Eastern Gansu

Eastern Gansu, made up of Pingliang and Qingyang, features the Daoist mountain Kongtong Shan, Loess Plateau farming culture and cave-dwelling folk customs.

Eastern Gansu covers Pingliang and Qingyang, in the heart of the Loess Plateau in eastern Gansu where Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia meet, with the Jing River flowing through. Pingliang's Kongtong Mountain is a famous Daoist mountain with dramatically steep terrain; legend says the Yellow Emperor once came here to ask about the Dao, and temples and Daoist halls crowd the summit, where Danxia rock and forest set each other off. Jingchuan, under Pingliang, has the Queen Mother Palace Grottoes and the Dayun Temple site. Qingyang was an important area for the ancestors of the Zhou people. Qingcheng has the Mausoleum of the Zhou Ancestor, Dongzhiyuan is a famous loess tableland with a broad flat surface, the North Grottoes Temple preserves statuary from the Northern Wei onward, and the Nanliang Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Huachi is an important red-tourism landmark. Qingyang sachets, paper-cuts and cave dwellings showcase rich eastern Gansu folk culture. The classic route is one day at Kongtong Mountain and half a day in Jingchuan, then 1–2 days in Qingyang for the North Grottoes Temple, the Zhou Ancestor Mausoleum and cave-dwelling villages, for 3–4 days in all; it can also be combined with Xi'an and the Liupan Mountain route in Guyuan, Ningxia. For transport, Qingyang Airport has flights to Xi'an, Lanzhou and elsewhere, the Yinchuan–Xi'an high-speed line passes through Qingyang, and Pingliang is linked to Xi'an and Lanzhou by rail and expressway. Sights are spread out, so driving is best. On the Loess Plateau rain is concentrated in summer, and dirt roads turn muddy afterward, so take care. Kongtong Mountain has many steps to climb, so non-slip shoes are recommended.

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