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".

Zhangye (zhāng yè 张掖) is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province, which was called "Jin Zhangye" in old times. Zhangye is about 450km northwest of Lanzhou (lán zhōu 兰州) and 150km southeast of Jiayuguan (jiā yù guān 嘉峪关), It has always been an important stopover for caravans and travelers on the Silk Road. There is gorgeous natural scenery which embodies beauty of southland and landscape of the Great Wall (cháng chéng 长城), such as the famous tourist attractions in Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park (zhāng yè dān xiá dì mào 张掖丹霞地貌), Grand Buddha Temple in Zhangye (dà fó sì 大佛寺) and Wooden Pagoda Temple (mù tǎ sì 木塔寺).

Located 45 kilometers southeast of Tianshui City (tiān shuǐ shì 天水市) in Gansu Province (gān sù shěng 甘肃省), Maiji Mountain (mài jī shān 麦积山) rises up abruptly 142 meters from the landscape. The people named the mountain 'Maiji' because it resembles a stack of wheat straw (mai meaning wheat, and ji meaning stack). Maiji Mountain is 150 meters tall, and it was named for its shape. According to historical records, the Maiji Grottoes (mài jī shān shí kū 麦积山石窟) were excavated during the Hou Qin Dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdom Period. The Maiji Mountain Grottoes have a long history.

The city of Tianshui (tiān shuǐ 天水) is located in the northeastern part of Gansu province. It is the second largest city in the province, and is about 338 kilometers from Lanzhou City, Gansu's capital. Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road at the Wei River (wèi hé 渭河), through which much of trade occurred between China and the west. It has a total area of 14,300 square kilometers, and a population of approximately 3,500,000. About 300,000 people live in the Tianshui urban area. Established during the time of Emperor Wu Di, Tianshui County has had a 2000 year history.