Zhāngyē Lù Zhōngduàn, 500m east of Xīguān Shízì
张掖路中段,西关什字往东边走500米
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Town God's Temple (城隍庙 Chéng Huángmiào), is know to Lanzhou locals more simply as Huáng Miào. The writing over the entrance reads: "Number 1 Worker's Club" (第一工人俱乐部 Dìyī Gōngrén Jùlèbù). Huáng Miào is an old temple complex of four courtyards, converted into a huge outdoor and indoor antiques centre (古玩, gŭwán). There are also shops for the sale of calligraphy equipment, tea sets and local craft specialities such as carved gourds and 'luminous' wine glasses. Weekends are especially busy. For more ideas of places to find antiques, arts and crafts, click here. One of the things I like doing at Huáng Miào is going up to the 3rd floor tea-house, where there are sometimes afternoon performances of the local Chinese opera Qínqiāng Xìqǔ (秦腔戏曲). Look out for the flight of stairs on the west side of the second courtyard. Entrance is free, but you will be expected to order a drink.Sānpāotáichá tea (散泡台茶) is 5 RMB with constant refills. You will probably be approached by the organisers, or even the performers, and 'invited' to give a donation. 10 RMB is acceptable. Click on the play buttons to hear some recordings. There are a couple of very popular noodle restaurants on the plaza outside the gate, as well as a Uighur Muslim restaurant where you can get lamb kebabs, flat breads, noodles and pilao rice (抓饭, zhuāfàn, slow-fried rice, baked with carrots and lamb). Getting there:
Zhāngyē Lù Zhōngduàn, 500m east of Xīguān Shízì 张掖路中段,西关什字往东边走500米 Map Originating in Shaanxi Province, the local variety of Chinese opera is Qínqiāng Xìqǔ (秦腔戏曲). You will come across locals singing Qínqiāng in the parks, and there are more formal performances in the afternoons in the teahouse at Huáng Miào which sound like this: Now you can find out more about this regional Chinese opera by visiting the new Qinqiang Opera Museum in Lanzhou, on the north bank of the Yellow River. It is part of the ever-developing Lanzhou 'Golden City Pass' Culture and Customs Quarter (兰州金城关文化风情区 Lánzhōu Jīnchéngguān Wénhuà Fēngqíng Qū). It is good to finally see this area taking shape. It certainly looks impressive at night, but up until now there hasn't been a great deal to see and do there.
Read more about it here and here. Not being in Lanzhou these days, I won't have a chance to visit this museum in the near future. So, if you do visit, please comment below. Chinese: 中国秦腔博物馆 (Zhōngguó Qínqiāng Bówùguǎn) Getting there: Map Other museums: See here Yèguāng Bēi (夜光杯) - or 'Luminous Glasses' - are made from minerals. You can find them in the local specialities shops (map), if you walk west from the Lanzhou Hotel, on the south side of Dōnggăng Xī Lù (东岗西路), west of Tiānshuì Lù crossing (天水路口往西走). Some of the shops in Huáng Miào (map) also sell them. 葫芦 (húlú) are dried gourds, which are then engraved, often in very minute detail. They range in price from a few kuai to hundreds and thousands. You can find them in the local specialities shops, if you walk west from the Lanzhou Hotel, along Dōnggăng Xī Lù (东岗西路), west of Tiānshuì Lù crossing (天水路口往西走). There is also a well-known shop at the top of the White Hill Pagoda. The photos below were taken at Huáng Miào. |
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