Tianshui Travel Guide

Location: As one of the essential points on Silk Road, Tianshui city is in the southeast of Gansu Province. It is close with Maijishan Grottoes and cross through Changjiang River and Yellow River.

Population: As the second largest city in Gansu Province, its population is approximately 3,500,000.

Area: Tianshui City, the existing total area of 589.91 hectares of forest, the forest coverage rate to 26.5 percent. Natural forest is mainly distributed in the east, south-east of Long Hill, West Qinling and Guanshan Lin.

Nationalities: Tishui City is distributed by many nationalities, a total of 32. The number of minority occupies 6.9% of the whole population。Hui minority nationality has the largest population, and the others are Manchu, Mongolia as well as Zang minority nationality. Tianshui city is a diocese of the Roman Catholic church.

Hitory: Tianshui is a state-level historical city. This region has been inhabited since Neolithic time, excavated relics has a history of 8120 years. It is the birthplace of Fuxi, the earliest Chinese ancestor. The Qin State, later to become the founding dynasty of the Chinese empire, grew out from this area.

Climate: The place enjoys a temperate climate with well-marked seasons. The annual average temperature is 11.5℃. The hottest temperature is 33.4℃ in July and the coldest in January.

Transportation: Tianshui enjoys a convenient transport. The airline was newly opened, the scheduled flights leading to all major cities in China. The national highway G312 from Lianyungang in the east of Jiangsu Province to Huo’erguosi Port in Xinjiang Province, passes Tianshui. It takes about 4 hours from Lanzhou to Tianshui by train. The railway station offers trains to more than 10 cities such as Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Qingdao, Tianshui, etc.

Local Specialties: Tianshui has been an important distribution center for goods and materials in the southeast of Gansu Province since ancient times, highly reputed as “West China Textile City” and “Electric Equipment Centre”. It is a famous-producing city, producing good-quality and tasteful Huaniu apples, good juicy peach, sweet almond, cantaloupe and watermelon. What’s more, handcrafts like jade carvings, carpets, silk tapestries are famous at home and abroad.

Local Food: With wheat and corn as the main crops, Tianshui food is mainly made from flaour. Tianshui food is noted for its delicious Guagua, Liangpi, Jiangshui Noodle, Jiaotuan and Dalu Noodle and so on.

Major Attractions

Fuxi Temple is located in the western area of Tianshui, it was constructed in 1490 and reconstructed in 1524. It is said that the Fuxi and Shennong tribes inhabited Tianshui in ancient times and this temple is built in their memory. The temple complex has an area of 2,...

Maijishan Grottoes is one of China's four grottoes were, 45 kilometers away from Tianshui City.Maiji Mountain scenic area in the eastern section of the West Qinling Lingbei spur of the total area of 215 square kilometers, including the Maijishan, immortal Cliff, Shihme...

Nanguo Temple is also called South Mountain Temple. It is on the south bank of the Ji River which flows past the city. Inside the temple yard, are dense pines and cypresses, clear spring water and fresh flowers everywhere. Two spectacular scenes are most attractive one...

Yuquan Taoist Temple, located at the foot of Zhongliang Mountain in the north of the city, Yuquan Palace takes its name from a spring located there. The palace was erected in 1299 and the present buildings were reconstructed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Yuquan Palac...

Travel Tips:
1. Tianshui is a five hour drive from Lanzhou. From downtown Tianshui, visitors can take city buses to the foot of Maiji Mountain (a 40 minute trip; busses are located opposite the train station), and it is still 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Maiji Caves.
2. The Fuxi Temple is easily accessible once you are in the downtown area of Tianshui - simply walk down the street south of Central Square. Temple admission is free from the first day to the seventh day of the first lunar month.

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