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China Travel Guide » Places in China » Gansu Province
Places in China: Gansu Province
The only provincial capital that the famous Yellow River runs through is Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province. The Yellow River is sometimes referred to as the Mother River of China. A 240 metre iron bridge, often called the 'first bridge over the Yellow River, crosses this immense waterway and has been a witness to all happenings involving the Yellow River since 1909.
Gansu Province was at the heart of the famed Silk Road, the route taken by traders between Xi'an and Europe. This 12,000 kilometre road was later used by Marco Polo in coming to China. Opening before 200 BC, this road provided international communication for political, cultural and economic purposes, making Gansu the gateway for many material and spiritual influences from the western nations. For those who want a better insight into the Silk Road, there are now trains equipped to give well-rounded and comfortable tours. Gansu is known to have the 'golden section' of the Silk Road so those tours help visitors to obtain more complete information of the past value of the Road.
The famed Great Wall of China has one end at Jiayuguan Fortress in Gansu Province. A number of old religious sites add to the interest in the province. There are Muslim settlement remains scattered over the province while an interesting Tibetan monastery still exists at Labrang. One of the finest Buddhist cave art finds has been located in the large Mogao Cave complex near Dunhuang.
Mountains and part of the Gobi Desert make up over thirty percent of the land area of Gansu. The area is not easily entered for settlement. Thus, the population density is quite low for a Chinese province. Many ethnic groups are represented in the province and its cities.
There are photographic hot spots in many areas of Gansu. Yumen Pass is a city that is square, having well-preserved city walls and is quite a photographer's target. The White Horse Pagoda is another highly photographed landmark. It is a nine-storey structure dating back to the pre-Qin dynasty. Flaming Mountain, a red sandstone piece of nature is 100 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide. An old ghost town that has been preserved since it was abandoned during the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Gaochang beckons visitors to see life as it was in the past.
Shoppers who want to see the unique marketing styles of Gansu will need to visit the Sunday Market (Xingqiri Schichang). You will find everything from Chinese silk to animals to hardware items.
Weather conditions vary extensively in Gansu. There could be several weeks of great, dry summer weather. Still, those conditions can quickly be replaced by unexpected rains, some of which may be long-lasting. The winters are cold in Gansu.
Visitors who want to see Tibetan culture without having to go to Tibet will find it in Gansu Province. The Tibetans expanded into portions of the province and left some of their people and culture behind.
This forbidding province is a visitor's dream-come-true after entering the area of the Silk Road and Mother River of China. Taking a camera and lots of film, you will bring back great highlights that you were happy to have experienced in Gansu Province.
Major cities in Gansu:
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