Northwest · DESTINATION GUIDE

Gansu 甘肃

Gansu's long shape links eastern loess country, the Hexi Corridor and desert margins with higher Tibetan plateau landscapes in the south. Lanzhou is the capital on the Yellow River, and a useful beginning or end to several possible journeys. The province needs a direction rather than a checklist: a westward route through corridor cities is a different commitment from Tianshui or Gannan. Choose the historical and landscape chapters that matter most, then give each a suitable base, local transfer and time to understand what makes it distinct.

Location of Gansu in China

About Gansu

Gansu at a glance

Population
24,430,000Year-end resident population, entire provincial-level administrative area · 2025Source ↗
Income per person
28,224Mean annual disposable income per person, all residents · 2025 · CNYSource ↗
Languages & dialects
Mandarin and northwestern Chinese varieties, including Lanyin Mandarin; Tibetan in Gannan and other Tibetan communities.Source ↗
Geography
Loess Plateau country, the Hexi Corridor, Qilian mountains and southern plateau areas.Source ↗
Elevation
Many central and eastern uplands lie around 1,500–2,500 m; the Qilian and Gannan highlands commonly exceed 3,000 m.Regional terrain bands rather than a province-wide average.Source ↗
Main gateway
LanzhouProvince
Mogao Caves · 莫高窟
Mogao Caves · Gansu · xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0

Discover Gansu

Follow the Hexi Corridor with clear priorities

Zhangye's coloured hills introduce geology, Jiayuguan explains the strategic geography of a fortified pass, and Dunhuang offers a major encounter with Buddhist art at Mogao. A map links them neatly, but each has its own approach roads and visitor arrangements. Treat Mogao as an art visit, where explanation makes figures and narrative scenes more meaningful, and Zhangye as a landscape shaped by layered rock and erosion. Select a few substantial visits rather than counting every possible stop.

Let Lanzhou be part of the journey

Clear-broth beef noodles, Zhongshan Bridge and a tea break beside the Yellow River give Lanzhou a rhythm beyond changing trains. The river and city food provide an everyday contrast to remote caves and desert landscapes. Make time for a proper meal and a walk before continuing. Elsewhere, menus change with the region, so the provincial capital's noodle tradition should not stand in for Tianshui's buckwheat guagua or the different food and cultural setting farther south.

Choose a southeastern or southern branch separately

Tianshui combines distinctive snacks with the Buddhist sculpture of Maijishan. Xiahe and Labrang belong to Gannan's Tibetan cultural landscape, southwest of Lanzhou, rather than the westward desert corridor. A shorter journey can focus on one of these branches instead of trying to complete the whole province. For any route, check the chosen cave visit and onward departure city before fixing the itinerary. Intercity trains still leave local journeys to viewpoints, monasteries and entrances.

Explore Gansu

Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.

Gansu local specialties

甘肃特色美食 · 161 specialties to discover

Photograph of Lanzhou beef noodles (兰州牛肉面).Lanzhou beef noodles 兰州牛肉面

The noodles are resilient, while the broth balances meaty depth with clean aromatics. Width changes the bite significantly even when the soup is identical.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Super koikeyuriko · CC0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Wide niangpi noodle sheets with seasoning, photographed in Linxia.Niangpi noodle sheets 酿皮

The sheets are smooth and elastic, with the dressing contributing sourness, chili heat and aromatic richness. Gluten adds a spongier bite when included.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: User:Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Tianshui guagua · 天水呱呱 · AI dish illustrationTianshui guagua 天水呱呱AI dish illustration · AI 菜品示意图

Guagua is soft but substantial, with an earthy grain flavor beneath a sharp, spicy dressing.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Tianshui malatang with noodles, vegetables and chili seasoning, photographed in Qinzhou, Tianshui.Tianshui malatang 天水麻辣烫

Expect a savory, chili-fragrant coating, with chewy noodles and vegetables providing contrasting textures. The visible red color does not precisely predict heat.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo adjustments

Resized proportionally to a maximum 640 px long edge, EXIF orientation applied where present, and encoded as WebP. No crop or subject alteration.

Sanpaotai tea with dried-fruit additions in a covered bowl.Sanpaotai tea 三炮台

The drink changes as sugar dissolves and fruit releases flavor, combining tea bitterness with sweetness and dried-fruit aroma.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa · CC0
Photo adjustments

EXIF orientation applied where present; resized proportionally to at most 640 px on the long edge and encoded as WebP. No crop, retouching, recoloring or subject changes.

Xinjiang lamb skewers · 烤羊肉串 · AI dish illustrationXinjiang lamb skewers 烤羊肉串AI illustration · AI 示意图

Fat renders around browned edges, giving a juicy bite and a smoky, aromatic finish.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Lanzhou cool noodles · 兰州凉面 · AI dish illustrationLanzhou cool noodles 兰州凉面AI illustration · AI 示意图

The noodles stay firm and smooth, while vegetables, vinegar and chili can bring freshness and sharper flavor. The absence of abundant hot broth changes the eating pace.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Jiangshui sour-broth noodles · 浆水面 · AI dish illustrationJiangshui sour-broth noodles 浆水面AI illustration · AI 示意图

The broth is light but distinctly tangy, with soft vegetables and chewy noodles offering a refreshing contrast to richer meat soups.

Source ↗Read the dish guide →
All dish names · 全部菜名 (161)

Top sights in Gansu

Trip.Best · Best Things to DoChecked 2026-09-20

  1. Mingsha Mountain And Crescent Spring · 鸣沙山月牙泉TOP1

    Mingsha Mountain And Crescent Spring鸣沙山月牙泉

    Show on map
    敦煌市

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring (鸣沙山月牙泉) is a grasslands & deserts entry in Dunhuang, Gansu.

    View guide →
  2. Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot · 张掖七彩丹霞旅游景区TOP2

    Zhangye Rainbow Mountains张掖七彩丹霞

    Show on map
    临泽县

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    Zhangye's Rainbow Mountains display bands of colour across rounded hills in the dry landscape west of the city.

    View guide →
  3. Lanzhou Danxia Geological Park · 兰州水墨丹霞旅游景区TOP3

    Lanzhou Ink-Wash Danxia Landform兰州水墨丹霞

    Show on map
    永登县

    4.5 / 5 · Trip.com

    Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia (兰州水墨丹霞) is a scenic area in Shuping town, Yongdeng County, Lanzhou, Gansu, built on a large expanse of coloured-hill landform. The Xinhua dispatch describes the formation as mainly coloured hills with danxia secondary, and the scenic area opened in 2023.

    View guide →
  4. Jiayuguan Guancheng · 嘉峪关关城TOP4

    Jiayuguan Guancheng嘉峪关关城

    Show on map
    嘉峪关

    4.5 / 5 · Trip.com

    Jiayu Pass concentrates the western frontier of the Ming Great Wall into a compact fortress of successive defensive layers.

    View guide →
  5. Mogao Grottoes · 莫高窟TOP5

    Mogao Grottoes莫高窟

    Show on map
    酒泉

    4.4 / 5 · Trip.com

    Mogao’s cliff contains a long sequence of Buddhist caves in which murals, painted sculpture and architecture work together.

    View guide →
  6. Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon · 平山湖大峡谷TOP6

    Pingshanhu Grand Canyon平山湖大峡谷

    Show on map
    张掖

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    Pingshanhu’s red and ochre rock has been cut into a maze of towers, walls and deep channels. The rim viewpoints reveal the large pattern, while the authorised lower route changes the scale to narrow passages and tall rock faces…

    View guide →
  7. Zha Ga Na · 扎尕那TOP7

    Zhagana扎尕那

    Show on map
    甘南州

    4.3 / 5 · Trip.com

    Zhagana’s villages sit beneath an enclosure of pale limestone peaks, with forested slopes, fields and Tibetan houses filling the basin below. The setting becomes clearer as you move between the inhabited lanes and the designated…

    View guide →
  8. Gansu Provincial Museum · 甘肃省博物馆TOP8

    Gansu Provincial Museum甘肃省博物馆

    Show on map
    兰州

    4.6 / 5 · Trip.com

    Gansu Provincial Museum connects the province’s archaeological past through painted pottery, Silk Road finds and Buddhist art. The bronze galloping horse from Wuwei’s Leitai tomb is its best-known object, but the patterned…

    View guide →
  9. Qilian Mountains Binggou River Scenic Area · 祁连山冰沟河景区TOP9

    Qilian Mountains Binggou River Scenic Area祁连山冰沟河景区

    Show on map
    武威市

    4.8 / 5 · Trip.com

  10. Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple · 张掖大佛寺TOP10

    Giant Buddha Temple张掖大佛寺

    Show on map
    张掖

    4.7 / 5 · Trip.com

    Zhangye’s Great Buddha Temple centres on an enormous reclining clay Buddha inside a broad timber hall. Figures of disciples and other attendants surround the main image, creating a much fuller religious scene than a single…

    View guide →
View more on Trip.com →

Change your destination on Trip.com.

Ranking source & photo credits

The first ten entries of Trip.Best Best Things to Do. Rankings reflect platform recommendations, not counts of international visitors. Read on 20 September 2026; platform pages may use cached snapshots.

  • Mingsha Mountain And Crescent Spring: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Zhangye Rainbow Mountains: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Lanzhou Ink-Wash Danxia Landform: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Jiayuguan Guancheng: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Mogao Grottoes: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Pingshanhu Grand Canyon: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Zhagana: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Gansu Provincial Museum: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Qilian Mountains Binggou River Scenic Area: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.
  • Giant Buddha Temple: Source: Trip.com · Resized and WebP compressed; fitted to the ranking card.

Our place guide directory →

EXPLORE THE NEXT LEVEL

Cities, counties & districts in Gansu

14 areas belong directly to Gansu.

14 areas

Prefecture-level city

Lanzhou兰州市

Lanzhou, formerly Lanchow, is the capital and largest city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further…

8 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Jiayuguan City嘉峪关市

Jiayuguan City (simplified Chinese: 嘉峪关市; traditional Chinese: 嘉峪關市; pinyin: ) is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Gansu province, with a population of 312,663 as of the 2020 census.

Explore the area →Prefecture-level city

Jinchang金昌市

Jinchang is a prefecture-level city in the centre of Gansu province, People's Republic of China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north.

2 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Baiyin白银市

Baiyin (simplified Chinese: 白银; traditional Chinese: 白銀; pinyin: Báiyín; lit. 'White-Silver') is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Gansu province, People's Republic of China.

5 local areas →
View all 14 areasShow fewer areas
Prefecture-level city

Tianshui天水市

Tianshui is a prefecture-level city in Gansu province, China, and is the province's second-largest city (behind the provincial capital Lanzhou).

7 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Wuwei武威市

Wuwei is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai.

4 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Zhangye张掖市

Zhangye (simplified Chinese: 张掖; traditional Chinese: 張掖; pinyin: Zhāngyè), formerly romanized as Changyeh and also formerly known as Kanchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Gansu Province in the…

6 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Pingliang平凉市

Pingliang (simplified Chinese: 平凉; traditional Chinese: 平涼; pinyin: Píngliàng; lit. 'Pacify Liang') is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu province, China, bordering Shaanxi province to the south and…

7 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Jiuquan酒泉市

Jiuquan, formerly known as Suzhou, is a prefecture-level city in the northwesternmost part of Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China.

7 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Qingyang庆阳市

Qingyang (simplified Chinese: 庆阳; traditional Chinese: 慶陽; pinyin: Qìngyáng) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu province, China.

8 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Dingxi定西市

Dingxi, also known as Longyou is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Gansu province, People's Republic of China.

7 local areas →Prefecture-level city

Longnan陇南市

Longnan (simplified Chinese: 陇南; traditional Chinese: 隴南; pinyin: Lǒngnán; lit. 'south of Mount Long"') is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Gansu province in China.

9 local areas →Autonomous prefecture

Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture临夏回族自治州

Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (simplified Chinese: 临夏回族自治州; traditional Chinese: 臨夏回族自治州; pinyin: Línxià Huízú Zìzhìzhōu, Xiao'erjing: لٍ‌ثِيَا خُوِزُوْ زِجِ‌جِوْ), formerly known as Hezhou (河州) and Fuhan…

8 local areas →Autonomous prefecture

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture甘南藏族自治州

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China, bordering Linxia to the north, Dingxi to the northeast, Longnan to the east and Aba (Sichuan province) to…

8 local areas →

Arrive, stay & get around Gansu

交通枢纽、住宿与天气

YOUR ARRIVAL GATEWAY

Lanzhou兰州

This Gansu entry uses Lanzhou as its selected gateway city. It does not describe transport coverage across the entire region.

Airports

Railway stations

Metro & city transport

GET AROUND BY METRO · 地铁出行

Lanzhou Metro Network 兰州轨道交通线路图

Zoomable map · 可放大

The local rail network links the city’s urban corridors. The airport’s national-rail connection is separate from the metro.

  1. 1Find your stations确认起点与终点站
  2. 2Check interchanges查看换乘线路与站点
  3. 3Follow exit signs到站后按站内标识出站
Lanzhou rail network diagram · 兰州轨道交通线路图Explore the full network查看站名、线路与换乘Enlarge map点击放大线路图

Check the legend for closed, reserved or future sections. 停运、预留与规划区间，请按图例辨识。

Map edition: 2024-11-17 · Diagram reviewed 2026-09-06

Map: Painjet · CC BY-SA 4.0

Map coverage & sources 图示范围与来源说明

Complete operating Lines 1 and 2; source revision 2024-11-17 includes Olympic Sports Center rename. Operator confirms same two-line operating network on 2026-06-26. Future metro lines are excluded; intercity rail is not the map scope.

White background and WebP conversion; no route edits.

Official information ↗
Amap · 高德地图Apple Maps · 苹果地图

Coaches, ferries & onward travel

Transport reference review: 2026-09-06. Consult the operator for current services and timetables.

More about getting around

Lanzhou is the main transport gateway, with Zhongchuan airport outside the urban area. Trains help connect corridor cities, but desert viewpoints and cave sites require local transfers. Before committing to a westward route, confirm both your chosen Mogao visit and the onward departure city.

Stay in Gansu

Use central Lanzhou for riverside time and urban connections, then move your base with the itinerary. Dunhuang town suits meals and excursions; desert lodgings trade convenience for setting. For Xiahe, stay near the town and monastery area instead of attempting a rushed return journey.

Find hotels on Trip.com →

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Lanzhou weather

The current-hour forecast loads when this section is visible. It uses MET Norway model data for the named city, not station observations.

Seasons & when to go

The western corridor is dry, with hot sunshine and large changes between daytime and night. Winters can be severe, and wind can carry dust in exposed areas. Pack warm layers even for a warm-season itinerary; southern highland stops require their own forecast.

Local life & communication

A connecting province with several identities: Lanzhou's sociable riverside rhythm, the Hexi Corridor's oasis towns, Tianshui's spicy snack culture and Gannan's Tibetan religious landscape.

Mogao's murals are records of religious devotion and everyday exchange, with clothing, processions and journeys among their subjects. Jiayuguan adds military frontier history. At Labrang, Tibetan Buddhist learning remains central; allow space for worship and ask locally about photography and visitor routes.

Language & communication

Mandarin is the usual travel language along the corridor, with regional accents. Tibetan is important around Xiahe and other southern communities, alongside several minority languages elsewhere. Keep railway station names in Chinese, because a city's main and high-speed stations may be separate places.

Useful local tips

  • Choose the Hexi Corridor or a southeastern/southwestern branch before building a province-wide route; Gansu is too elongated for casual day-trip assumptions.
  • Dunhuang Academy's notice dated 18 July 2026 identifies mgk.org.cn and the 莫高窟参观预约网 mini-programme as the official Mogao booking channels. Check the Academy's current notices when reserving.
  • Treat cave visits as conservation-managed programmes: the cave selection and available route can differ, and photography rules come from the operator.
  • Ask for the noodle width and clarify what is included with your beef-noodle bowl; ordering customs vary between restaurants.
  • Allow seated time for Lanzhou's riverbank tea culture and treat monastery photography as permission-dependent.

Written by China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-09-07

Sources & useful links