Gansu Pingliang Travel Guide

Pingliang is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Gansu Province, an important node city in the Silk Road Economic Belt and an ecological livable city focusing on cultural tourism and trade logistics in the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. It has jurisdiction over 1 district, 1 city and 5 counties, with a total area of 11,000 square kilometers and a permanent population of 1,848,607. There are total 33 minorities, Hui(Muslim), Mongolian, Manchu, Tibetan, Yi, Uygur, Miao, Zhuang, Buyi, Korean, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Li, Lisu, Wa and so on. Among them, there are about 160,000 Hui, accounting for 98.8% of the total population of ethnic minorities.

Pingliang is located in northwest China in the east of Gansu Province at the intersection of three provinces (region) of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. It is an important highway hub in northwest China, an important transfer station of the second passage of Eurasian continental bridge, an important transportation hub, a major trade town and a regional central city in eastern Gansu. 

Pingliang is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. As early as 3,000 years ago, the Zhou Dynasty created a relatively advanced farming culture in the Jinghe River valley. In 376 AD, the Pre-Qin destroyed Pre-Liang(318 AD to 376 AD), the name of Pingliang since then. There are many historical and cultural relics in Pingliang, including 2,257 cultural sites of Yangshao Culture and Qijia Culture. Kongdong Mountain Taoism Culture, ancient Chengji Fuxi Culture, ancient Xiwangmu Culture and unique charm of Huangfu Mi Medical Culture.

There are 5A(top level) scenic spots Kongdong Mountain, Yunya Temple, South Grottoes Temple and other scenic spots in the city, which are rated as China's excellent tourist city and the ten most satisfactory scenic spots by Chinese tourists.

● What to do & where to go in Pingliang

Pingliang has a long history and splendid culture. The "First Mountain of Taoism" - Kongdong Mountain. Wangmu’s Palace - birthplace of the supreme goddess of Taoism in Huizhong Mountain (Jingchuan County). The ancestor of Chinese culture - birthplace of Fuxi in Chengji(Jingning County). The First Lingtai(sacrifice platform) in Western Zhou Dynasty and other historical sites and Western Zhou bronzes in Lingtai County. Yinhezi - silver standard currency of the Southern Song Dynasty. Buddhist sarira gold and silver coffin (Jingchuan County), known as "the best in China". Pingliang is also the birthplace of Chinese acupuncture, Jin Dynasty medical scientist Huangfu Mi. Kongdong Mountain, Wangmu’s Palace, hot spring, Liuhu Lake, South Grotto Temple, Longyin Temple, Lotus Terrace, Zijing Mountain, Yunya Temple National Forest Park as well as the Ming Dynasty Pagoda, Li Yuanliang’s Tomb and other scenic spots, cultural relics and historic sites are good places to visit places of historic interest, sightseeing, summer vacation and leisure.

Kongtong Mountain, the first Mountain of Taoism, the first batch of 5A national tourist attractions, national key scenic spots and national geological park, is rated as "top ten scenic spots most satisfactory to Chinese customers", "50 places most worth visiting for foreigners in China".

Huishan Queen Mother Palace, birthplace of West Queen Mother culture, national key folk culture scenic spot. 

Chengji Cultural City, a national 2A(fourth level) tourist attraction, is the site of "governing Pingchengji" in Chinese historical records, and was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit by the provincial government in 1993.

Ancient Ling Tai(sacrifice platform) is located in Lingtai county city, built in the 11th century BC Shangzhou period.

Lianhuatai was approved as a provincial forest park by the provincial government in 1995.

Zhuanglang County, the first county in China to model terraced fields, has become a unique ecological landscape on the Loess Plateau.

● What to eat in Pingliang

Oat wine/wheat, highland barley and glutinous rice sweet wine. "Hele" noodles, cruded pancake in mutton soup, cold rice noodles, Jingning pot stewed chicken.

● Transportation

Railway: Three railways have station in Pingliang. Tourist can take fast train to/from Xian, Tianshui, Shanghai.

Highway: Fuzhou-Yinchuan Expressway and others. Tourist can travel to/from Fuzhou, Nanchang, Wuhan, Xian and Yinchuan.

Airport: planned. 

● Climate

Pingliang belongs to Jingwei River cold temperate sub-humid zone. Spring is in March, April and May, summer in June, July and August, autumn in September, October and November, winter in December, January and February. The climate of Pingliang city is generally characterized by wet south, dry north, warm east and cool west. Due to the influence of topography and altitude (between 890 m and 2,857 m above sea level), the vertical difference of climate is obvious. It rains less in winter and spring, enters the rainy season in late June, ending around early October. The main precipitation is concentrated in July, August and September.