Brief Introduction of Gansu Province


** Geography and Natural Conditions
Gansu is an important province in northwest China. It is situated as geographical center, on the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, and at the juncture of the Loess Plateau, Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. It faces Shaanxi Province in the east, boards Sichuan and Qinghai provinces on the south and southwest, and adjoins Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest. It is bounded on the north by Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the People's Republic of Mongolia and is joined by Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the northeast. Running through the whole province, the ancient Silk Road and the new Eurasian Continental Bridge is important thoroughfare linking up East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and Europe. Gansu features a land area of 455,000 sq km, including 4.54 million ha of cultivated land at the end of 2004. At the end of the year, the total population with permanent residence stood at 26.0334 million.
Gansu is about 1,520 kilometers long from east to west, 1,655 kilometers in its widest place and only 25 kilometers in the narrowest place. The landforms in Gansu are complicated and varied. High mountains and deep valleys are aloft on its southeastern part with peaks rising one higher than another. Covered by loess, loess topography has formed in its eastern part. Hexi Corridor, the western fringe of the province has smooth terrain, oasis, dessert and Gobi desert.
There are 450 rivers in Gansu, among which 78 rivers have a yearly runoff of over 100 million cubic meters each. The Black River, Shule River, Yellow River trunk stream, Tao River and Jialingjiang River are the greater ones. The river basin within the province can he divided into 3 valleys as Hexi and the northern part of Chaidamu inland river valley, the Yellow River valley and the Yangtze River valley with 9 water systems of Shule River system, Yellow River mainstream system, Tao River system, Huang River system, Wei River system, Jin River system and Jialingjiang River system
** Climate
Gansu has a dry climate with plenty of sunshine, strong radiation and the temperature varies greatly from day to night. The annual average temperature is between 32F-57.2F dropping from the southeast to the northwest. It is 39.2F-48.2F in Hexi Corridor, 32F-42.8F in Qilian mountainous area, 41F-48.2F and 44.6F-50F in Longzhong and Longdong respectively. Its annual rainfall is about 300 millimeters and differs greatly in different parts. It is reduced from 760 millimeters in the southeast to 42 millimeters in the northwest. The seasonal rainfall is also uneven and concentrated mainly from June to September. Gansu has rich solar energy resources with an annual sunshine time of 1,700-3,300 hours, increasing from the southeast to the northwest. Hexi Corridor has a maximum annual sunshine time of 2,800-3,300 hours, Longnan has a minimum sunshine time of 1,800-2,300 hours, Longzhong, Longnan and Gannan has an annual sunshine time of 2,100-2,700 hours.
** Brief History
The name of Gansu came from the first two characters of ancient Ganzhou (present Zhangye) and Suzhou (present Jiuquan). Gansu is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation and ancient Chinese civilization.
Gansu has the organizational system of province for more than 700 years, which of the county is even earlier than that of the province and has already had a history of 2,200 years since the Spring and Autumn Period (BC 770--BC 221). As early as in the Old Stone Age of 200,000 years ago, the remote humankind had already lived and multiplied on this land. Fuxi and Shengnong, the earliest ancestors of the Chinese nation lived in compact communities in Tianshui.
The ancestors of Zhou (BC 11--BC 256) and Qin (BC 221--BC 206), both taking the eastern part of Gansu as their base, grew from strength to strength and fulfilled the great cause of unifying China.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties (581--907), the height of power and splendor of Tang Dynasty, Gansu became one of the economically prosperous areas. Gansu is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation and ancient Chinese civilization. In history, the world famous Silk Road traverses the whole province thus made the province the earliest place opening to the outside world for economic and cultural exchanges between the east and the west as well as exchanges between different nationalities. Gansu became one of the economically prosperous areas. Up to Tang dynasty (618--907), Gansu's position in international trade reached an unprecedented height.
** Local custom
Gansu has been a multi-ethnic province since ancient times. 54 nationalities have inhabited here. Among its total population of 26.0334 million, the minority population takes up 2.199 million. Hui nationality is the largest in all the minority nationalities with a population of 1.185 million. Ten ethnic groups of Hui, Tibet, Dongxiang, Tu, Yugu, Baoan, Mongolia, Sala, Hazak and Manchu have inhabited in Gansu for generations. Yugu, Dongxiang and Baoan are unique nationalities.

** World Heritage in Gansu Province
Mogao Caves  in Dunhuang City (1987)
** National AAAAA Level Tourist Attractions in Gansu Province
1.Kongdong Mountain in Pingliang City
2.Jiayuguan Cultural Relic in Jiayuguan City
** National AAAA Level Tourist Attractions in Gansu Province
1.Booming Sand Dune and Crescent Spring in Dunhuang City
2.Maiji Mountain in Tianshui County
3.Xihan Dynasty Cultural Relic in Jiuquan City
4.Xinglong Mountain National Natural Reserves in Lanzhou City
5.Labuleng Temple in Xiehe County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
6.Leitai Han Dynasty Mausoleum in Wuwei City
7.Wuquan Mountain Park in Lanzhou City
8.Mati Temple in Yugu Nationality County of Zhangye City
9.Dafo Temple in Zhangye City
** National Key Scenic Area in Gansu Province
1.Booming Sand Dune and Crescent Spring in Dunhuang City
2.Maiji Mountain in Tianshui County
3.Kongdong Mountain in Pingliang City
** National famous historic and cultural cities
Tianshui City, Wuwei City, Zhangye City, Dunhuang City

Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu Province, located on the upper reaches of the Yellow River and at the geometric center of China's continental territory. Lanzhou is the only city in the country that the Yellow River flows across the downtown area and reputed as ''the Capital of the Yellow River and the Famous City with Mountains-and-Waters''.
There are total areas of 13,100 sq km. There are 38 nationalities dwelling here, including those of Han, Hui, Man, Tibetan, Yugu and Dongxiang, etc. Its total population has now grown up to 2.91 million, among which 1.6 million are non-agricultural residents.