Gansu

Gansu Province is a landlocked region in northwest China. It covers about 637,000 square kilometers and has a population of roughly 26 million. The provincial capital is Lanzhou, a major city on the Yellow River. The province borders Inner Mongolia and Ningxia to the north and east, Xinjiang to the west, Qinghai to the south, and Sichuan and Shaanxi to the southeast.

Geography and climate are diverse, with portions of the Loess Plateau in the north and the Qilian Mountains in the south. The Hexi Corridor, a historic route along the northern Silk Road, runs through the province. The Yellow River flows through Lanzhou and its valleys support irrigation in an otherwise arid region. Much of Gansu experiences a semi-arid climate, with wide temperature variations and sparse rainfall outside river valleys.

History and culture: Gansu has long served as a crossroad of civilizations. It includes famed Silk Road sites such as the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, the Jiayuguan Pass at the western end of the Great Wall, and the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui. The region hosts vibrant Hui and Tibetan communities, notably in Linxia and Gannan, along with Han and other ethnic groups. The Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is a major center of Tibetan Buddhism.

Economy and infrastructure: Gansu’s economy blends agriculture, mining, and energy development. It contains coal, oil, and mineral resources and hosts the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Transportation infrastructure includes the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway and other rail and road networks, supporting manufacturing, tourism, and regional trade.