep–Oct) has clear, crisp skies and the best of the Yellow River scenery. Natural and cultural sites are fairly concentrated, so a one- or two-day itinerary by area works well. Light, vegetation and water levels change with the seasons; check the weather and scenic-area notices before setting out. Roads and railways are the main transport, and major sights can be linked from the city or county town.
Highlights: Taste authentic beef noodles, walk Zhongshan Bridge for the Yellow River night view, climb Baita Mountain for the city panorama and visit the Gansu Provincial Museum to see the Flying Horse. In summer and autumn you can also take a boat across Liujiaxia Reservoir at Yongjing to visit the Bingling Temple Caves. Core sights include Zhongshan Bridge, Gansu Provincial Museum, Baita Mountain Park and Wuquan Mountain Park. They cover history, nature and city life, and can be combined freely to suit your interests. Pair the main sights with nearby streets, museums or food streets for a half- or full-day route. If time allows, slow down and leave room for walking and rest. First-time visitors can start with the most representative sights, then add museums, old streets or natural areas as time permits.
Food Culture: Lanzhou is famed for beef noodles — 'one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow', with savoury broth and springy noodles. Huidouzi is sweet, soft and warm, niangpizi is chewy and hot-and-sour, and lilies and Bailan melons are local specialities.
