Things to do in Lanzhou - Lanzhou Attractions
As an important city of northwestern China, Lanzhou is usually chosen as transfer city. Well it is also a historical city of many cultural relics. The Yellow River flows though the city, and many attractions were built on the river shore themed by Yellow River Culture, such as the Iron Bridge of Yellow River, Waterwheel Park, Yellow River Mother Statue, etc. Hiking up to the top of the White Pagoda Mountain and getting the panoramic views of Yellow River and Lanzhou city is the most popular experience in Lanzhou. If you are interested in the history of Gansu and Lanzhou, don't miss the Provincial Museum.
- Top Attractions
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No.1: Gansu Provincial Museum
Type: History Museums
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Location: No.3 Xijin West Road, Qilihe district, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 甘肃省兰州市七里河区西津西路3号
Gansu Provincial Museum is the best place to learn Gansu's history and culture in Lanzhou city. It has more than 350,000 collections - 1. Fossils and biological specimens from the Cretaceous Period. 2. Ancient painted potteries from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age. 3. Bronze ware, ceramics from Shang and Zhou Dynasties. 4. Silk Road culture of Han and Tang Dynasties. 5. Porcelain, wood carving, silks, and paintings of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.
Don't miss Gansu Provincial Museum’s 3 best features: 1. Buddhism Culture Hall highlights the best presentation of Gansu Buddhist grottoes. 2. Pottery Culture Hall collects fancy potteries of a different time. 3. The most famous bronze ware is the Ma Ta Fei Yan (马踏飞燕, Bronze Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow).
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No.2: Iron Bridge of Yellow River
Type: Bridges
Recommended Length of Visit: less than 1 hour
Location: Under Baita Mountain, north of the middle section of Binhe Road, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 甘肃省兰州市滨河路中段北侧白塔山下
The Iron Bridge of Yellow River, also named Zhong Shan Bridge, is the first iron bridge of Yellow River which was built in the 19th Century. Now it is a landmark and passable only for pedestrians and cyclists. In the day time, you can really get a “Yellow Water” view of Yellow River. And in the night, the colorful light on both sides of the river is florid. On the northern side of the bridge, there is a museum introducing the history of the Zhong Shan Bridge, also recording the development of other bridges across the Yellow River.
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No.3: White Pagoda Mountain (Baita)
Type: Mountains & Temple
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Location:No.1, Baitashan, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City Gansu Province 甘肃省兰州市城关区白塔山1号
White Pagoda Mountain (1,720m) is located in the city, close to the Iron Bridge of Yellow River. The mountain is the highest spot of Lanzhou city, covered by luxuriant trees. You can hike up the staircases to the top of the mountain, which is an awesome experience. If you don't want to bear the walk, you can take the cable car (One-way uphill ticket: CNY 45; One-way downhill ticket: CNY 30; Round-trip ticket: CNY 55). On the top of the hill is the White Pagoda built in Yuan Dynasty with Lamasery style. There are three other old temples in traditional Chinese style which give you a feel of history and local culture.
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No.4: Binhe Park of Lanzhou
Type: Mountains & Temple
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Location: Nanbinhe Middle Road, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 甘肃省兰州市南滨河中路
Binhe Park is built along the Yellow River. The best features are the Yellow River Mother Statue and Ancient Waterwheels Park. Yellow River Mother Statue was sculptured by the famous artist Mrs. He'e. A child leans in the arms of the mother. The mother stands for the Yellow River, and the child stands for the growing Chinese people. From this statue, you can see how important the Yellow River is to China. The Ancient Waterwheels Park is themed by 12 large Yellow River waterwheels of different styles. The waterwheel is a special irrigation system in Gansu that originated in the Ming Dynasty.
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No.5: Lanzhou Museum
Type: History Museums
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Location: Inside Baiyi temple, 240 Qingyang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 甘肃省兰州市城关区庆阳路240号白衣寺院内
Lanzhou Museum, built on the former site of Baiyi temple in Ming Dynasty, was founded in 1984, covering an area of 4700 square meters. Lanzhou Museum has 12,633 cultural relics, including 53 national first-class cultural relics, 82 second-class cultural relics and 698 third-class cultural relics. There are a wide range of cultural relics in the collection, including pottery, porcelain, metal, stone, jade, paper and so on. Among them, the painted pottery of Majiayao, the calligraphy and painting of Gansu local celebrities in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the cultural relics of Baiyi Temple Pagoda are very represntative and distinctive. Banshan colored pottery drum, ink paper of the Eastern Han Dynasty and jewelry crafts of the Ming Dynasty are all excellent among similar cultural relics.
How to Plan Your Lanzhou Tour
Lanzhou is rather a transfer hub than a popular tourist destination. Traveler usually choose Lanzhou as the starting point of their holidays because there are a great number of trains to Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang making stops here, as well as many domestic flights from Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. From Lanzhou, you can extend your trip to Xiahe Labrang Monastery and Langmusi Temple in southern Gansu(2~3 days), or travel northwestwards to the famous Hexi Corridor - Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang(4~5 days).
★ Top-Recommended Lanzhou Tours
✔ 4 Days Lanzhou Labrang Monastery Tour
✔ 4 Days Maijishan Grottoes & Lanzhou Culture Tour
Travel Lanzhou with China Discovery
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Most Popular Lanzhou Tours
- Best Lanzhou Tours
- Lanzhou Short Break
- Lanzhou Labrang Monastery Tour
- Maijishan Grottoes & Lanzhou Culture Tour
Useful Lanzhou Travel Guide
Recommended Lanzhou Tours
Top 3 Lanzhou tours chosen by most customers to explore Lanzhou in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.
4 Days Lanzhou Labrang Monastery Tour
Lanzhou - Xiahe - Linxia - Lanzhou
4 Days Maijishan Grottoes & Zhangye Danxia Tour
Tianshui - Lanzhou - Zhangye
7 Days Ancient Silk Road Treasure Tour from Tianshui
Tianshui - Lanzhou - Zhangye - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang