Lanzhou Attractions
Lanzhou lies in the east of the province of Gansu.
Lanzhou was founded over 2000 years ago. In 81 BC it had already acquired the dimensions of a town and later developed into an important stopping-place on the Silk Road. In 581 it was given the name ''Lanzhou''. Through the construction of the Longhai Railway in the 20th C, which extends from Jiangsu to Xinjiang, the city acquired considerable importance as a meeting-point between east and west.
After 1949 Lanzhou underwent enormous economic development, becoming an important industrial center (petro-chemicals, weaving, metal processing) and achieving prominence in the field of atomic energy research. Today the city is the political, economic, scientific and cultural center of Gansu Province and the second largest city in northwest China. It is also famous for its fruit, notably its melons.
Lanzhou was founded over 2000 years ago. In 81 BC it had already acquired the dimensions of a town and later developed into an important stopping-place on the Silk Road. In 581 it was given the name ''Lanzhou''. Through the construction of the Longhai Railway in the 20th C, which extends from Jiangsu to Xinjiang, the city acquired considerable importance as a meeting-point between east and west.
After 1949 Lanzhou underwent enormous economic development, becoming an important industrial center (petro-chemicals, weaving, metal processing) and achieving prominence in the field of atomic energy research. Today the city is the political, economic, scientific and cultural center of Gansu Province and the second largest city in northwest China. It is also famous for its fruit, notably its melons.
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Park of the Five Springs
Lanzhou's Park of the Five Springs is notable for the culturally significant monuments located within.
Mountain of the White Pagoda
In the north of the city stands Baitashan, named after the seven-story 17m/56ft high White Pagoda, which was erected on the summit under the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) and subsequently rebuilt in the middle of the 15th C. From here there is a superb view. Together with the sacred buildings surrounding it, the pagoda forms the focal point of a public park, laid out in 1958, which covers an area of 8000sq.m/1.5acres.
Provincial Museum
The Provincial Museum's exhibits include ceramics, some of which date from Neolithic times. The most famous item is the bronze sculpture ''Flying Horse from Gansu'', with its hoof resting on a bird. It comes from a tomb from the Eastern Han period (24-220) which was discovered in 1969.
Lanzhou Surroundings
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Grottoes of the Thousand Buddha Temple
Built in the first half of the 5th C, the Grottoes of the Thousand Buddha Temple is a cave complex containing hundreds of sculptures, statues, and wall paintings.
Gongtang Pagoda
Gongtang Pagoda is located in the southwestern corner of the Labrang Monastery. The pagoda was built in the stuppa style from Tibet with five sections. From the roof there are views of the golden roofs of the monastery, nearby hills and the oil seed rape.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 |
| Close | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
Labrang Monastery
About 250km/155mi southwest of Lanzhou, near the town of Xiahe, stands the Labrang Monastery, an important religious building of the Gelupka sect. The monastery was founded in about 1710 and was once inhabited by between 3000 and 4000 monks.
Terrace of the Thunder God
The Terrace of the Thunder God (Leizu Miao), 8.5m/28ft high, 106m/348ft long and 60m/197ft wide, is located 250km/155mi northwest of Lanzhou, near the town of Wuwei. On it stands the Temple of the Thunder God, which was reconstructed under the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). In October 1960 a Han grave, dating from the early 2nd C, was discovered under the terrace. Among the valuable burial gifts is the famous statue of a galloping horse (known as the Flying Horse) which was chosen as its symbol by the Municipal Tourist Office.
