Must Know About Gansu

General and interesting information about Gansu
Many people have the impression that Gansu is a remote western province, but it not only played a grand role in the center of the historical stage, but also has glaciers, canyons, the Yellow River, deserts and oases. It is very worth to visit this wonderful land which is diverse and beautiful.

Topographic features
Gansu is situated in the intersection zone of the three plateaus: the Loess Plateau, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Inner Mongolia Plateau. The terrain of Gansu is complex, the mountains crisscross, and the altitude varies greatly. It is a mountainous plateau landform with alpine, basin, Pingchuan, desert and Gobi. The terrain inclines from southwest to northeast, the terrain is narrow and long, the length of East and West is 1659 kilometers, and the width of North and south is 530 kilometers. It can be roughly divided into six regions with different characteristics. Most of them are above 1000 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains. There are Liupanshan and Longshou Mountains in the north, Minshan, Qinling and Ziwuling Mountains in the east, Altun Mountains and Qilian Mountains in the west, and Qingniling Mountains in the south.

Gansu is a mountainous province. The main mountain ranges are Qilian Mountain, Wushaoling Mountain and Liupanshan Mountain, followed by Altun Mountain, Mazhao Mountain, Heli Mountain, Longshou Mountain, Xiqin Mountain and Ziwuling Mountain. Most of the mountain ranges are northwest-southeast. Forest resources in the province are mostly concentrated in these mountains, and most rivers form their own sources of diversion from these mountains.

Longnan mountain area
Longnan Mountains are mountainous and mountainous, with deep mountains and valleys, rich vegetation and endless stream clearance. This area roughly includes the mountains south of Weishui, Lintan and east of Diebu, which are the West extension of Qinling Mountains. Mountains and hills are high in the West and low in the east, green mountains confront each other, streams swift, peaks sharp and steep slopes, just like the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, and five ridges are shaky.

Longdong and Middle Loess Plateau
Longdong and the Middle Loess Plateau are located in the central and eastern part of Gansu Province, starting from the boundary between Gansu and Shaanxi Province in the East and the Wushaoling Mountains in the west. In history, the ancestors of the Chinese nation were bred here, and the homes of the descendants of the Yellow Emperor were established. The crustal changes and wars in past dynasties have lasted for hundreds of millions of years, and the Loess Plateau has been fragmented by disasters. Especially the central part of Dingxi has become one of the most barren areas in China. However, the Longdong and Middle Loess plateau are rich in oil and coal resources.

Gannan Plateau
Gannan Plateau is the "roof of the world" - the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with a high terrain and an average altitude of more than 3200 meters. It is a typical plateau area. It is one of the main animal husbandry bases in Gansu Province.

Hexi Corridor
Hexi Corridor is located in the north of Qilian Mountains, south of Beishan Mountains, from Wushaoling Mountains in the east to the junction of Gansu and Xinhua in the west. It is a narrow belt inclined from east to west and from south to north. The altitude is between 1000 and 1500 meters, the length is about 1000 kilometers and the width is from several kilometers to several hundred kilometers. Hexi Corridor is a well-known Gobi Oasis with flat terrain, good mechanical cultivation conditions, abundant light and heat, and abundant water resources. It has broad prospects for agricultural development and is the main commodity grain base in Gansu Province.

Qilian mountain area
Qilian Mountain is a natural solid reservoir in Hexi Corridor with a length of more than 1000 kilometers, most of which are over 3500 meters above sea level. It is covered with snow and glaciers all the year round. It is a natural solid reservoir in Hexi Corridor with obvious vertical distribution of vegetation. The highest point in Gansu Province is the main peak of Qilian Mountains, Unity Peak, with an altitude of 5827 meters.

North of Hexi Corridor
To the north of Hexi Corridor, the East-West area is more than 600 kilometers long and the altitude is between 1000 and 3600 meters. People are used to call it Beishan Mountain. Near the Tengger Desert and the Badain Jilin Desert, there are strong winds and sands, bare rocks and deserts, which are hard to cultivate and sparsely populated.

Climatic characteristics
There are various climatic types in Gansu, including subtropical monsoon climate, temperate monsoon climate, temperate continental (arid) climate and plateau alpine climate from south to north. The average annual temperature is 0 - 15 C. Most areas are dry, and arid and semi-arid regions account for 75% of the total area. The main meteorological disasters are drought, rainstorm, flood, hail, gale, sandstorm and frost. The annual precipitation in all parts of the province is 36.6-734.9 mm, which decreases from southeast to northwest. The precipitation in the west of Wushaoling Mountains decreases obviously, while the precipitation in Longnan Mountains and the eastern part of Qilian Mountains is more. Influenced by monsoon, precipitation mostly concentrated in June-August, accounting for 50-70% of the annual precipitation. The frost-free period of the province varies greatly from place to place. The Longnan Valley is generally around 280 days, while the Gannan Plateau is the shortest, with only 140 days. Most places are between 1500 and 3000 meters above sea level, with annual rainfall of about 300 millimeters (40-800 millimeters).