Lanzhou Introduction

Lanzhou spreads many miles along a thin valley, sandwiched in by hills and the Yellow River. With a population of 2.83 million people, it is one of the largest cities in the northeast. There are good tourist attractions both within the urban area and nearby.

The city is called Lanzhou because it lies in the central section of Gansu Province, with Gaolan Mountain Range to its south. It was a significant fortress for around 1,400 years of Hexi Corridor, an eastern and crucial stretch of the Silk Road.

In recent years the city has grown enormously, claiming a length of around 30km, snaking along the southern bank of the river. Of all of the sights in and around the city, it is the Bingling Temple Caves that are the gem of Lanzhou. These are not the most easily accessible of China's caves, but are probably the most contributing factor to the caves little spoilt charm. Although the temptations of heading north towards Xinjiang or west towards Xiahe and then Sichuan are pulling, a day trip to the caves, and the Lujiaxia Reservoir that surrounds them, is rewarding.

Ethnic Groups: Of the now more than three million people in the city, the majority are Han, and the ethnic groups include the Hui (Muslims), Tibetan, Uigur, Dongxiang, Mongolian, Bonan, Kazak, Tu, Salar and Manchurian.