Traveling by plane to Lanzhou, Gansu, have you ever been to the place where there is a river sandwiched between two mountains?
Traveling means going to a place and then saying goodbye to it. A friend asked me yesterday, besides traveling in Yunnan and Guizhou, are there any other places suitable for taking a 7-year-old child and several families to visit together? I was curious why he excluded Yunnan and Guizhou. It was because they had been to Yunnan and Guizhou 4-5 times, so they wanted to go to another place. The first choice was Lanzhou, Gansu, and then in about a week they could go to Gannan, Jiuquan or Xining, all of which are accessible by high-speed rail.
I went to Lanzhou twice this year, both times I was in transit, once by high-speed train 🚄 and once by plane ✈️. Once I went to Jiuquan with my eldest son, and once I went to Gannan with my second son and Zhe's father. The first time I didn't bring a photographer so we played for half a day in a hurry. The second time I went with my husband and arrived two days earlier. A friend drove us to experience Lanzhou, the river sandwiched between two mountains, enjoy the night view of Lanzhou, and taste the special food of Lanzhou.
Lanzhou, Gansu is a shining pearl on the banks of the Yellow River. This city, where the Yellow River runs through, has a city charm interwoven with its ruggedness and warmth, becoming a shining pearl on the banks of the Yellow River, a place where people linger. When you first arrive in Lanzhou, you will be attracted by the majestic momentum of this Yellow River capital, as if you are at the intersection of history and modernity. Although Lanzhou lacks the delicacy and gentleness of the south of the Yangtze River, it has the boldness and enthusiasm of the northwest. The wind here blows across the vast Loess Plateau; the water here carries the weight and depth of history. My friend told me that Lanzhou is divided into Henan and Hebei. He lives in Hebei, and we stayed at his place for two nights. Here are the two mountains in Lanzhou:
1. Baita Mountain: Located on the north side of Zhongshan Bridge, adjacent to the north bank of the Yellow River, it is a natural barrier to the north of Lanzhou City. It is named after the ancient white tower on the top of the mountain. The White Pagoda was first built in the Yuan Dynasty. It was originally built to commemorate a Tibetan lama who died of illness in Lanzhou while going to Mongolia to pay homage to Genghis Khan. The existing White Pagoda was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty. The White Pagoda Temple was expanded during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and was named "Ci'en Temple". The White Pagoda has seven levels and eight sides, is about 17 meters high, has a round base and a green roof, with Buddha statues carved on each side and iron horse bells tied to the eaves. The outside of the tower is coated with paste, as if it were made of white jade, and it is one of the symbols of Lanzhou. There are many temples in Baitashan Park, such as Baita Temple and Fayu Temple, as well as unique landscapes such as the Yellow River Stone Museum and the Yugur Reception Tent. Climbing up Baita Mountain, you can overlook the spectacular panoramic view of Lanzhou city with a very broad vision. After years of greening, Baita Mountain has tall trees, dense forests, and winding paths. In addition to the White Pagoda, there are also a variety of garden buildings such as pavilions, towers, and archways.
We drove up the mountain to Baita Mountain and Baita Temple. It was our first time in Lanzhou, so we just walked around Zhongshan Bridge and looked up at Baita Mountain. The second time I went straight to the National Studies Museum on Baita Mountain, which is the Lanzhou National Studies Museum. This museum is mainly dedicated to promoting the essence of national studies and inheriting Chinese civilization. There are Lingxing Gate, Panchi, Ji Gate, Minglun Hall, Dacheng Hall, Zunjing Pavilion, Chongsheng Temple... etc. There are also sculptures and classic quotations of famous national studies figures, such as Confucius.
The Baita Mountain Scenic Area is larger than I thought. My friend drove around the mountain twice. There is a one-way street... If there were no car and friends, I wouldn’t know how to get there. My friend told me that there are some Sikuquanshu protection units hidden on the mountain... etc. This Baita Mountain Scenic Area is a comprehensive mountain forest park that integrates cultural landscape and leisure and entertainment.
2. Lanshan: Located in Chengguan District, also known as Gaolan Mountain, it is a natural barrier and the highest peak in the south of Lanzhou City. It has an altitude of 2,129.6 meters. It is an important mountain range in Lanzhou. It not only has beautiful natural scenery, but also carries rich historical and cultural heritage. After years of greening construction, Lanshan has become an artificial forest with lush green trees and colorful flowers. The coniferous forests and broad-leaved forests on the mountain complement each other, forming a beautiful landscape with evergreen all year round and changing seasonal phases. Lanshan Park is built on the mountainside, starting from the Loquat Ridge on the east side of Wuquan Mountain at the lower part and ending at Santai Pavilion at the higher part. Along the way, pavilions and terraces are scattered in an orderly manner, with red pillars and green tiles complementing each other. The Santai Pavilion on the top of the mountain is even more majestic and is the best place to overlook the whole picture of Lanzhou. Lanshan Park, with Santai Pavilion, Bell Courtyard, Puzhao Temple and Long Corridor as its core, has formed an urban mountain park that integrates historical and cultural experiences, green achievement displays, urban landscape viewing, and citizen leisure and recreation. Santai Pavilion: Located on the top of Lanshan Mountain, it is three stories high and has a pavilion built on top. It is made of green bricks and tiles, with tall red pillars, flying eaves and flowing red, and has a solemn shape. This is the commanding height of Lanzhou City, from which you can overlook the entire Lanzhou city and the spectacular sight of the Yellow River passing through the city.
We drove to Lanshan at night and went straight to Santai Pavilion to enjoy the night view of Lanzhou. There were crowds of people there, no wonder there was a traffic jam on the road. This pavilion was built in the Ming Dynasty and was originally named Kuixing Pavilion to commemorate and pray for the prosperity of local culture. This place has undergone several reconstructions and renovations. It is mainly a place where you can climb up to get a bird's eye view of Lanzhou city and the panoramic view of the city from afar. Look at the yellow V building with Vs of different colors. Photographers will definitely fly a drone to make the effect look even more different.
In addition to the two mountains, Lanzhou also has the Yellow River and Zhongshan Bridge, museums, and food night markets... I will introduce them next time.
In short, Lanzhou is a city with a long history that is worth exploring, and a city full of vitality and modernity. Our family 👨👩👧👦 likes Lanzhou very much. We made friends here, felt the enthusiasm and hospitality of the Northwest, and the unique charm of natural scenery and culture. We hope to have the opportunity to visit Lanzhou again.