Gansu is a province in north-central China. Its city of Jiayuguan is known for the striking Overhanging Great Wall and imposing Jiayuguan Pass fortress complex, both part of the Great Wall of China.
The nearby city of Jiuquan is a gateway to the July 1st glacier, which crowns the Qilian Mountains to the south, and to the Gobi Desert. Jiuquan’s Silk Road Museum houses artifacts from this ancient trade route.
Most of its inhabitants are Han Chinese, with some ethnic Hui and Tibetans.
Gansu’s diverse landscapes include parts of the Zhangye mountain, Mogao Cave Grottoes, the Yellow River, and remnants of the Silk Road and the Great Wall of China.
While home to some of China’s most notable Silk Road history and incredible ancient sites as well as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Gansu is one of China’s more underdeveloped and poorest provinces.
Here are the top places to see in Gansu according to elevated trips.
Labrang Monastery
One of the best places in Gansu is the Labrang Monastery.
Here, as you amble around the world’s longest stretch of prayer wheels along a 3.5km long path around the monastery perimeter, you will encounter Tibetan pilgrims who have come to Labrang Monastery to pray for their friends and family.
The monastery, with 1,600 monks, 18 temple halls, and six separate institutes of learning is a small city in and of itself and dominates the western part of Labrang town.
Zhangye
From the legendary Horse Hoof Temple (Mati Si) to the striking colors of the Rainbow Mountains, Zhangye is definitely one of the best places to visit in Gansu.
Zhangye is a small town on the Hexi Corridor of the Silk Road that presents some of the most unique, awe-inspiring desert-scapes of western China.
This is a must visit destination for those looking to explore the 2000-year-old history and culture of the Silk Road.
Dunhuang
Dunhuang is a Silk Road trading town that offers vast stretches of open desert, camel rides, a great walking night market, and the Mogao Cave Grottoes.
The Mogao Cave Grottoes are sometimes known as the “Caves of 1000 Buddhas” and are a must-see for art and history buffs, making this a must-visit “best place in Gansu”.
The Mogao Caves became one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1987
From the 4th to the 14th century, hundreds of caves were hand-carved out of the rock cliff face containing scriptures, statues, and vibrant Buddhist paintings.
Today almost 500 caves remain and there are more than a thousand painted and sculpted Buddhas within the caves which contain the world’s largest collection of Buddhist art.
Bingling Temple
The Bingling Temple is a series of grottoes filled with Buddhist sculptures carved into natural caves and caverns in a canyon along the Yellow River. It lies just north of where the Yellow River empties into the Liujiaxia Reservoir.
The grottoes feature a huge 27 meter/ 100 ft tall Buddha carved into the side of the cliff just about the Yellow River.
Bingling Si is a 1.5 hour drive from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu, making this a very accessible full-day trip. You could also do this trip as a larger itinerary that continues onto Labrang monastery or Hezuo and Langmusi as well which are in southern Gansu Province.
Yadan National Geological Park
Located about 180 km northwest of Dunhuang City, Yadan National Geological Park occupies an area of about 398 square kilometers and has the largest landforms of its kind in all of western China.
This park also has the nickname, “Devil City” because the wind howls here eerily through the open desert like the scream of a devil.
Many Chinese war movies have been filmed here because of its remote location and unique desert formations.
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