Travel Guide Asia China Gansu Lanzhou
Polluted, dirty, crowded, and loud, Lanzhou (兰州) in Gansu can be a bit overwhelming on first impressions. This city is ranked in the top 30 most polluted cities in the world according to Blacksmith Institute. Although most tourists arrive in town and then try to leave right away, Lanzhou is worth a day. The city has an excellent provincial museum, several nice mosques and amazing noodle dishes!
Lanzhou historically has been a major crossing point over the Yellow River. Its location at the southern end of the Hexi Corridor made Lanzhou an important stopping point along the southern Silk Road. Although different groups ruled Lanzhou at different times, Chinese Dynasties were the main rulers and influencers of Lanzhou. Lanzhou was made into a provincial capital in the Qing Dynasty when Gansu was designated as its own province. Today Lanzhou is a center for heavy industry and oil production.
Lanzhou has a moderate temperate climate and is very dry. June to September is summertime with average daytime temperatures between 24 °C and 28 °C and nights around 15 °C. Winters last from late November to early March, with daytime temperatures mostly between 2 °C and 8 °C and nights between -3 °C and -9 °C. Although there is some occasional snow or rain, winters are dry. Most of the rain falls during the summer season from May to September with August being the wettest month at around 80 mm.
Lanzhou Train Station (兰州火车站) is a major gateway for reaching the east or west of China. There are several trains a day to all major cities in China and Gansu. Make sure to book your tickets in advance because trains sell out quickly. There are also several trains a day to Lhasa, depending on the time of the year.
As always remember that the bus system in China is expanding rapidly. Remember to double check bus schedules with other travelers or hotel staff to make sure you go to the right station.
See also International Telephone Calls
China Post (中国邮政) is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China, operated by the State Postal Bureau of the People's Republic of China (website in Chinese only), and has more details about price to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. The Chinese postal service is very good. Remember that in more remote places usually only one post office in a city can handle sending international boxes or letters. Also many times it might be worth having the name of the country you are trying to send to in Chinese characters. Post offices have a striking green logo and can easily be found everywhere in the cities. They are mostly open every day (including weekends!) from 8:00am to 6:00pm, though small offices might have shorter opening times, while the bigger ones in central and touristic areas are sometimes open during evenings as well.
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This is version 8. Last edited at 14:37 on Oct 11, 10 by Utrecht (+924). 9 articles link to this page.

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