Gansu is a compound name that first used in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1276), of the two prefectures, namely Gan Zhou (around current Zhangye) and Su Zhou (around current Jiuquan).It situated in the upper Yellow River valley in Northwest China, renown as home of grotto art and one of the cradles of Chinese culture. The provincial capital is Lanzhou, Northwest China's largest industrial center in the western terminus of the Longhai Railway-the country's major east-west trunk line.
Long and narrow in shape, Gansu Province has an area of more than 450,000 square kilometers (173,746 square miles) mainly inhabited by Han, Hui, Tibetan, Dongxiang, Mongolian, Tu, Yugur and Bonan people. The mountains in the south of Gansu Province are part of the Qilian mountain range. It adjoins the Loess Highland, Inner Mongolia, and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, averaging 1,000 - 3,000 meters (3,281 - 9,843 feet) in elevation. There are the Heihe, Shule and other inland rivers in the Gansu Corridor between the Qilian range, the Longshou and the Heli mountains.
Gansu is a province that usually suffers from drought. Gansu has large land resources as well, but the percentage of utilizable land is low, the proportion of cultivated land is small and the capacity of the land is low. Gansu also has plentiful biological resources, especially Chinese herbal medicine, thus it is one of the most important Chinese herbal medicine production areas.
Abundant cultural relics are the most important tourist resources in Gansu Province. The famous Silk Road is the link in ancient time between China and western countries. Oases, ancient towns, passes, great wall, temples and grottos attract thousands of visitors home and abroad every year. Places of historic and cultural interest include the famous Dunhuang Mogao Grottos which represents an astonishing collection of Buddhist art and religion, the Jiayuguan Pass, an important outpost in ancient China and at the western end of the Great Wall, the Bingling Temple and the Labrang Monastery.
Gansu Great Wall: Jiayuguan Pass, Yumenguan Pass, Yanguan Pass
Dunhuang Great Wall, Overhanging Great Wall
The cuisine of Gansu is based on the staple crops grown there, like wheat, barley, millet, beans and sweet potatoes. Within China, Gansu is known for its lamian (pulled noodles), and Muslim restaurants which feature authentic Gansu cuisine. The best dishes of Gansu Cuisine include Lanzhou Lamian (Lanzhou Beef Noodles), Roasted Chicken in Jingning, Dunhuang Saozi Noodles and West Long Preserved Ham.
