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Gansu

Synonymous with the Silk Road, the slender province of Gansu (甘肃, Gānsù) flows east to west along the Hexi 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. Gansu 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 Xiahe and Langmusi a pronounced Tibetan disposition holds sway, while other minority groups such as the Bao’an and Dongxiang join in the colourful minority patchwork.

Explore Gansu

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Gansu.

  • Cave

    Mogao Grottoes

    The Mogao Grottoes are considered one of the most important collections of Buddhist art in the world. At its peak during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Labrang Monastery

    With its succession of squeaking prayer wheels (3km in total), hawks circling overhead and the throb of Tibetan longhorns resonating from the surrounding…

  • Cave

    Maijishan Grottoes

    Set among wild, green mountains southeast of Tianshui, the grottoes of Maijishan hold some of the most famous Buddhist rock carvings along the Silk Road…

  • Buddhist Site

    Big Buddha Temple

    Originally dating to 1098 (Western Xia dynasty), this stunning temple contains an astonishing 35m-long sleeping Buddha – China’s largest of this variety…

  • Fort

    Jiayuguan Fort

    One of the classic images of western China, this huge fort once guarded the narrow pass between the snowcapped Qilian Shan peaks and the Hei Shan (Black…

  • Art Studio

    Snowland Art

    Tucked away down the backstreets of Xiahe not far from Labrang Monastery, Snowland Art is a family-style fine art and handicrafts training school set up…

  • Oasis

    Singing Sands Dune

    Six kilometres south of Dunhuang at Singing Sands Dune, the desert meets the oasis in most spectacular fashion. From the sheer scale of the dunes, it’s…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Milarepa Palace Buddhist Temple

    A towering nine-storey layer cake of a temple, the Milarepa Palace is both deeply steeped in mystery and unusual in the Tibetan world as different…

  • Museum

    Dunhuang Museum

    On the road to Singing Sands Dune is this sparkling museum that takes you on an artefact-rich journey through the Dunhuang area (from prehistoric to Qing…

  • Cave

    Bǐnglíng Sì

    With its relative inaccessibility, Bǐnglíng Sì is one of the few Buddhist grottoes in China to have survived the tumultuous 20th century unscathed. Which…

  • Cave

    Tiantishan Grottoes

    By the Huangyanghe Reservoir (黄羊河水库, Huángyánghé Shuǐkù), it's hard to appreciate how massive the 15m-high Shakyamuni Buddha statue at Tiantishan Grottoes…

  • Desert

    Yadan National Park

    The weird, eroded desert landscape of Yadan National Park is 180km northwest of Dunhuang, in the middle of the Gobi Desert’s awesome nothingness. A former…

  • Cave

    Mǎtí Sì

    Mǎtí Sì translates as 'Horse Hoof Monastery', a reference to when a heavenly horse left a hoof imprint in a grotto. Between the 5th and 14th centuries a…

  • Taoist Temple

    Kongtong Shan

    Kongtong Shan, 11km west of Pingliang, is one of the 12 principal peaks in the Taoist universe. It was first mentioned by the philosopher Zhuangzi (399…

  • Historic Site

    Jade Gate Pass

    The Jade Gate Pass, 78km west of Dunhuang, was originally a military station. Together with Sun Pass, it formed part of the Han dynasty series of beacon…

  • Historic Site

    Sun Pass

    This Han dynasty military post was one of the two most important gates marking the end of the Chinese empire along the ancient Silk Road. Today, a dusty…

  • Archaeological Site

    Changchengxiang Great Wall

    Running between fields near the village of Changchengxiang (itself named after the Great Wall), this section of Great Wall makes for an interesting…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Fuxi Temple

    This hoary Ming dynasty temple was founded in 1483 in honour of Fuxi, the father and emperor of all Chinese people. A statue of Fuxi is in the main hall,…

  • Buddhist Site

    Yulin Grottoes

    About 180km south of Dunhuang, the 40-plus caves of the Yulin Grottoes face each other across a narrow canyon. The interior art spans a 1500-year period,…

  • Buddhist Monastery

    Kerti Gompa

    Rising up on the Sichuan side of White Dragon River is this monastery – otherwise dubbed the Sichuan Monastery – built in 1413, home to around 700 monks…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Gansu.

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