Location
China is the last hidden world. For centuries, travelers to China have told tales of magical landscapes and surprising creatures. Chinese civilization is the world's oldest and today it's largest with well over a billion people. It is home to 56 distinct ethnic groups and a wide range of traditional life styles.
In as much as China is situated in the southeastern part of the Eurasian Continent and on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, China is said to encounter monsoon season which is attributable to the heat reserves between the largest continent and the biggest ocean in the world. China is home to the world's highest mountains, vast deserts ranging from searing hot to mind numbing cold, steaming forests harboring rare creatures, grassy plains beneath vast horizons and rich tropical seas.
Gansu province has an area of 454,000 km2, a population of 26 million.It lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Inner Mongolia, and the Loess Plateau.The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province.Gansu is located in the northwest of China, bordering on Xinjiang, Qinghai, Ningxia, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.While wild and remote, its location at the heart of the Silk Road has left a legacy of rich historical interest.
ANCIENT SILK ROAD AND GANSU
The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade routes through regions of the Asian continent mainly connecting Chang'an (today's Xi’an) in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. It extends over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) on land and sea. Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Indian subcontinent, and Rome, and helped to lay the foundations for the modem world.
Gansu province boasts its 2,200-year-old history. The territory of the modem province of Gansu was conquered and developed before Christian era. It has an area of454,000 km2, a population of 26 million (2009). It lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Inner Mongolia, and the Loess Plateau. The Yellow River passes through the southern part of the province. While wild and remote, its location at the heart of the Silk Road has left a legacy of rich historical interest. For centuries Gansu was the vital corridor between China and Central Asia: there passed almost 1600-kilometre section of the Silk Road. The province was considered the “gold sector” of that international route.
China is the first producer of silk in the world. Silk production was started in the country about 4,500 years ago. When it comes to silk in China, this story is never complete without a reference to the world-famous Silk Road. In 139 B. C. Zhang Qian was dispatched by the Han Emperor to China’s western neighbors to promote trade and friendly relations. From then on, for about 1,000 years, the Silk Road was the artery for the two-way flow of goods between China and what we now call the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Silk production in China was so well developed and silk products from China were so popular abroad that China was exporting huge amounts of silk and silk products in exchange for what the Chinese needed but did not produce themselves, such as ivory, precious stones and spices of various sorts in addition to the introduction of such alien fruits and vegetables as tomatoes and water- melons. The Silk Road extended westward, from the WeiRiver valley in central China, past the Hexi Corridor and the present Xinjiang, across the mountain passes, which served as the boundary between China and its western neighbors, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Silk and silk goods from China would leave Xi’an, then the capital of China, for such destinations as Damascus, Istanbul, Cairo and Rome.
Lanzhou city
As the capital city of GansuProvince, Lanzhou is located upper reaches of the Yellow River and at the geometric center of China’s continental territory. It is the only provincial capital that the Yellow River runs through, ensuring rich crops of many juicy and fragrant fruits. The city proper, with the Yellow River going through, is sandwiched by mountains on the northern and southern banks. It is a famous city in the West China featuring the majestic appearance of the beauty of the south.
Sheepskin Raft is the special ship on the yellow River. It is made of goat skin; local people use it as a vehicle on the Yellow River.
Yellow River Mother, This is the most famous statue in Lanzhou, the Yellow River is referred to as the Mother of Chinese Nation. As a tribute to their mother river the people of Lanzhou erected this statue.
Beef Noodles is one kind of most popular snacks in Lanzhou. When it comes to the breakfast time or lunch time, nearly every Beef Noodles Restaurant is booming. Citizens regard it as a unique cultural phenomenon in Lanzhou.
As one of the best-seller magazines, Duzhe magazine is absolutely a remarkable brand of Gansu province, even all over the country. It contains variety of forms and content so that it is worthy of reading. Above all, it enjoys high honor and large circulation without expensive price.
WuquanMountain
The appreciation of nature in China isn't confined to impressive animals or colorful birds. Mountain landscapes have held a fascination for Chinese artists and poets throughout history, mountains also have religious significance as places that linked earth with the heavens. One of the most sacred of all mountains in Lanzhou is WuquanMountain, the delightful place including the site of 600-year-old Buddhist temple and well-known five springs. China today has the world's largest Buddhist population; these old sacred sites are highly cherished. But the Buddhist temples are not the only attraction. WuquanMountain also is home to varieties of animals. Located in southern region of Lanzhou, WuquanMountain with the attitude of 1,600 meters covers a total area of 267,000 square kilometers. The 1,000-room best-preserved groups of ancient buildings covering more than 10,000 square kilometers are Ming dynasty (1368-1644) construction.
WhitePagodaMountain
Situated on the north of Lanzhou, WhitePagodaMountain with the attitude of 1,700 meters is proximately to the bank of Yellow River. It is surrounded by forests and hills as its natural defense. The Pagoda was renovated during the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1715), then standing at height of 17 meters (35.7ft). The entire Pagoda was painted in white, so it was honored as White Pagoda. One of the Pagoda’s functions is military fortress in ancient society.
LanzhouUniversitySecondHospital is located at the foot of WhitePagodaMountain and on the bank of the Yellow River, and situated on Cui Ying Men Street, within downtown Lanzhou, having many transport facilities available. Zhigong Hall inside the hospital, was an exam hall during the Qing Dynasty, and is the former site of the LanzhouUniversity.