Speaking of Lanzhou, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles. But besides delicious food, what else does Lanzhou have to offer? Lanzhou has many tourist attractions with historical and cultural significance. You may not know that the Mother River, the Yellow River, flows through Lanzhou. Here are some of the attractions in Lanzhou.
Lanzhou Travel: Must-Visit Attractions Recommendation
Lanzhou Yellow River Iron Bridge
Lanzhou landmark, a century-old iron bridge; under the White Pagoda Mountain, in front of the Golden City Pass, it is known as “the First Bridge of the Yellow River in the World”. The Yellow River Iron Bridge was built and opened to traffic on July 4th of the first year of the Xuantong reign in the Qing Dynasty, becoming the first permanent bridge across the Yellow River in Lanzhou’s history. Today, to protect the Zhongshan Bridge, vehicles are prohibited from driving on it, making it a truly scenic bridge. As night falls, the lights on the bridge light up, intertwining with the reflections in the water, creating a beautiful and enchanting sight.
Wuzhuan Mountain Park
Located at the northern foot of Golan Mountain on the south side of Lanzhou city, it is a renowned tourist destination with a history of over two thousand years. The park’s attractions are mainly based on the five famous springs and ancient Buddhist architecture. At an altitude of over 1,600 meters, it covers an area of 267,000 square meters, with over 10 Ming and Qing Dynasty architectural groups, over 1,000 rooms, and a construction area of over 10,000 square meters, making it a grand scale. The park is characterized by undulating hills, lush trees, and tranquil surroundings. The temples are built according to the terrain, with corridors and pavilions interlinked, creating a harmonious and well-planned layout. Wuzhuan Mountain gets its name from the five springs: Hui, Ganlu, Juyue, Mozi, and Meng. The ancient architectural complex is located at the highest point of the central peak of Wuzhuan Mountain. From the mountain gate, following the middle passage upwards, there are ancient temples such as the Butterfly Pavilion, the King Kong Hall, the Great Hero Hall, the Wanyuan Pavilion, the Wenchang Palace, the Dizang Temple, and the Thousand Buddha Pavilion, arranged along the mountainside, layer upon layer, connected by stone steps and pavilions. The two flanks of the central peak are the East and West Dragon Mouths, and the five springs are arranged in an arc along the East Dragon Mouth – Wenchang Palace – West Dragon Mouth line, suspended on the mountainside. Each spring is also connected to the others by stone steps, plank bridges, and pavilions. Wuzhuan Mountain was designated as a park in 1955, and the original pavilions and towers have been renovated. After landscaping and construction, the park now boasts winding paths and secluded spots, making it a significant tourist destination.
Qingcheng Ancient Town
Qingcheng Ancient Town, known as the “Elegant Place”, is located at the foot of Chonglan Mountain in the northern part of Yuzhong County, 110 kilometers from Lanzhou, 30 kilometers from Baiyin, and 54.2 kilometers from Yuzhong County. It covers a total area of 138.04 square kilometers, with 14 villages, 71 villagers’ groups, a total population of 21,200, and 14,400 acres of farmland. The terrain here is high in the south and low in the north, with an altitude of 1,450 meters. The topography is narrow and long, with the Yellow River flowing through the northern part, a typical Yellow River valley. The climate is mild, and water resources are abundant. It is suitable for growing fruits and vegetables, especially known for its production of green tobacco. Since ancient times, the economy has been developed, and with the help of Yellow River water transport, it has become a key transportation route and commodity distribution center for Lanzhou to the north. Particularly commendable is that the rich traditional culture accumulated due to its long and ancient history makes Qingcheng Town a unique piece of Feng Shui treasure land along the upper reaches of the Yellow River. According to historical records from the “Gansu Tongzhi”, “Lanzhou Fu Zhi”, “Gaolan County Zhi”, “Yuzhong County Zhi”, and “Jin County Zhi”: Qingcheng was built by Di Qing, a general of the Song Dynasty, when he was appointed as the Prefect of Qinzhou and patrolled the border. The “Song History – Biography of Di Qing” also records: “During the Baoyuan period, Yuan Wu rebelled, and Qing was the Supervisor of Yanzhou, and was promoted to the post of Deputy Envoy of the Western Upper General Affairs, then to the Prefect of Qinzhou, the Chief Commander of the Jingyuan Road, and the General Manager of Recruitment and Pacification.”
Must-Try Delicacies in Lanzhou
1. Lanzhou Beef Noodles
Lanzhou beef noodles have a long history and are one of the most representative delicacies in Gansu. In Lanzhou, beef noodle shops are everywhere, and they all share the characteristics of “one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow”, making them delicious in color, aroma, taste, and appearance.
2. Sheep Offal Soup
Sheep offal soup is made from a mixture of sheep’s heart, liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines. It is divided into main ingredients and side ingredients: the main ingredients are heart, liver, and lungs; the side ingredients are intestines, belly, and head and hoof meat. To judge whether a bowl of sheep offal soup is good or not, you need to see if it has both main and side ingredients.
3. Sweet Barley Wine
Sweet barley wine is a traditional snack in Lanzhou. It comes in two varieties: one made from oat and the other from barley. It gets its name from the slightly mellow wine flavor when eaten.
In my heart, I always yearn for some classic emotions, I like to call some cities by their old names, such as Lanzhou. The name “Golden City”, although a bit common, was chosen by the ancients because of Lanzhou’s important military position—a throat passage on the ancient Silk Road, a necessary route to and from Tibet, and a forward outpost of ancient China’s military strategy. If we were to consider wealth, it would be more appropriate to rename it “Silver City”.
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