MUSEUMS
Gansu Provincial Museum
Location: South side of Xījīn Xīlù (西津西路), opposite the Friendship Hotel (友谊饭店, yŏuyī fàndiàn). Map.
Buses: Almost all buses from the city centre to Xīzhàn (西站) will go past the museum (#1, 53, 58, 71, 74, 102, 103, 105, 106, 129, 132, 137). Get off at Qīlĭhé Qiáo (七里河桥) and continue walking for 3 minutes, or get off at Xīzhàn and walk back on yourself for 3 minutes
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 9am-5pm (no entry after 4pm)
Cost: Free. As of March 2008 there is no entry cost at many museums around China. Take ID to the ticket office to get your free ticket. Visitors are limited to 600 in the mornings and 400 in the afternoons. .
Definitely worth a visit. Very tastefully curated, with lots of fossils, dinosaurs, pottery, and Silk Road artifacts. Individual exhibits lack English explanations, on the whole, but each room has several English-Chinese introductory signs, which give information about the general themes in the room.
The 8th Route Army Office
Chinese: 八路军兰州办事处纪念馆 (bālùjūn lánzhōu bànshìchù jìniànguăn)
Location: Just off Jiŭquán Lù (酒泉路), 300m south of Nánguān Shízì (南关什字), opposite the People's Theatre (人民剧院, rénmín jùyuàn). Map.
Buses: Nanguan Crossing (# 1, 8, 9, 58, 71, 102, 109, 127, 142)
Opening hours: 9am-5pm
Cost: Free
These were the Communist party offices in Gansu during the anti-Japanese war (1937-45). You get an insight into the war years, when Lanzhou acted as a staging post for Russian supplies to the front lines, and got bombed by the Japanese air force in return. There's just enough English around the displays for the casual visitor to get a sense of the story, and to come away with a greater understanding of why the feelings towards Japan still run high. The old photos are fascinating, as is being able to walk around the restored courtyards and see the bedrooms used by visitors such as Zhou Enlai and Ho Chi Minh, but it would have been nice to see more original artifacts from the time.
By the way, Nanguan Mosque is a few minutes walk, along alley on the east side of the Army Office. Well worth a visit, and friendly people there.
Lanzhou City Museum
Chinese: 兰州市博物馆 (Lánzhōu shì bówùguăn)
Location: Qìngyáng Lù (庆阳路), about 50m east of Jìngníng Lù (静宁路), and 500m west of the Square (广场 guăngchăng). Map.
Buses: Jìngníng Lùkŏu (静宁路口): #1, 6, 9, 29, 56, 58, 82, 109, 115, 118. Buses going west-east stop directly opposite the museum. Buses going east-west stop on the west side of Jìngníng Lùkŏu, so you have to walk back on yourself.
Opening hours: 9am-12pm, 2.30pm-5pm
Cost: Free
The city museum is worth a visit to see the Lanzhou Relics exhibition (immediately to your left after entering). There is a fascinating collection of photos showing Lanzhou and its people around 100 years ago. There is also a scale model of the city, complete with city walls and gates.
