Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu Province in northwestern China. The Yellow River runs through Lanzhou, ensuring rich crops of many juicy and fragrant fruits. The city is the transportation and telecommunication center of the region. Covering an area of 1631.6 square kilometers, Lanzhou used to be a key city on the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, Lanzhou is known as Jincheng (Golden City).
Lanzhou is located between the Gaolan and the White Pagoda mountains. Branches of the Yellow River divide the city into several parts, giving Lanzhou a unique layout. The Yellow River flows through the city proper. Lanzhou has one of the largest oil refineries in the country and a gas-diffusion plant for processing plutonium. It is the center of China's atomic energy industry, and one of China's leading petrochemical and nuclear power centers. Today’s Lanzhou is a modern petrochemical industrial powerhouse, a science research center, and a land of melons and fruits. Lanzhou has emerged as a commercial and trade center in northwest China.
Lanzhou is also the center of tourism of the entire Gansu Province. The traditional tourist attractions include the green corridor of Binghe Road, the Bingling Temple, the Provincial Museum, the Mountain of Five Springs, the Lanshan Park, the Xinglong Mountain in Yuzhong County.
