The northwest Chinese province of Gansu spans the Qinghai-Tibet,Inner Mongolia and Loess plateaus in the upper reaches of the yellow River. The topography is complex, and the climate unpredictable. The river valleys in the south belong to a subtropical zone, while in the north it is an arid temperate zone. The province was a center for East-West cultural and trade exchanges as early as the Han and Tang dynasties. There are more than 1,000 ancient sights attributed to different periods, including ancient grottoes, old buildings, and a rich variety of cultural relics discovered along the legendary Silk Road. Many go to Gansu to seek out the roots of world civilization. The 1,600-km-long Silk Road of the Han and Tang Dynasties unfailingly brings the visitor to such places as the Dunhuang Grottoes (a veritable world-class treasure house of art), the Jiayu Pass on the Great Wall, the Maijishan Grottoes of Tianshui, the Grottoes of the Binling Temple of Yongjiang, the Labrang Temple of Xiahe, the Xinglong Mountain of Yuzhong, the Giant Buddha Monastery of Zhangye, and the bronze sculpture of galloping horse in Wuwei.

SCENES & SIGHTS

The Yellow River flows across Lanzhou, a city that has a 2,000-year history and is capital of Gansu Province. Major attractions: Green Corridor along Binhe Road, five Spring Mountain, White Pagoda Mountain, Sun Yat-sen Bridge, Waterwheel Garden, Sculptures of the Mother River, Lanshan Mountain, Qiaomen Mosque, Sand-gravel land form at Tianfusha Palace.

A Silk Road terminal, Dunhuang played a pivotal role in China's trade and cultural exchanges with the West in ancient times. Dunhuang Grottoes is a colossal treasure-trove of, among other things, 45,000 square metres of frescos and 2,415 painted sculptures. The discovery of Tripitaka Cave at Dunhuang 100 years ago uneiled one of mankind's important disciplines of learning: Dunhuang studies. The famous Mingsha (Humming Sand) Hill and Crescent Moon Spring are found south of Dunhuang, while to the north there is Yumen Pass on the Great Wall. The ruins of the Yanguan Pass lie south of the city.

"Summer of Dunhuang" Variety Show

Time: June-October
What's On: Singing and dancing in Silk Road Traditions.

Binglingsi Grottoes

A cultural heritage under key state protection A total of 694 exquisitely chiseled and highly expressive stone sculptures and 900 square metres of frescoes in graphic images are found in 183 caves scooped into two vertical cliffs that form the southern and northern sides of Jishi Mountain that overlooks the northern shore of the Yellow River in Yongjing County to the southwest of Lanzhou.

The site of the annual Jiayuguan International Sailplane Festival, Jiayu Pass in southwest Jiayuguan City is the western terminus of the Ming Great Wall. It is a trapezoid-shaped fortress with two imposing gate-towers facing each other symmetrically atop a 733-metre-long city wall. The fortress provides an overview of the gobi deserts beyond the Great Wall.

Labrang Monastery

One km west of Xiahe County stands Labrang Monastery, one of 6 leading temples of the Gelug Sect of Lamaism built in 1709, or the 48th year of the Kangxi Reign of Qing. Housed in this sumptuously ornamented monastery are tens of thousands of cultural artifacts, Tibetan scriptures and 60,000 books. The Grand Summons Ceremony takes place here twice a year (1st and 7th lunar month).

Museums

Gansu Museum, south of Qili River, Lanzhou, displays the social mores of many ethnic groups during different periods of Chinese history.
Great Wall Museum on Xinhua Road South, Jiayuguan, is the first of its kind in China to be devoted to the Great Wall.
Dunhuang Museum on Dongdajie Street has a collection of 3,000 cultural artifacts.
Dunhuang Folklore Museum at the foot of Miugsha Hill, features 20 or so rooms displaying various aspects of local culture and folklore.

Maijishan Grottoes

The 194 cave-shrines of this "Gallery of Oriental Sculpture" on a perpendicular mountain cliff southeast of Tianshui, provide shelters to 7,200 stone and clay figurines and 1,300 square metres of murais. The clay figures, fastidiously crafted to the minute detail, and blending lifelike imagery with spiritual resonance, are paragons of ancient Chinese clay sculpture.

Carved Calabashes: Calabashes whose surfaces are carved with patterns and pictures are art collector's favourite objects.

Tianshui Lacquer Carvings: Produced in Tianshui, these lacquer carvings are of a special ornamental value.

Imitation Ancient Carpets From Lintao: Lintao makes what are believed to be the finest carpets in China.