Gansu Map Atlas

Author: Zhang Jianhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-02
Features: Gansu Province is located in the northwest of China and is a long, narrow province extending from northwest to southeast. The province consists of 14 prefecture-level cities and 86 county-level cities and districts, covering an area of 454,000 square kilometers with a population of 24 million. The provincial capital, Lanzhou, is the political, economic, and cultural center of the province. Gansu transitions from subtropical humid climate in the southeast to temperate arid climate in the northwest. The average annual temperature ranges from 0°C to 15°C, and the average annual rainfall is between 300 and 500 millimeters.
Historical Culture and Tourism Resources
Gansu has a long history and is one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese culture. The legendary ancestor of the Chinese people, Fuxi, was born here and created writing, the calendar, and pioneered the beginning of human civilization. Over 3,000 years ago, primitive agriculture emerged in the Jing and Wei River valleys, marking the start of a splendid agricultural civilization in the Yellow River Basin. Gansu was a key route for Zhang Qian’s diplomatic missions to the Western Regions, Xuanzang’s journey to India, Genghis Khan’s campaigns in the south and north, and Marco Polo’s travels. The ancient Silk Road winds through Gansu for over 1,600 kilometers, leaving behind a wealth of cultural and educational treasures along its path. Gansu served as a link between ancient East and West, recording the enduring history of friendly exchanges and the development of human civilization between China and the world. It attracts more scholars, writers, and tourists to explore its rich heritage.
Gansu’s tourism resources are represented by Silk Road culture, ancient ancestor culture, Yellow River culture, Three Kingdoms culture, Great Wall culture, and political culture. The cultural relics and historical sites include grottoes and temples, Great Wall passes, pagodas, towers, ancient city ruins, and historical artifacts. Gansu’s natural landscapes are unique, featuring not only charming green mountains, clear waters, alpine grasslands, and vast deserts but also majestic loess plateaus, Danxia formations, and glaciers and snow-capped peaks. With a rich cultural atmosphere, over a dozen ethnic groups such as the Han, Tibetan, Hui, Yugur, Bonan, and Dongxiang add distinctive charm to the region. A trip to Gansu allows visitors to wander along the Silk Road and immerse themselves in the flow of history.
Traditional Tourist Routes
Gansu is located on the golden section of the Silk Road. There are three traditional tourist routes along the Silk Road: the West Route, East Route, and South Route, from which tourists can choose and combine based on their preferences.
West Route: Starting from Lanzhou and heading west, it passes through Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Jiayuguan before reaching Dunhuang, covering a total distance of 1,148 kilometers. Along the way, visitors can see the Wuwei Leitai Han Tomb, the site of the bronze horse, a symbol of Chinese tourism, and the Xixia Stele with bilingual (Chinese and Xixia) dictionaries. The Zhangye Big Buddha Temple and Shandan Big Buddha Temple, preserving the world’s largest indoor reclining and seated Buddha statues, respectively, are also highlights. The Shunnan Maqin Temple Tourist Area combines the culture of the Yugur ethnic group, grassland scenery, and grotto art. Other attractions include the Jiuquan Western Han Dynasty (Shengji) Quanhu Park, the "Heavenly Pass" Jiayuguan, the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, a world heritage site, the Singing Sands Mountain and Moon Spring, as well as desert oases and glacier-snow peaks. This route can be extended westward to Turpan and Urumqi, or southward via Golmud to Lhasa or Xining.
East Route: Starting from Lanzhou and heading east, it passes through Tianshui, Pingliang, and Qingyang, offering a tour focused on root-seeking, cultural relics, and loess culture. Highlights include the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Tianshui, the "Painting Guan" (where Fuxi created the Bagua), the Fuxi Temple, the "Taoist Sacred Mountain" Mount Kongtong in Pingliang, and the Wangmu Palace, where the Taoist goddess Wangmu descended to the mortal world. Qingyang offers the Beicuo Temple, cave-dwelling residences, and folk handicrafts. The east route continues to Xi’an via Baoji, and the north route leads to Guyuan and Yinchuan in Ningxia.
South Route: Starting from Lanzhou and heading south to Linxia and Xiahe, covering a distance of 280 kilometers, this route focuses on Hui and Tibetan ethnic customs, religious art, and grassland scenery. Highlights include the "Hundred Thousand Buddha Grottoes" at Bingling Temple, the Hui ethnic area of Linxia, the Nanmen (Qingzhen Mosque), and the brick-carving art of Hongyuan. Xiahe, known as the "Little Tibet," offers the Labrang Monastery, Gengtang Pagoda, and Sangke Grassland. South of Xiahe, 700 kilometers away, lies the stunning natural landscapes of Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan. Northwest of Xiahe, 330 kilometers away, is Xining, the capital of Qinghai.
Special Tourism Activities
Gansu holds annual festivals such as the Dunhuang Summer Festival, Tianshui Fuxi Culture Festival, Xiahe Labrang Monastery Grand Ceremony and Xianglang Festival, and Zhangye Maqin Temple Tourism Festival. Based on tourist needs, activities such as Silk Road express tours, motorcycle and car rallies, mountain climbing, Great Wall repairs, grassland horseback riding, desert exploration, Yellow River rafting, hunting, root-seeking pilgrimages, Tibetan Buddhist and ethnic tours, and study tours are organized.
Tourism Services
Gansu has 20 international travel agencies specializing in attracting and hosting overseas tourists, 47 domestic travel agencies, 45 star-rated hotels, 21 designated foreign-related restaurants, 4 designated tourist transport companies, 6 designated tourist commodity production factories, and 40 designated tourist shops. The main tourist cities along the routes have complete services covering "travel, accommodation, food, sightseeing, entertainment, and shopping," with additional services such as travel insurance, medical consultations, emergency centers, foreign currency exchange, international postal services, and tourist complaint handling.
Tourism Transportation
Gansu has civil airports in Lanzhou, Dunhuang, and Jiayuguan. Centered in Lanzhou, over 20 routes connect to 26 cities across the country, with hundreds of flights weekly. The Lanzhou-Xining high-speed train runs 120 times daily to all parts of the country, ensuring convenient transportation. The three major traditional tourist routes in Gansu are all connected by national or provincial highways.
Communication Services
Gansu offers convenient communication services. All counties and cities have been equipped with digital, automated, and programmed telephone systems, allowing direct calls to any city in the national automatic network or to international countries and regions. Tourist hotels and local post offices provide communication and postal services.