Things to do

INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY

Lanzhou has certainly changed since the first foreign visitors started coming here 100 years ago. But the city retains it's distinct character due to its location along a narrow valley astride the Yellow River, and the visible Muslim culture. The river is never far away, and the hills to the north and south offer spectacular views from hilltop tea gardens. Looking down on the city you'll be sure to spot some mosques. The Hui Muslim population is small but very visible. There are Muslim Qīngzhēn 清真 restaurants on every street, and if you are nearby a mosque at prayer time, you'll hear the call to prayer. Here is a recording of the Xiguan Mosque (in the photo below):

Try to not be put off by the mostly negative, outdated portrayals of Lanzhou in the guides. The pollution is really not as bad as everyone makes out, and the city does not feel particularly industrial. It's not just me saying this, by the way. These days, the factories are limited to Xigu district, about 20 km west of the city centre.  Walking around the city really feels no different from walking around most Chinese city centres. There are pedestrian shopping streets, restaurants, bars, new department stores, and a big square (map). Again, like any typical Chinese city, Lanzhou has several parks, temples and museums.  Untypically, there are no Starbucks or Macdonald's, but there are several places to buy imported food and drinks.

Hui couple walking by the river

HOW TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO?

There are links to maps for many of the places on the site, especially in the locations covered in the pages listed along the top of the page. When there is no specific map link, click here to open the Redefining Lanzhou map. Scroll down the alphabetical index on the left, and click on the location you want to find.

Buses are cheap: Y1 - Y1.5 for most journeys. For bus routes, the best thing is to try to buy a city map (Y3.5) from a newsstand. If you are comfortable navigating a Chinese website, then the routes are available at the Mapabc site. Here is an example, showing the route for bus #1. Try cutting and pasting two place names from this site into the from-to search boxes (xxx 倒 xxx), and you'll get some suggested bus routes, as well as tips on how to complete your journey on foot at either end.

Taxis aren't too expensive either. The meter starts at Y7 for the first 3 km, and then it's Y1.4 per km after that. Y10 - Y15 can get you quite far in the city.

SIGHTSEEING SUGGESTIONS

LESS THAN A DAY

Some people use Lanzhou as a jump-of point to Xiàhé (夏河 map), or to break up the journey north up the Silk Road towards Jiāyùguān (嘉峪关) and Dūnhuáng (敦煌). Well, if you want to make the most of the opportunity to see a bit of Lanzhou, deposit your bags in the left luggage office, and do the Lanzhou Half-Day Walk. The walk takes in the main sights near the river at the Zhongshan Bridge stretch. If you have a particular interest in mosques, then try the Hualin Ping walk instead (map), which takes in the main Hui Muslim district.

Xiguan Mosque

1 FULL DAY

Combine the Half-Day Walk with a visit to one of the Parks, OR a trip to the Provincial Museum (closed on Mondays).

Gansu Provincial Museum

2 DAYS

With 2 days in the city, you can do the Half-Day Walk, visit a park AND go to a museum.

Lanshan Chairlift

3+ DAYS

If you've already covered the ideas above, head out of the city. Jiaolong Temple is about 45 minutes away by bus (Map). Xīnglóng Shān (兴隆山), and Qīyún Shān (栖云山) are near Yúzhōng (榆中) county town, 45 km to the south-east of Lanzhou (Map). There is also a page on overnight excursions.