The whole area is only easily accessible from April to October, with ice and snow making transport difficult at other times. The gorgeous autumn colours peak around mid-September.
HémùVILLAGE
(禾木 )
This gorgeous little Tuvan village is an alternative place to base yourself when you visit Kanas Lake (喀纳斯湖自然保护区; Kānàsī Hú Zìrán Bǎohùqū adult ¥110). It's 70km southeast of the lake, but far less crowded come the summer months. May and June are great times to visit, when the blossom is thick on the trees, while September is a riot of autumnal colours.
It's quite possible to do a day trip to Kanas from either Bù’ěrjīn or Altay if you pay for a driver for the day. If you want to spend more time here, there are homestays and hotels at Jiǎdēngyù, and in the park at the tourist base and in Kanas Village. In Hémù, stay at the AHA International Youth Hostel (阿哈国际青年旅社; Āhā Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshě %187 9904 3039, 1380 995 5505; [email protected]; Bahaba Village; dm/d ¥100/250; W), a rustic wood-cabin hostel and comfortable base for exploring the village and nearby mountains.
There are plenty of eating options available at the tourist facilities in Jiǎdēngyù and in smaller, privately run noodle restaurants in Kanas Village. Hikers and campers should bring food with them.
KANAS LAKE AND VILLAGES
About 160km from Bù’ěrjīn, the road comes to an end at Jiǎdēngyù, basically a collection of hotels near the entrance to the Kanas Lake Nature Reserve. Buy an entrance ticket and board a tourist bus (¥100, unlimited rides, May to October only), which carries you 16km up the canyon to the tourist base. You'll need to have your passport to sign in at the park entrance.
At the tourist base, which is dominated by an ugly visitor complex, you can change buses to take you the final 2km to Kanas Lake. From the final stop it’s a five-minute walk to the lake. At the lakeshore you can take a speedboat ride, walk the long lakeshore boardwalk or head downstream from the dock along the river, or hike to the lookout point Guānyú Pavilion (观鱼亭; Guānyú Tíng; 2030m), which takes a couple of hours each way from the lake itself – most people take a taxi to the access road and then walk up (around 45 minutes) to save time. The views from the top are incredible.
You can also explore Kanas Village itself, which is full of log houses and has several affordable noodle restaurants for a lunch stop. Other activities include water-rafting trips (¥200) and horse rides (per hour ¥40 to ¥60). It's even possible to take an overnight horse trek to the valley of Hémù (禾木), 70km southeast of Kanas Lake, via Karakol (Black Lake, or Héi Hú). Check with the youth hostel in Hémù.
8Getting There & Away
Kanas airport (KJI) – also confusingly known as Bù’ěrjīn airport, despite being nowhere near Bù’ěrjīn – is 50km south of the reserve. It has between one and four daily flights to and from Ürümqi (from ¥950, one hour) between June and September. From here, taxis will take you the rest of the way to the reserve (¥100, 30 minutes). At other times, you'll need to fly into Altay airport, which has year-round connections to Ürümqi.
There is no public bus to the main gate at Jiǎdēngyù from Bù’ěrjīn. Buses to Hémù leave from Jiǎdēngyù but are sporadic.
Shared taxis do run from Bù’ěrjīn and Jiǎdēngyù, though outside summer it may be hard to find a ride. Taxi drivers will look for you at Bù’ěrjīn’s bus station.
8Getting Around
Inside the park in high season, you're limited to the tourist bus that regularly connects the park entrance, Jiǎdēngyù and Kanas Village, following the main road along the Kanas River. There are frequent stops along the way where you can get out for photo opportunities. Early and late in the season (April, May, September and October), private drivers are normally permitted to enter the park. In peak summer, your only alternative is the few taxis that have permission to operate in the park.
Yīníng 伊宁
%0999 / Pop 450,000
Located on the historic border between the Chinese and Russian empires, Yīníng (伊宁; Yili or Gulja) has long been subject to a tug-of-war between the two sides. The city was occupied by Russian troops between 1872 and 1881, and in 1962 there were major Sino–Soviet clashes along the Ili River (Yīlí Hé). There are no unmissable sights here but it’s a pleasant, little-visited stop on route to Sayram Lake, or a good place to break an overland journey to Kazakhstan.
In 2014, the stadium in Yīníng was the site of a mass trial in which 55 Uighurs were charged with terrorist activities. At least one death sentence was handed down. A similar mass trial was held in 1997 and is the subject of Nick Holdstead's book The Tree That Bleeds.
Shǎnxī MosqueMOSQUE
(陕西大寺; Shǎnxī Dàsì Shengli Nan Lu)
A couple of blocks southeast of the People's Sq is the Uighur Old Town and the impressive 260-year-old Shǎnxī Mosque, which looks far more like a piece of traditional Chinese architecture than a Muslim place of worship. All around the mosque you'll find workshops making traditional-style leather Uighur boots and other locally produced accessories for sale.
oDoppa Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(朵帕青年旅舍; Duǒpà Qīngnián Lǚshě %0999 898 8823, 186 9995 5027; [email protected]; 5 Alley 9, Li Guang Lu; dm ¥35-50, s/d ¥80/100; W)
This excellent hostel is housed in a charming old mansion and has tons of Uighur atmosphere, friendly English-speaking staff and a charming gazebo in the courtyard that is great for hanging out. The gender-segregated dorms and one private room share the communal bathrooms and squat toilets, while extras include laundry (¥10 per load), bike rental and a book exchange.
The hostel is on the northern edge of a bizarre set of concentric streets that form a giant hexagon, which at least makes it easy to find on any mapping app. It's a 10-minute walk from the bus station: turn left onto the main road and then turn left onto Gongren Lu, then take the third left and keep going until you find the hostel on your right.
Xīnjiāng Yìzhàn HostelHOSTEL$
(伊栈国际青年旅舍; Yìzhàn Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshě %182 9996 3623; Xijiuxiang, off Liqun Lu; dm ¥35-60, d ¥138; aW)
This unexpected find is a little tricky to locate; it's down a small side street off Liqun Lu. However, it's well worth the effort, whether you're looking for a hostel or a more comfortable midrange experience. The friendly, English-speaking staff can help with local tips, and the dorms and private rooms are all spotless and all have their own bathrooms.
Just to the south of town is a line of open-air restaurants where you can sit and watch the mighty Ili River (Ili Daria in Uighur, Yīlí Hé in Chinese) slide by over a bottle of honey-flavoured kvass (a fermented drink made from rye bread).
Zǐxiānggě Coffee ClubINTERNATIONAL$$
(紫香舸咖啡馆; Zǐxiānggě Kāfēi Guǎn Yīlí Bīnguǎn, 8 Yangbin Lu; 迎宾路8号伊犁宾馆 mains ¥20-70; h10am-4am; W)
Within the grounds of the enormous Yīlí Bīnguǎn (伊犁宾馆 %0999 802 3799; 8 Yingbin Lu, 迎宾路8号 r ¥180-680; aW), this surprisingly lavish multiroom restaurant specialises in coffee and tea, but also has a small Western menu serving up pizza, steaks and even a club sandwich, alongside a selection of Chinese dishes. There's also a full drinks list, making this a good evening option as well. Staff are super-friendly and love foreigners.
8Getting There & Away
The main bus station (长途客运站; chángtú kèyùnzhàn) is 3km from the centre at the northwest end of Jiefang Lu, the main thoroughfare through town. There are approximately hourly buses to Ürümqi (¥150 to ¥190, nine to 12 hours) from 8.30am to 2pm, and three evening sleepers. There are also half-hourly buses to Bólè (博乐) for Sayram Lake (¥60, four hours, from 10.50am to 4.50pm). Buses also run every 30 minutes for the Kazakh border at Korgas (¥19 to ¥23, 30 minutes), from where it's possible to connect to Almaty once you cross the border, though at the time of writing there was no direct bus service to Almaty from Yīníng. There are also direct buses to Kuqa (¥210 to ¥230, 4pm, 12 to 14
hours) and Kashgar (¥330 to ¥360, 20 to 23 hours,2pm and 4pm).
Thetrain station is 8km northwest of the city centre. There are seven daily trains to Ürümqi (hard/soft sleeper from ¥80/¥130, 6½ to 11 hours).
The airport is 5km north of town. There are a dozen daily flights to Ürümqi (from ¥400) with China Southern, Shandong Airlines, Tiānjīn Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
Sayram Lake
Sayram LakeLAKE
(塞里木湖; Sàilǐmù Hú )
Vast Sayram Lake, 120km north of Yīníng and 90km west of Bólè, is an excellent spot to get a taste of the Tiān Shān range (Tengri Tagh in Kazakh). The lake is especially colourful during June and July, when the alpine flowers are in full bloom. In the height of summer, there are Kazakh yurts scattered around the lake willing to take boarders.
By bus, Sayram Lake is two hours from Bólè or three hours from Yīníng; any bus passing between the two cities can drop you by the lake. Coming from Yīníng, the last section of road is a spectacular series of mountain bridges and tunnels.
Gānsù
Gansu Highlights
Lanzhou
Southern Gansu
Xiahe
Around Xiahe
Hezuo
Langmusi
Hexi Corridor
Wuwei
Around Wuwei
Zhangye
Zhangye Danxia National Geopark
Jiayuguan
Dunhuang
Around Dunhuang
Eastern Gansu
Tianshu
Around Tianshu
Pingliang
Gānsù
Pop 25.9 million
Why Go?
Synonymous with the Silk Road, the slender province of Gānsù (甘肃) flows east to west along the Héxī Corridor, the gap through which goods and ideas once streamed between China and Central Asia. The constant flow of commerce left Buddhist statues, beacon towers, forts, chunks of the Great Wall and ancient trading towns in its wake. Gānsù offers an entrancingly rich cultural and geographic diversity. Historians immerse themselves in Silk Road lore, art aficionados swoon before the wealth of Buddhist paintings and sculptures, while adventurers hike through desert rockland, ascend sand dunes and tread along high-mountain paths well worn by Tibetan nomads. The ethnic diversity is equally astonishing: throughout the province, the local Hui Muslims act as though the Silk Road lives on; in Xiàhé and Lángmùsì a pronounced Tibetan disposition holds sway, while other minority groups such as the Bao’an and Dongxiang join in the colourful minority patchwork.
When to Go
AFeb & Mar Join the Tibetan pilgrims for the magnificent Monlam Festival in Xiàhé.
AApr & May Before the full heat of summer switches on.
ASep & Oct For crisp northern Gānsù autumnal colours, blue skies and cooler climes.
Best Places to Eat
A Mǎzilù Beef Noodles
A Nirvana Restaurant & Bar
A Zhāixīng Gé
A Zhengning Lu Night Market
A Happy Homemade Yunnan Taste
Best Places to Sleep
A Nirvana Hotel
A Silk Road Dūnhuáng Hotel
A Bean Sprout Hostel
A Boke Youth Hostel
Gānsù Highlights
1 Mògāo Grottoes Viewing the wealth of iconography at one of the most important Buddhist sites on the Silk Road.
2 Bǐnglíng Sì Gazing up at the giant Buddha carved into a desert cliff at this remote temple.
3 Zhāngyē Dānxiá National Geopark Photographing the rainbow of desert colours on these Martian-like hills.
4 Màijī Shān Grottoes Ascending nerve-rattling catwalks for a peek inside these Buddhist caves.
5 Singing Sands Mountain Stargazing over dunes with a glass of Mogao wine in hand.
6 Labrang Monastery Going with the Tibetan flow around the kora at Gānsù's most important monastery.
7 Lángmùsì Hiking to your heart’s content around this chilled-out Amdo town.
8 Jiāyùguān Fort Feeling the Gobi wind in your hair standing on the ramparts of this ancient mud fortress.
9 Yǎdān National Park Witnessing the setting sun melt over eerie desert rock formations.
History
Although the Qin dynasty had a toehold on eastern Gānsù, the first significant push west along the Héxī Corridor came with the Han dynasty. An imperial envoy, Zhang Qian (Chang Ch’ien), was dispatched to seek trading partners and returned with detailed reports of Central Asia and the route that would become known as the Silk Road. The Han extended the Great Wall through the Héxī Corridor, expanding their empire in the process. As trade along the Silk Road grew, so did the small way stations set up along its route; these grew into towns and cities that form the major population centres of modern Gānsù. The stream of traders from lands east and west also left their mark in the incredible diversity of modern Gānsù. The Buddhist grottoes at Mògāo, Màijī Shān and elsewhere are testament to the great flourishing of religious and artistic schools along the Silk Road.
The mixing of cultures in Gānsù eventually led to serious tensions, which culminated in the Muslim rebellions of 1862 to 1877. The conflict left millions dead and virtually wiped out Gānsù’s Muslim population. Ethnic tensions have never fully left the province as the pro-Tibetan demonstrations in Xiàhé in 2008 and 2012 illustrate.
Though remote from the investment banks and manufacturing hubs along the east coast of China, Gānsù is not a poor province. Gross Domestic Product has been growing at a higher rate than the already blistering national average and massive investments in wind energy are fuelling the transformation of both the natural and urban landscapes.
Climate
Gānsù rarely sees any rain outside of the southern regions, and dust storms can whip up, particularly in the spring. Winters are nippy from November to March. Summer temperatures in the desert regions can top 40°C. It's important to keep well hydrated and pack adequate skin protection.
8Getting There & Away
Lánzhōu airport has flights around the country; other airports such as Dūnhuáng, Jiāyùguān and outside Xiàhé only have a handful of flights to major cities, with fewer flights in the winter.
8Getting Around
Both trains and buses are handy for connecting the province’s Silk Road sights, and the addition of a new high-speed rail linking Lánzhōu with Ürümqi in Xīnjiāng has cut the time between cities significantly. In southern Gānsù you are largely at the mercy of buses, though upgrades to highways in recent years have cut travel times significantly.
Lánzhōu 兰州
%0931 / Pop 3.61 million
At China’s cartographic bullseye, Lánzhōu (兰州) marks the halfway point for overlanders trekking across the country. Growing up on a strategic stretch of the Yellow River (黄河; Huáng Hé), and sitting between competing Chinese and Central Asian empires, Gānsù’s elongated capital city frequently changed hands, reflected today in its mix of ethnic groups and cultures. These days, Lánzhōu is perhaps most well known for its favourite food – Lánzhōu beef noodles (牛肉拉面; niúròu lāmiàn) – and with several excellent night markets, this is an excellent place to sample the delights of Chinese Silk Road fare. Lánzhōu's reputation as being hazy and traffic-choked is also changing with the building of a new metro, which should be open by the time you read this.
Lánzhōu
1Sights
1White Cloud TempleA1
2White Pagoda TempleA1
3Zhōngshān BridgeA1
4Sleeping
4JI HotelD4
5JJ Sun HotelD2
5Eating
6Mǎzilù Beef NoodlesB1
7NéngrénjùD3
8Zhengning Lu Night MarketB2
6Drinking & Nightlife
9Sunny CoffeeB1
8Information
10Western Travel AgencyD2
Transport
11Gānsù Airport Booking OfficeD2
12
Lánzhōu East Bus StationD3
13Lánzhōu Long-Distance Bus StationD4
14Tiānshuǐ Bus StationD4
15Upper Cable Car StationA1
16Yellow River Cable CarA1
1Sights
Sandwiched between mountains, the city sprawls in an east–west concrete melange for over 20km along the banks of the Yellow River. There are some attractive neighbourhoods along the northwest, and a pleasant riverside promenade, but travellers moving onward to other places in Gānsù may find themselves spending a lot of time around the train station, where there is an assortment of hotels and eateries.
White Pagoda TempleBUDDHIST SITE
(白塔寺; Báitǎ Sì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; White Pagoda Park, Binhe Zhonglu; 白塔山公园宾河中路 h7am-8pm)F
This temple, built during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) for a fallen Tibetan monk, stands on a hilltop in White Pagoda Park (白塔山公园; Báitǎ Shān Gōngyuán) on the northern bank of the Yellow River and provides excellent city and river views on a clear day.
Enter from a gate on the north side of Zhōngshān Bridge (Zhōngshān Qiáo; 中山桥 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Zhongshan Lu; 中山路 ) and walk up the stairs or catch the cable car on the south side a few blocks to the east.
Lonely Planet China Page 172