Basics

Geography

Situated in China’s northwest on the upper reaches of the Huanghe River (Yellow River) and striding the Qingzang, Neimenggu and Huangtu plateaus, Gansu borders on Shaanxi in the east, Sichuan, Qinghai in south, Xinjiang in the west, Inner Mongolia and the People’s Republic of Mongolia in the north and Ningxia in the northeast. The province covers an area of over 450,000 square kilometres with a population of 25.62 million (2006) belong to the Han, Hui, Tibetan, Dongxiang, Yugur, Bonan, Mongolia, Kazak, Tu, Salar and Manchu nationalities. The capital city of Gansu is Lanzhou.

Climate

Gansu has a mild and humid climate. Its mean temperature in the coldest month of January is 5°C (41°F) in the northwest and 12°C (53.6°F) in the southeast. In the hottest month of July, it has an average temperature of 25°C.-30°C (77°F - 86°F). Gansu has abundant rainfall with an average annual precipitation of 800-1,900 mm, Summer and autumn is the typhoon season, which usually brings with it torrential rain.

Brief History of Gansu

Gansu enjoys a temperate monsoon climate featured by an apparent transition towards continental climate. It is dry and short of rainfall with considerable temperature difference. Winter is long and cold and summer short and warm, while spring and autumn come and go instantly even without one’s knowledge. The coldest month is January with the temperature ranging from -14°C to 4°C(6.8°F to 39.2°F ) from northwest to southeast; and hottest month is July, ranging from 16°C to 26°C(60.8°F to 78.8°F ) f16C to 26C from Qilian Mountains northward and to Bailong River basin. The average annual rainfall is between 30 and 600 mm with gradually reduces from southeast to northwest. In the north-western part of the province, sunshine is adequate but it is quite windy and dusty in spring. In the southeast, there is much rainstorm in summer coupled with hailstones.

Gansu Local Products

The production of flax ranks the first in China. Fruits and melons are grow mainly in Lanzhou, Tianshui, Zhangye and other places, of which Bailan melon and Zui (Drunk) melon are well-known throughout the country. Also famous are its Hequ horse and Oula goat bred in southern Gansu. Some rare animal like giant panda, golden-haired monkey are found in the province. The province’s southern mountainous areas, known as the “time-honoured home of herbal medicine”, abound in medicinal herbs, and Rhubarb (good for headache and dizziness.) produced in Mindang and Quanshui enjoys fame both at home and abroad. Among its traditional handicrafts, the best known are luminous cups made in Jiuquan, Tea inkslab in Lanzhou and carved lacquer in Tianshui, etc.

Gansu Places of Interests and Tourist Attractions

Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Jiuquan and Dunhuang are open to tourists. Despite of nearly a thousand years’ of natural and human damage, the famous Mogao Grottoes, 492 in all, have been preserved, representing ten dynasties---the Sixteen States, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song Western Xia and Yuan. There are 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted statues in those caves. What are more striking are over 4,000 celestial figures flying with long silk scarves in the wind. The murals, if lined up, can form a 25-kilometer long, 2-metre high painted corridor. This is China’s existing largest and richest treasure-house of grotto arts and praised as the “paradise of human arts”. Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, is an ancient but beautiful, strip-shaped city, with the Huanghe River (Yellow River) running through it from west to east. In Lanzhou, the visitors may be carried away by the breathtaking charm of the two parks, Wuquanshan and Baitashan, located on the north and south hills in the city proper. Binglingsi Grotto, 135 kilometres from Lanzhou, has been considered a gem decorating the Silk Road with its ancient stone-carving art. The mural tombs of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jiuquan, Jiayu Pass--- the western end of the Great Wall, Yangguan and Yumeng Passes in Dunhuang Country are all ready to receive travellers from both China and other countries with their different ancient outlook.