| TOURISM
RESOURCES IN GANSU PROVINCE |
| LANDFORMS |
|
Gansu Province is situated in the northwestern region of China
and in the juncture of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Inner-Mongolian
Plateau and the Loess Plateau. It adjoins Sha'anxi Province to
the east, Sichuan Province to the south, Qinghai Province and
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to the west and Ningxia Hui
Nationality Autonomous Region, Inner©\Mongolian Autonomous Region
and the People's Republic of Mongolia to the north. Shaped like
a dumbbell, it covers 1,655 km from the westernmost point to the
most easterly point. The maximum width between north and south
stretches 530 km while the narrowest only extends for 25 km. the
entire area of the province totals 454,000 square kilo-meters.
The terrain of the province is classified into 6 types: a hilly
area in Longnan Prefecture, the Loess Plateau in the central part
of the province, a highland area in Gannan Prefecture, the Hexi
Corridor, Mt. Qilian ranges and the hilly area of the northern
mountainous region. The climate features a transition from the
humid subtropical one to the arid in the Temperate Zone within
its limits from southeast to northwest. The annual precipitation
varies from 800 mm to 30 mm and the average annual temperature
is valued between 0ˇăC and 15ˇăC. |
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|
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS |
| Gansu
Province is also called 'Gan' or 'Long' in a short term. A Longxi
Prefecture was set up here in the Qin Dynasty, which was changed
into Longyou Dao (prefecture) during the Tang Dynasty. A Gansu
Zhongxingshu Province was designated here in a period from the
first year of the Yuan Dynasty till the Year 1281. Today, it has
an administration over the following: |
|
5 cities: Lanzhou ;Baiyin; Tianshui; Jinchang; Jiayuguan. |
| 7
prefectures: Dingxi ;Longnan; Pingliang; Qingyang; Wuwei; Zhangye;
Jiuquan |
| 2
autonomous prefectures: Linxia Hui Nationality Autonomous Prefecture;
Gannan Tibetan Nationality Autonomous Prefecture |
| And
75 counties, cities and autonomous counties and 11 city-administered
districts. |
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| HISTORY
& CULTURE |
|
There are 44 nationalities in the province with 23.45 million
people in total. The nationalities with larger populations are:
Han, Hui, Tibetan, Man, Mongolian, Sala, Bao'an, Dongxiang, Yugu
and kazakh. Gansu is one of the origins of Chinese nation with
a long history and splendid culture. The ancestors of mankind
dwelled here back 200,000 years ago. There are more than 1,000
cultural sites left over from the New Stone Age. The ancient Silk
Road stretches 1,600-odd km within the provincial limits. |
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|
HISTORICAL RESOURCES |
| Gansu
is rich in tourism resources, historical sites and natural scenery.
The local conditions and customs of national minorities differ
from one another. The tourist route within Gansu Province is well
known as the golden part of the Silk-Road Tour. Its cultural relics
and historic sites are typically featured with the Silk-Road Culture.
Tourists can visit grottoes, temples, passes along the ancient
Great Wall, ancient towers and pagodas, stone tablets, buildings
and pavilions, sites of ancient cities and historic relics of
various types. The province not only possesses fascinating green
mountains and crystal waters, grasslands and the Gobi deserts
but also the magnificent scenery of loess hills, the fantastic
scene of Danxia terrain, glacier and snowy mountains. Unique glamour
and specialties can be appreciated when travelers tour the places
inhabited by those national minorities like Yugu, Hui and Tibetan
to understand their cultural features and customs. |
| Travelling
in Gansu Province people may enjoy themselves in touring the ancient
Silk Road. The main attractiveness to visitors are all based in
cities and districts scattered along the Silk Road. In addition,
tourists can also spend a good time in entertainment activities
of various kinds, e.g. watching operas such as Longdong Daoqing,
Ongju, Qinqiang, Shadow Plays and Hua'er (folk songs popular in
the Hui National Minority's area) gatherings. |
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