Gansu Jinchang Travel Guide

Jinchang is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Gansu Province, an important node city on the ancient Silk Road and one of the main cities in Hexi Corridor. The city was set up because of the rich nickel known as the "Nickel Capital of China". It has jurisdiction over 1 district and 1 county with a total area of 9,593 square kilometers and a resident population of 438,026. 

Jinchang is located in northwest China, the middle part of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province and the north foot of Qilian Mountains. It is connected with Wuwei City and Zhangye City in Gansu Province, Qinghai Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

● What to do & where to go in Jinchang

Jinchang, a new tourist city on the ancient Silk Road has unique tourism resources. There are the ruins of Erba, Sanjiao City and Yuanyang Pond which reflect the early human activities. There are ancient architectural groups with Ming Dynasty Bell and Drum Tower, Beihaizi, Wudang Mountain as the focus and Buddhist cultural holy sites represented by Shengrong Temple and Yunzhuang Temple. The ruins of the ancient city of Liqian, which sheds light on the ancient Roman legionaries. Jinchuan Gorge, the Imperial City, the West River three reservoirs scenic area is the ideal place for people to summer leisure. 

Shengrong Temple, founded in 561 AD stretches for miles. At its peak, there were thousands of monks living there.

The West River, the highest diversion channel in Asia, the reservoir is 70 kilometers away from the county seat and the ruins of Luanniao City in the Han Dynasty are located northeast of the reservoir.

Located in the southwest grassland of Yongchang County, the first and fourth fields of the imperial army are one of the royal army ranches in the past dynasties. Many domestic and foreign films have been produced here, which is an ideal location for western China scenery.

Qilian River Valley Natural Ecological Scenic Spot is 25 kilometers away from the county seat. It is a national nature reserve, a collection of forests, grasslands and glaciers. Along the way, there are the Liqian Ruins, Frog Spring, Chaotietai and other cultural and natural attractions.

The ancient city scenic spot of Liqian is situated at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, 10km southwest of Yongchang County. Snow mountains, slopes, beacons and Liqian's ancient town are reflected against each other.

Badain Jaran Desert, known as the "Mount Qomolangma" and the "Sea of Death" in the deserts, is the best place to experience the beauty of desert. Driving adventure, surfing and sand skiing, health and sand bath, and is known as one of the "most worthwhile tourist attractions in China".

The Great Wall of Han and Ming Dynasties passes through the Yushan Gorge, where the Great Wall is intact and orderly in shape. The 7 km wall from the West Village of Jinchuan to Maobula is particularly well preserved, reflecting the style of the Great Wall of the Han and Ming Dynasties.

Jinchang National Mining Park, also known as Jinchuan National Mining Park, is located at the north foot of Longshou Mountain in Jinchang City. The scenic spot has the largest man-made sinkhole in China - old open pit mine, Asia's longest main slope and other scenic spots. Here you can explore the magical mystery of turning the nonferrous metal kingdom into gold and feel the hardships and greatness of the pioneers of the nickel capital.

● What to eat in Jinchang

Pork or mutton dumplings, mutton and rolls, rolled cake, mutton soup noodles, hand grasping mutton and dozens of types of pasta.

● Transportation

Railway: 4 hours to Lanzhou, 13 hours to Xian, 16 hours to Beijing, 30 hours to Shanghai, 16 hours to Chengdu...

Highway: an hour and a half to Wuwei, two and a half hours to Zhangye, 4 hours to Lanzhou, 11 hours to Xian...

Airport: Jinchang Jinchuan Airport has domestic flights to Shanghai Pudong, Lanzhou, Xian, Beijing Daxing, Chengdu and Yulin.

● Climate

Jinchang is a continental temperate arid climate. Sufficient light, dry climate, 

the wind is mostly from the northwest throughout the year. The temperature difference between day and night and four seasons is large, the frost period is long and the wind is strong in spring. The temperature is high in the north and low in the south, precipitation is less in the north and more in the south. From northeast to southwest, it can be divided into five climatic zones, namely, moderate and extreme arid zone and warm and cool arid zone, warm and cold arid areas, cold and semi-arid areas and cold and semi-humid areas, cold and humid zone, alpine humid zone and alpine very humid zone. The average annual temperature is 9.2℃ in the urban area, 4.8℃ in Yongchang and 0.2℃ in the southern mountainous area. The average annual temperature difference between the north and the south is 9.0℃. Precipitation increases from northeast to southwest with the increase of terrain and it is one of the 110 water shortage cities and 13 resource-based water shortage cities in China. It is also a region with fragile natural ecological environment in western China.