Wuwei (wǔ wēi  武威) is located in northwest central of Gansu province (gān sù shěng 甘肃省). In the north it borders Inner Mongolia (nèi méng gǔ 内蒙古), in the southwest, Qinghai (nèi méng gǔ 青海). Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou (lán zhōu 兰州), Xining (xī níng 西宁), and Yinchuan (yín chuān 银川) makes it an important business and transportation hub for the area. Because of its position along the Hexi Corridor, historically the only route from central China to western China and the rest of Central Asia, many major railroads and national highways pass through Wuwei. Wuwei, called Liangzhou in ancient times, was an important post on the ancient Silk Road. The prosperity of the Silk Road eventually brought Wuwei great business and wealth, so Weiwu was renamed "Place of Silver".

 
Overview

Wuwei Region covers an area of 33,000 square kilometers and has a population of 195,0000, which is made up of 38 ethnic groups including Han, Zang, Hui and Mongolian minorities. Wuwei is blessed with numerous cultural relics. The most famous attractions in and around Wuwei include Leitai Han Tombs (léi tái hàn mù 雷台汉墓), where the iconic Galloping Horse symbol was unearthed, and Confucius Temple (wén miào 文庙). Wuwei is also known for Haizang Temple (海藏寺 hǎi cáng sì), renowned as "Tiantianshan" Grottoes (tiān tī shān shí kū 天梯山石窟), which are the earliest grottoes found in China.
 

History

Wuwei boasts a long history and a bright culture, which is considered as "a bright pearl" on the ancient Silk Road. As early as the Neolithic Age over 4,000 years ago, ancient people lived in the Wuwei Area. Over 2,100 years ago, Wuwei was controlled by the Xiongnu Nomadic Tribe, who built Zang Town, which was the original town at today's Wuwei City.

In 121 BC, emperor Hanwudi of the Wu Dynasty dispatched general Huoqubin to conquer the Xiongnu Tribe. General Huoqubin's army defeated the Xiongnu and took over the region in Hexi Corridor. Wuwei County was then set up to govern the region.

During the Three Kingdoms Period, Emperor Wendi of the Wei State established Liang Prefecture, which means Cold Prefecture. It was so named because the region was cold all year round. Liang Prefecture for the first time became one of the thirteen prefectures of the country, after which Wuwei gained its prominent role in Chinese history.

During the East Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms Period, the country split into many different states, with the East Jin controlling much of the south and sixteen different states ruling in the north. Former Liang, Later Liang, South Liang and North Liang set up their capitals in Wuwei successively. At the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Ligui controlled Wuwei and set up the Great Liang Kingdom. Its role as capital for five successive states brought Wuwei more fame and significance.

In 1028 during the Song Dynasty, Dangxiang Tribe,controlled Liang Prefecture and set up West Liang Prefecture. In 1038, the Dangxiang Tribe established their Kingdom, the West Xia Kingdom, and made Liang Prefecture second in power only to its capital. Liangzhou was under West Xia's reign for about 190 years.
 

Geographic Features and Climate

Wuwei's geography is dominated by three plateaus, the Loess, Tibetan, and Mongolian. Elevation can be generalized as, the south is high and the north is low, with elevations ranging from 1,020 to 4,874 metres above sea-level.
The hypsography of Wuwei City is higher at south and lower at north, sloping from southwest to northeast. It leans on Qilian Mountain in the south and borders the Tengger Desert in the north. It is also the juncture of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Loess Plateau and Mongolian-Xinjiang Plateau.

Wuwei has a typical continental climate which is temperate, semiarid, with a frost free period of 85-165 days a year. The annually average temperature is about  7.7 C (45.9 F) , of which the lowest is in January with the average temperature of -8.7 C (16.3 F) and the highest is in July with the average temperature of 21.9 C (71.4 F). The annual precipitation is 158 millimeters (6.2 inches) in Wuwei.
 

Attractions

Confucius Temple  (wén miào 文庙)
Confucius Temple, where Wuwei Museum is located, houses a large collection of over 44,000 cultural relics, two of which are recognized nationally. It is the second largest museum in Gansu Province. Collections include the Bronze Galloping Horse, medicinal wooden inscriptions, wooden and stone tomb carvings from the Tang Dynasty, stone stelae, models of wooden pagodas, wooden engravings, golden bowls from West Xia Kingdom, silver coins, porcelain and paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The temple buildings were constructed during the Ming Dynasty over 500 years ago. The temple ground covers an area of 25,000 square kilometers, with a width of 135 meters from the east to the west and a length of 187 meters from the north to the south.
The most well-preserved buildings are the Sacred Temple and Wenchang Palace. The buildings were constructed in a symmetrical way, with the whole complex brightly decorated.

Location: in the southeast of Wuwei city
Tel: 0935-2215849
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:00
Transportation: Take public bus No 3,4,6 to get to the temple
Admission Fee: CNY35
Features: Well-preserved ancient buildings and ancient trees.

Lei Platform Scenic Area (léi tái jǐng qū 雷台景区)
Lei Platform Scenic Area, covering an area of 124,000 square kilometers, is the most famous tourist attraction in Wuwei. The platform is well-preserved, 106 meters in length, 60 meters in width and 8.5 meters in height. On top of the platform stand over ten buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including Leizu Hall and Sanxing Dumu Hall. Around the platform are many ancient trees alongside clear-watered lakes.

In 1969, a large tomb from the East Han Dynasty was discovered at the southeast corner of the base of the platform. The tomb contains a tomb path, a tomb door and tomb chambers. The tomb chambers are divided into three parts: the front, middle and rear chambers. There are two side rooms at either side of the front chamber. Although the tomb has been robbed several times, only a few cultural relics were stolen. Among the two hundred and thirty-one items excavated at the tomb are gold, silver, bronze, iron, jade and stone tools, pottery items and 30,000 ancient coins. The tomb has hence been called "the underground museum".

The most attractive findings are the ninety-nine bronze carriages. The most valuable item at the tomb is a bronze galloping horse that was chosen as a National Relic of China in 1986.
Other attractions in the scenic area include Leitai Culture Street (léi tái wén huà jiē 雷台文化街), a great gate of Han Dynasty style, the music fountain and a huge relief from the Han Dynasty. There are also archways, totem poles and various displays of the bronze galloping horse and ninety-nine bronze carriages.

Location: No. 257 in the north of Guangzhong road in Wuwei city
Tel: 0935-2215852
Opening Hours: 8：00-17：30
Transportation: Take bus No. 2 and get off at Leitai Park. The tomb is located inside the park.
Admission Fee: CNY50
Features: Lei Platform is where the Galloping Horse was unearthed. It is under special protection by the State Department.

Tiantishan Grottoes  (tiān tī shān shí kū 天梯山石窟)
Tiantishan Grottoes, also called Big Buddha Temple, were chiseled during the East Jin and 16 Kingdoms Period, over 1,600 years ago. Tiantaishan, meaning Sky Ladder Mountain, is so named because the narrow stone path ascending to the mountain's high peaks looks like a suspended ladder.


The Grottoes were first chiseled during the East Jin Dynasty with artists from North Wei, Sui, Tang, West Xia dynasties contributing to them. They served as a lama temple during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The grottoes have been damaged during earthquakes throughout history, because the earth in the area is especially soft. The large earthquake which occurred in 1927 damaged the grottoes in ten different places. In 1959, to make way for the construction of a reservoir at the grottoes site, part of the sculptures and paintings in these grottoes were removed to Gansu Provincial Museum, and the inscriptions and silk paintings from the North Wei and Sui and Tang dynasties were carried to Dunhuang and have since been kept at Dunhuang Cultural Relic Research Center.

Location: Zhongluxiangdeng Village, 50 kilometers to the south of the city.
Tel: 0935-6150138
Opening Hours: 8：00-17：30
Transportation: Take a long distance bus from Wuwei City to Dengshan Village in Zhonglu Conuty.
Admission Fee: CNY30
Features: Tiantishan Grottoes are the earliest chiseled grottoes in China, and are representative of the art of China's earliest grottoes.

Haizang Temple  (海藏寺 hǎi cáng sì)
Hangzang Temple, built during the Jin Dynasty, has a history o f over 1,700 years, but was greatly expanded during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The fourth founder of Sa-skya-pa of Tibetan Buddhism, Saban, donated to expand the temple when he was in Liangzhou. The result was a great temple of Tibetan Buddhism. More temple buildings were added during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and soon after Haizang Temple became an important temple on the Silk Road.

Today, the temple ground has been transformed into a park. In the park, there are towering white poplars, several lakes, and a river whose banks are lined with willow trees and clusters of reeds. Viewed from a distance, the gray temple buildings among the greenery create a beautiful picture.

Location: 2 kilometers to the northwest of Wuwei City
Tel: 0935-2209641
Opening Hours: 8：30-18：00
Transportation: Take public bus No 3 and get off at Haizang Park.
Admission Fee: CNY10
Features: Tiantishan Grottoes are the earliest chiseled grottoes in China, and are representative of the art of China's earliest grottoes.
 

Food and Restaurants

Famous snacks in Wuwei include flour flask, deep-fried cakes, steamed buns of the Man ethnic people, flaky of bird's nest and sand-potted rice noodles. Flour skins are particularly delicious, as are the steamed buns of the Man ethnic people, which are famous for their many varieties. Restaurants are scattered all around the city, and at night food stalls in the streets are set up selling snacks.


Transportation:

1. There is no civil airport in Wuwei City. The nearest airport is Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport.
2. It is easy to take train traveling from Wuwei to other cites in China. Wuwei Railway Station is located at Chengguan Town. It offers daily trains running to Lanzhou, Korla, Beijing, Jiayuguan, Urumqi, Dunhuang, Xian, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shangqiu, Lianyungang, etc.
3. Wuwei Long-distance Bus Station is located at Nanguanxi Lu. It is the hinge of passenger bus transport in Wuwei. There are buses daily traveling to Lanzhou, Zhangye, Tianshui, Jinchang, Jiuquan, Jiayuguan, Yumen, Dunhuang, Yinchuan, Xining, etc.
4. There are 15 public bus lines traveling around in Wuwei downtown area now. Bus 1, 2, 12 and 102 can take you to Wuwei Railway Station. Bus 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 102 can take you to the long-distance bus station.
5. The taxi fare is different for different kind of Taxi. It is CNY3 (Alto)/CNY4 (Fukang)/CNY5 (Santana) for the first three kilometers and then CNY1/1.2/1.5 per additional kilometer.

Travel Tips:
The best times to visit: Wuwei are summer and autumn. Compared with areas in East China, Wuwei is very dry all year round. Summer and autumn are the best seasons for visitors who are not used to the arid weather as most of the rainfall comes during this period.
Area Code: 0935 
Post code: 733000