Map of Gansu Province

Author: Wang Ruiping, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Administrative Divisions: County-level and above; Transportation: Airports, railways, expressways, national highways, provincial highways, county and township roads; Tourism: Distribution of scenic spots and historical sites; Place Names: Names of all townships and above, and most village names; Cities: Maps of provincial capital cities.
Gansu, anciently part of Yongzhou, is located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. It borders Shaanxi to the east, controls Sichuan and Qinghai to the south, relies on Xinjiang to the west, and dominates Inner Mongolia and Ningxia to the north. It is a key part and golden section of the ancient Silk Road. Like a magnificent jade pendant, it is embedded in the Loess Plateau, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and Inner Mongolian Plateau of central China, stretching over 1,600 kilometers from east to west and covering an area of 453,700 square kilometers, accounting for 4.72% of the country's total area. The name "Gansu" is derived from the first characters of Ganzhou (present-day Zhangye) and Suzhou (present-day Jiuquan). During the Western Xia Dynasty, Gansu Military Commission was established here, and during the Yuan Dynasty, Gansu Province was established, abbreviated as "Gan." Additionally, since most of the province lies west of Longshan (Liupan Mountain), and the Tang Dynasty once set up Longyou Circuit here, it is also abbreviated as "Long."
Most of Gansu has an elevation above 1,000 meters and is surrounded by towering mountains. To the north are the Liupan Mountains, Helishan, and Longshoushan; to the east are the Minshan, Qinling, and Ziwuling Mountains; to the west are the Altun Mountains and Qilian Mountains; and to the south are the Qingni Ridge. The terrain is complex, with undulating hills, continuous mountain ranges, and rushing rivers. Here, you can find snow-capped peaks piercing the clouds, boundless grasslands, vast deserts, lush secondary forests, magical emerald lakes and springs, natural scenery reminiscent of Jiangnan, and the region's unique flowers and fruits.
Tianshui in southeastern Gansu and Longnan Prefecture are historically rich, with beautiful landscapes, abundant resources, pleasant climates, and unique customs, earning them the nickname "Little Jiangnan." Gansu has a long history and is one of the birthplaces of Chinese culture. The legendary Yellow Emperor, Fuxi, practiced the Bagua here and taught hunting and fishing. Marco Polo also stopped here during his eastward journey in China. As a major transportation route from southeastern China to the northwest and a must-pass point on the ancient Silk Road, Gansu is home to thousands of cultural landmarks, including the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, a global treasure trove of cave murals, the western end of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan, and the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Tianshui, renowned for their clay sculptures.
With its vast territory and beautiful natural scenery, Gansu features deserts, the rugged Loess Plateau, expansive grasslands, and snow-capped glaciers, forming a magnificent and majestic landscape. The unique combination of Mingsha Mountain and the Crescent Spring adds a touch of leisure and ease to the mysterious and solemn Silk Road.
Gansu is a multi-ethnic region, with its distinctive Gannan Tibetan culture and Suban Uyghur customs leaving many Chinese and foreign visitors amazed. As of the end of 2004, the total population of Gansu was 26.1878 million, with 324,600 births (a birth rate of 12.43‰) and 170,200 deaths (a death rate of 6.52‰), resulting in a net increase of 144,400 people and a natural growth rate of 5.91‰. The urban population was 7.4923 million, accounting for 28.61% of the total. By the end of 2003, the male population was 13.4723 million, making up 51.75% of the total. Among ethnic minorities, there are 10 groups with populations over 1,000, including Hui, Tibetan, Dongxiang, Tu, Uyghur, Bonan, Mongolian, Salar, and Hakkas, as well as 30 other ethnic minority components. Dongxiang, Uyghur, and Bonan are three unique ethnic groups. In terms of distribution, the Hui people mainly live in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture and Zhangchuan Hui Autonomous County, with scattered communities in Lanzhou, Pingliang, and Dingxi. The Tibetans mainly live in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the eastern and middle sections of the Qilian Mountains in the Hexi Corridor. The Dongxiang, Bonan, and Salar people mainly live in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture. The Uyghur, Mongolian, and Kazakh people mainly live in the middle and western sections of the Qilian Mountains in the Hexi Corridor. Among the province's 87 counties, cities, and districts, 20 are ethnic minority autonomous areas, while the remaining 67 have scattered minority populations.