Central Gansu

Central Gansu, made up of Lanzhou, Baiyin, Dingxi and Linxia, has the Yellow River running through its capital, plus grottoes and Hezhou Hui culture.

Central Gansu covers Lanzhou, Baiyin, Dingxi and the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, on the western edge of the Loess Plateau along the upper Yellow River. A note on scope: in the existing "Hexi Corridor" region Lanzhou is included, but in this scheme Lanzhou belongs to Central Gansu, and the Hexi Corridor counts only Jiuquan, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Jinchang and Wuwei. Lanzhou is the only provincial capital the Yellow River flows through. Zhongshan Bridge, White Pagoda Hill, the Yellow River riverfront and Waterwheel Park are the city's calling cards, the Gansu Provincial Museum holds treasures such as the Galloping Horse of Gansu, and a bowl of beef noodles is a must. Linxia, anciently called Hezhou, shows Hui architecture and brick carving in its Eight Wards and Thirteen Alleys, and Hezheng has an ancient animal fossil museum. The Binglingsi Grottoes in Yongjing, part of the Silk Roads World Heritage listing, are reached by an atmospheric boat ride across the Liujiaxia Reservoir. In Baiyin, the Yellow River Stone Forest in Jingtai is a dramatic canyon, and Huining is where the three main Red Army forces met up. Dingxi has attractions such as the source of the Wei River. The classic route is 1–2 days in Lanzhou, two days for Binglingsi and Linxia, and one day at the Yellow River Stone Forest, about 4–5 days in all, and you can continue west along the Hexi Corridor or south to Gannan. For transport, Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport and Lanzhou West Station are northwest hubs, and high-speed rail links Xi'an and Xinjiang. The plateau is dry with strong ultraviolet radiation, so drink plenty of water and use sun protection. For the grottoes, check opening hours and whether the boat route is running.

Destinations

Itineraries