ENJOYING THE LANDSCAPES EXPERIENCING THE FOLKLORES

The beautiful Chinese silk was exported to the Ancient Roman through the nongovernmental trade 3400 years ago; Zhang Qian, the envoy to the western world, opened the famous“Silk Road”through his unprecedented trip 2100 years ago; Hsuan Tsang (or Xuan Zang, 602-664), a monk in Tang Dynasty, made his pilgrimage tour to India along the“Silk Road”1400 years ago, who wrote the the first tourist work-- Datang Xiyuji (or Travel Notes to the Western Regions), and then Marco Polo, made his journey to China along the Silk Road 700 years ago, witnessed the glory and greatness of the oriental empire……It is not easy to find another road more noticeable than the Silk Road in the world. Over 3000-year communication along this road created so many stories and legends, making it beautiful and attractive. It can be said that the“Silk Road”means the principal axis for the development of the Chinese culture, and Gansu, located in the golden section of the “Silk Road”, means the center of such an axis.
With the profound cultural accumulation, Gansu is a time-honored place which boasts the essence of the Silk Road Culture and the natural scenes. Along the 1600km-long Silk Road within the boundary of Gansu, there are many diversified human scenes, cultural relics and significant historical sites, such as Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, Kongtong Mountain in Pingliang, The Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye and Jiayuguan Pass Town,etc. All these bright pearls shining as the treasure of human arts. Gansu has splendid and excellent historical and cultural relics. The special crustal movement also created its colorful and fascinating natural scenes here.
Visitors can enjoy the hilly country with wonderful peaks in the South Gansu, Loess Plateau with the wonders and grandeur in central Gansu, the boundless prairie in Gannan, the vast expanse of gobi-desert and the glaciers and snowy mountains in Hexi Corridor, and the wonderful and deep canyons and so on. Gansu is a place with many nationalities such as Han, Tibetan, Mongolia, Hui, Yugur, Dongxiang, Bon'an, Salar, Kazak and others, 45 in all. People have been living on this mystical land for thousands of years since the past, and remained their own traditional custom and culture which can be regarded as the“living fossil”of the traditional Chinese culture and folk culture.
With a view to giving a better presentation of the cream scenic spots of Gansu to the outside, we have selected the following 12 top ones in the province including Mogao Grottoes, Yardang National Geologic Park and Mingsha Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring in Dunhuang, The Cultural Scenic Zone of Jiayuguan Pass Town, The Giant Buddha Temple Scenic Zone in Zhangye, Leitai Han-Tomb Scenic Zone in Wuwei,100-mile Travel Route Along Yellow River in Lanzhou, Three Gorges Along the Yellow River in Yongjing, Vast Prairie of Gannan, Labuleng(or Laburang) Lamasery in Xiahe, and The National Natural Scenery Zones of Maijishan in Tianshui and Kongtong Mountain in Pingliang. Besides the foregoing, there are many other beautiful scenic spots awaiting for your visit.