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Dunhuang (敦煌, Dūnhuáng) is a town located in the western province of Gansu and is particularly famous for the Mogao Caves, for the Singing Mountain and for the Lake of the Crescent Moon, an oasis in the middle of the desert.
We’ve received and published this article written by Camilla Fatticcioni, author of the blog “Per Quel Che Ne So Io“.
I’ve always been fascinated by the stories of “Il Milione” by Marco Polo, about his adventures along the historic Silk Road that crosses all of Asia all the way to China, a country which at that time was so far off and unknown to Westerners that only a few legends were known about it. Never in my life would I have believed that I would be living in this place that represented the main destination along this long road that merchants have been traveling for centuries, often risking their lives.
I lived for a year in the city of Lanzhou, chief city of the Gansu region, and presently a growing metropolis: today skyscrapers sprout like mushrooms along the banks of the Yellow River, the main river of northern China that a long time ago was the mythical site of those legendary stories that were told along the Silk Road.
Marco Polo passed through Lanzhou, also stopping in Zhangye and Dunhuang, another two large cities in this arid Chinese region in the northwest. [Read more…]
Lanzhou, the capital of the Chinese province of Gansu, as opposed to what many guide books say, is actually a city that is worth visiting. Lanzhou is a modern, clean, and peaceful city filled with history.
In addition, even what many reputed websites and guides say (like Wikipedia), Lanzhou is no longer the industrial city with horrible air quality that it was in past years. In recent years, its statistics have even been a lot better than cities such as Qingdao or Hangzhou, which benefit from a good reputation in this aspect.
Lanzhou is located in a valley at around 1,600 meters altitude. Its climate is semi-arid and continental. Due to its elevation, the best time to visit Lanzhou is definitely between the months of May and October, during which temperatures are usually pleasant and the climate isn’t so dry. In fact, Lanzhou is an excellent destination to escape from the suffocating summer heat in the eastern part of the country.
Nonetheless, keep in mind that temperatures may drop significantly during the night, especially during the months of May, June, September, and October, which means that it’s a good idea to bring warm clothes just in case.
Winters in Lanzhou are long, cold, and extremely dry, making them not a very recommendable time to visit the city. Just like in many parts of the northern region of the country, in Lanzhou, spring and fall are practically non-existent.
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The Gansu province is one of the most remote and poor areas in China, so finding a quality accommodation isn’t easy. However, Gansu offers some of the most beautiful landscapes in China, thus it is an important touristic destination. In order to help you to save some time, here you’ll find a selection of the best hotels in two of the most important cities, Lanzhou, the capital of the Province, and Dunhuang, the major touristic city.
If you want to know more about booking hotels in China, you can also check out this article.
The Crowne Plaza Lanzhou Hotel is a luxurious hotel with 440 guestrooms offering modern facilities and views of the yellow river. At the hotel, you will find services and facilities like karaoke, massages and treatments, car park, 24 hour room service, indoor pool, BBQ facilities, terrace, currency exchange, and facilities for disabled guests. Enjoy a wide range of Cantonese dishes at the Chinatown Chinese restaurant or indulge in Halal foods of the West China region at the Persia specialty restaurant. River Café offers all day dining with International cuisine. You get free access to Wi-Fi in public areas only. Be aware that here the English between the staff isn’t a must.
Camel trekking was one of my favourite activities in Gansu province
In this guide to travel in Gansu you will find:
For more general information about traveling in China such as visas, vaccinations, flights, food etc. be sure to check out this epic 4,000 word complete guide to traveling in China. Just skip to the sections you are most interested in!
p.s. Here you find our recommendations for hotels in Dunhuang and Lanzhou. [Read more…]
Three months ago, I started to learn a bit more about China’s ancient history as a part of writing the article on travelling to the Henan Province, as I sometimes do. At one point, I started to branch out and ended up reading articles about other things: first of all on the Silk Road, and from there, Sino-Roman relations and in the end, I ended up finding a curious article on a lost little town called Liqian.
Today’s article discusses this little town, where history is mixed with legends as well as political and economical interests, something which happens all the time in the middle kingdom. [Read more…]