Gansu

Dunhuang

Called Shazhou in ancient times, Dunhuang is one of China’s famous historical and cultural cities. Dunhuang lies at the western end of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province in Northwest China. Situated in the 40o10’ of the north latitude and the 92o48’ of the east longitude, Dunhuang connects Gansu, Qinghai provinces, and Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region. With the Qilian Mountains to the south, the Takli-makan Desert to the west, Beisai (north area beyond the Great Wall) Mountain and Sanwei Mountain to the east, Dunhuang is an oasis surrounded by mountains, deserts and Gobis in the north edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The oasis area accounts for 4.5% of the land area with an average altitude of 1,100 meters.

Being one of the four cities west of the Hanhe River in ancient times, Dunhuang was established as a prefecture in the sixth year (111BC) of the Yuanding reign in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD). It was once called Sanwei or Guazhou. The ancient town used to be an important stopover point on the Silk Road. Dunhuang is the starting point of all the three routes to Xinjiang. Since the Han and the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Dunhuang became a metropolis and the communication center of politics, economy and culture between the East and the West.

With a long history and a splendid culture, Duhuang has an album including the best works representing different historical periods with brief introductions. There are a great many of places of interest and scenic spots, 241 of which are famous ones such as the relics of the grottos, the group of tombs, the great wall of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), the ancient city, the beacon fair and the relay stations. The world famous places are the Mogao Grottos, the Yumenguan Pass, ruins of Yangguan Pass, Wuwa Pond, Sanwei Mountain, Ringing-Sand Hill, Crescent-Moon Pool and the many grotto carvings and murals. The Ringing-Sand Area is one of China's key tourist attractions.

In 1986, the State Council proclaimed Dunhuang a Chinese historical and cultural city. The UNESCO put the Mogao Grottos on its list of world natural and cultural heritages in 1987. It was approved as an excellent tourist city of China in 1998. The melted snow water moistens the fertile land, and the forest prevents the sand and wind. Endowed by nature so much convenience, Dunhuang has good harvests of various kinds of fruits. With marvelous desert scenery and prestigious relics, Dunhuang is the homeland of the flying Aparas and the bright pearl of art in the world. It is a land of fertility and miracle.

Wuwei

On the east part of the Hexi Corridor, which is located in the west of Gansu Province, Wuwei has Qilian Mountains to its south, the Tengger Desert to its northeast, the Lianguliang Valley to its east, the Gobi of Yongchang County to its west, and the Beisha River, boundary line with Yongchang County and Minqin County, to its north. It is the earliest developed place with the largest area, largest population and the most prosperous economy in the Hexi Corridor Region.

Wuwei was called Liangzhou in ancient times. Liang means cool in Chinese, and the town got its name because iron armors of the soldiers’ became cool the moment they arrived here. Some 4,000 years ago, human beings started to live and conduct agriculture and animal husbandry in the seat of Wuwei. It had been a key town in terms of politics, economy, culture and religion since Wudi in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) set up four towns in the region of Hexi. With comparatively advanced agriculture and trade exchange, Wuwei was the capital of six dynasties of the Western Regions. It’s a stopover point of the ancient Silk Road from east to west, and the pivot for the economic and cultural exchanges between the east coastal cities and other European and Asian countries.

With colorful tourist resources, Wuwei is the largest town from Lanzhou to the Hexi Corridor. The major places of interest are the Leitai Tomb of the Han Dynasty, the Wuwei Confucius Temple, the Haicang Temple, the Tiantishan Grotto, and the Desert Park.

Covering a total area of 1,500 square meters, the Wuwei Confucius Temple lies in the southeast of the city. It is a group of architectures imitating the style of the imperial palaces built in the fourth year (1439) of the Zhengtong reign in the Ming Dynasty (1644-1911). Enlarged in the following dynasties, the temple is now the city museum.

The Leitai Tomb of the Han Dynasty is famous for its large-sized brick tomb and the antiques in it. Leitai is the place where people offered sacrifice to the Thunder God, and it got its name because there was a temple for the god on a ten-meter high platform built in the mid-Ming Dynasty. Among the excavations, the Bronze Steed is of the highest fame. It is also called Steed after the Skylark. The steed is of in green bronze color, 34.5cm tall, 45cm long and 17.5 kilos in weight. It is scooting with three hoofs in air and the skylark just under its right hind leg, scaring. This craft changes the traditional way of posing steed, and conforms to the balance principle in mechanics. With rich connotation and excellent technique, the Bronze Steed is one of the best in the bronze art works .

The Haizang Temple is one of the temples preserved intact in the Hexi Region, a cultural reclics site under the provincial level protection. The Tianfoshan Grotto is one of the oldest grottoes of China, and was claimed to be the earliest ancestor of the grottoes.

The Desert Park in Wuwei is a wonderful scenic spot with deserts, prairie and gardens combined. The State Council proclaimed Wuwei as a historical and cultural city on December 8, 1986.

Zhangye

Lying in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, Zhangye is a key commercial city on the ancient Silk Road. With a time-honored history, splendid culture and abundant materials, Zhangye is also called Ganzhou and reputed as the Golden Zhangye.

With Wuwei and Jinchang to the east and Jiuquan to the west, Zhangye is the one of the four prefectures in ancient Hexi and the political, economical, cultural and diplomatic center of Northwest China for the central government in successive dynasties. In 121BC, Wudi of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) designated Zhangye a prefecture after General Huo Quping defeated the Huns (an ancient tribe in China. Zhangye got its name, which means “cutting the arms of the Huns and stretching the armpit of central China”.

Zhangye was a famous place for Buddhism along the Silk Road. It is now a national historical and cultural city as well as a well-known tourist city in western China. Zhangye was the stopover point to the Western Regions for Zhang Qian, Ban Chao, Fa Xian and Xuan Zang. Emperor Yangdi of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) invited kings and ministers from 27 kingdoms in the Western Regions in 609 to attend an international expo. Marco Polo had stayed for one year here.

Historical records show that Zhangye was a city of towers and temples. There are still many relics of the ancient architectures, tombs, battlefields, sculptures, stone carvings and so on.

Tianshui

Lying in the southeast of Gansu Province, the city of Tianshui is the second largest city in and the city directly under the province. Today, the city has become a major city that focuses on tourism and processing, and the center of economy, culture and commerce, and the transportation pivot in the southeast of Gansu.

Tianshui is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese people. In ancient times, the legendary emperor Fuxi and Nüwa were born here. Today throngs of people still flock to the Fuxi Temple, in the western section of the city, to commemorate him. Hence, Tianshui has become the Holy Land where overseas Chinese come to trace and worship their ancestors.

The city was for centuries an important town on the Silk Road, being the first stop in Gansu for travelers and merchants to various parts of northwestern China and beyond. It is now a national level historical and cultural city. The time-honored history fostered the Fuxi Culture, Dadiwan Culture, the Pre-Qin Culture, the Three Kingdoms Culture and Grottoes Culture, and turned out many historical celebrities. The Maji Mountain ("Wheat-stack Mountain") Scenic Area is one of the 44 national scenic areas published in the first batch by the State Council. Besides, there are many historic sites about Du Fu, the poem saga, Li Guang, celebrated general, Zhuge Kongming, a famous militarist, and so on. Tianshui is rich in tourism resources and noble cultural taste, with altogether 69 cultural relics sites under the county level protection or above.

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