Lanzhou

Introduction

Food street

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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.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

• Gansu Provincial Museum (甘肃省博物馆) is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. This is one the best museums in China with great English translations. The exhibits cover everything from dinosaurs, with some stellar skeletons, to modern times and everything in between. One of the best pieces is a Roman Silver plate featuring Bachuss, from the 2nd century discovered outside Lanzhou.
• White Cloud Temple (白云观) is a nice Taoist temple.
• Lanshan Park (兰山公园) is a nice mountain range south of the city, and good way to spend a summer’s afternoon.
• White Pagoda Hill (白塔山) is a great Yuan Dynasty pagoda located on the Yellow River.

Events and Festivals

All major Muslim and Chinese holidays are celebrated here.

Weather

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.

Getting There

By Plane

By Train

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.

By Car

Bus

• The South Bus Station (汽车南站) is the most useful. It has several buses a day to Xiahe, Linxia, Zhangye, and one a day to Dunhuang.
• The East Bus Station (汽车东站) is also an useful bus station. It has hourly buses to Pingliang and Tianshui. There are daily buses to Xi’an, Yinchuan and Guyuan.

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.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

• Laomian is the main dish to eat in Lanzhou. These pulled noodles can be found at countless food stalls around the city.
• KFC is available if you are craving some western food. There are several KFCs located on the main shopping street.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• Lanzhou University

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

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.