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Geography of Gansu |
Situated in
China’s northwest on the upper reaches of the Huanghe River
(Yellow River) and striding the Qingzang,
Neimenggu and
Huangtu plateaus, Gansu borders on
Shaanxi in the east,
Sichuan,
Qinghai in south,
Xinjiang in the west,
Inner
Mongolia and the People’s Republic of Mongolia in the north
and Ningxia in the northeast. The province covers an area of
over 450,000 square kilometres with a population of 27.74
million (2022) belong to the
Han,
Hui,
Tibetan,
Dongxiang,
Yugur,
Bonan,
Mongolia,
Kazak,
Tu,
Salar and
Manchu nationalities.
The capital city of Gansu is
Lanzhou.
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Climate of Gansu |
Gansu enjoys
a temperate monsoon climate featured by an apparent
transition towards continental climate. It is dry and short
of rainfall with considerable temperature difference. Winter
is long and cold and summer short and warm, while spring and
autumn come and go instantly even without one’s knowledge.
The coldest month is January with the temperature ranging
from
-14°C
to 4°C(6.8°F
to 39.2°F
)
from northwest to southeast; and hottest month is July,
ranging from
16°C
to 26°C(60.8°F
to 78.8°F
)
f16C to 26C from Qilian Mountains northward and to Bailong
River basin. The average annual rainfall is between 30 and
600 mm with gradually reduces from southeast to northwest.
In the north-western part of the province, sunshine is
adequate but it is quite windy and dusty in spring. In the
southeast, there is much rainstorm in summer coupled with
hailstones.
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A
Brief History of Gansu |
Gansu has a
long history. According to archaeological finds, our
ancestors began to work and live in that area as early as
200,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Period. About 3,000
years ago, our forefathers in the Zhou Dynasty started to
develop agriculture in the Jin and Wei rivers basins in the
eastern part of Gansu, marking the beginning of the
brilliant cultural history in the Huanghe River (Yellow
River) basin. After the Han and Tang dynasties, Gangsu was
served as a channel for cultural exchanges and trade between
the East and West. When Zhang Qian of the Han Dynasty went
on missions to the Western Regions and Monk Xuan Zang of the
Tang Dynasty went to India to learn Buddhism, both took way
of Gansu. The administrative division of Gansu underwent
several changes in the Yuan and Ming dynasties until the
Qing when it was finally defined. Since then it has remained
unchanged.
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Gansu Local Products |
The
production of flax ranks the first in China. Fruits and
melons are grow mainly in
Lanzhou, Tianshui, Zhangye and
other places, of which Bailan melon and Zui (Drunk) melon
are well-known throughout the country. Also famous are its
Hequ horse and Oula goat bred in southern Gansu. Some rare
animal like giant panda, golden-haired monkey are found in
the province. The province’s southern mountainous areas,
known as the “time-honoured home of herbal medicine”, abound
in medicinal herbs, and Rhubarb (good for headache and
dizziness.) produced in Mindang and Quanshui enjoys fame
both at home and abroad. Among its traditional handicrafts,
the best known are luminous cups made in Jiuquan, Tea
inkslab in Lanzhou and carved lacquer in Tianshui, etc.
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Gansu Places of Interest and Tourist Attractions |
Lanzhou,
Jiayuguan, Jiuquan and Dunhuang are open to tourists.
Despite of nearly a thousand years’ of natural and human
damage, the famous Mogao Grottoes, 492 in all, have been
preserved, representing ten dynasties---the Sixteen States,
Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five
Dynasties, Song Western Xia and Yuan. There are 45,000
square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted statues
in those caves. What are more striking are over 4,000
celestial figures flying with long silk scarves in the wind.
The murals, if lined up, can form a 25-kilometer long,
2-metre high painted corridor. This is China’s existing
largest and richest treasure-house of grotto arts and
praised as the “paradise of human arts”. Lanzhou, the
capital of Gansu Province, is an ancient but beautiful,
strip-shaped city, with the Huanghe River (Yellow River)
running through it from west to east. In Lanzhou, the
visitors may be carried away by the breathtaking charm of
the two parks, Wuquanshan and Baitashan, located on the
north and south hills in the city proper. Binglingsi Grotto,
135 kilometres from Lanzhou, has been considered a gem
decorating the Silk Road with its ancient stone-carving art.
The mural tombs of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jiuquan, Jiayu
Pass--- the western end of the Great Wall, Yangguan and
Yumeng Passes in
Dunhuang Country are all ready to receive
travellers from both China and other countries with their
different ancient outlook.
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Gansu
Related Article and Report Links |
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Gansu Useful Links and Sites |
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Chinese Cities and Province Information
