| Home > About China > Maps > Gansu Province |
 |
|
Gansu Province
|
 |
Introduction
The province of Gansu is located in north western China. The Huangtu Plateaus, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia encircle this province. Mongolia lies to its north, Xinjiang to the northwest and Qinghai to the west. The Yellow River - the second largest river in China and the sixth largest in the world - flows through the southern parts of this province. Gansu province is mountainous in the south and flat in the north. It covers a total land area of about 425800 square km's with Lanzhou as its capital city.
This northern province experiences a temperate monsoon climate, accompanied by the distinctive characteristics of a continental weather zones - hot summers and cold winters.
- Annual average temperature: app 9ºC (48ºF). July is the hottest month, 22ºC - 25ºC (72ºF - 77ºF) and January the coldest at -14ºC to - 3ºC (7ºF - 27ºF)
- Average rainfall: app 50 - 800 mm per year (2" - 32")
- Best time to visit: Between May and October
Gansu was once on the famous Silk Road and as a result became an important region to the cultural and economic development of ancient China. Because of its deep history tourists can explore a number of beautiful historical and natural sites when visiting this cradle of Chinese culture. Lanzhou, the capital has an interesting history so start your visit here. Some other places to see include:
City of Lanzhou
- Gansu Provincial Museum
- Five Springs Mountain Park
- The White Pagoda Hill Park
City of Xiahe
- Labrang Monastery
- Sanke Grasslands
City of Zhangye
- Muta Temple
- Giant Buddha Temple
City of Jiayuguan
- Jiayuguan Fort
- Great Wall Museum
- The Overhanging Great Wall
City of Dunhuang
- Crescent Moon Spring
- The Singing Sand Mountains
- Magao Grottoes (see link below)
According to the latest census of 2009, this province has a total population of about 31 million people. Most of the residents of Gansu - app 73% - belong to the Han Chinese community with Mandarin Chinese being the dominant language. However, other minority ethnic groups like the Hui, Tibetan, Mongol, Manchu, Uyghur, to name just a few also reside in this area of China.
The cuisine of Gansu is characterized by the use of wheat, millet, sweet potatoes, barley and beans, which are the staple crops. Typically dishes feature beef or mutton, which has been roasted, braised or steamed.
Some of the traditional dishes served in this region include:
- Lanzhou La Mian (Lanzhou Beef Noodles)
- Baihe Toa
- Dunhuang Saozi Noodles
- Preserved Ham and pie
- Jingning roasted chicken
- Quick fried camel hump
- Niang Pi Zi
- Bailan Mellon
- Sanpaotai tea
Mining, in particular "rare earth minerals" is the main pillar of Gansu's economy. This region has rich deposits of coal, copper, zinc, platinum, iron, limestone, lead, crude oil and many other natural resources. Other important industries include oil exploration machinery, petrochemicals, electricity generation and building materials industries.
The agriculture sector produces wheat, millet, melons, maize, cotton and linseed oil. It's also a large supplier of medicinal herbs used in Chinese medicines. Tourism is becoming a growing source of revenue for this region, which is still considered one of the poorest in China.
In 2008, this province had a nominal GDP of 317.6 billion Yuan (45 billion USD) and its per capita was 12,110 RMB (1,744 USD).
|
|
| You may also be interested in: |
|
|
|
| Top
|
|
|
|
|
