Asia > China > Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu Province and sits in a long, narrow valley where the Yellow River cuts through the loess plateau at about 1,500 metres. It is not a conventional tourist destination — it is a working industrial city and a transport hub — but it matters to travelers heading west along the old Silk Road into Xinjiang or south into Tibetan Qinghai.
The Yellow River is the city's defining feature. Binhe Park runs along the northern bank for several kilometres, and the Zhongshan Bridge — the Old Iron Bridge — is one of the oldest iron bridges in China, built in 1907. White Pagoda Hill rises above the northern bank near the bridge with views over the valley. The Gansu Provincial Museum holds one of the best collections of Silk Road artifacts in China, including the famous Han Dynasty Flying Horse of Gansu (Galloping Horse).
Lanzhou is also known for its beef noodles — lanzhou lamian — a dish specific to the city and eaten for breakfast by most locals. The hand-pulled noodles in clear bone broth with sliced beef and chilli oil are served in hundreds of small restaurants throughout the city and are genuinely excellent. The Xiguan Muslim Food Street near the Xiguan Mosque is the best place for halal cooking and street food.
Bingling Si, the Buddhist cave complex 70 km southwest on the Yellow River, is the main reason many travelers stop here. The day trip by boat through the Liujiaxia reservoir gorge is as good as the caves themselves. Wuquan Mountain Park and the Yellow River Waterwheel Garden fill out a day in the city.