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Gansu

2017-04-18

With land covering 425.8 thousand square km and a population of 27 million, Gansu province, situated on the middle and the upper reaches of the Yellow River, is at the crossroads of the Loess Plateau, Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. It is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. The world-famous ancient Silk Road stretches for 1,600 kilometers, marking the earliest meeting point of international cooperation in history between East and West in China.

Various Types of Landforms and Climates With vast territory, the landforms within the province vary from mountainous regions, plateaus and river valleys to plains and deserts. Its complex and diverse climates are good for the distinct agriculture. Gansu is already renowned as the biggest area of seed breeding, the third biggest production area of potatoes, the important base of traditional Chinese Medicine materials and one of the best ecological areas for brewing wine in China.

Splendid History and Culture Gansu is abundant in cultural heritage, natural landscapes and ethnic groups. Dunhuang Culture, the Silk Road Culture and Yellow River Culture represent unique characteristics for people to explore as they travel in the province.

Rich in Natural Resources Gansu is a resource-oriented province and has been dubbed the hometown of nonferrous metal in China. Oil, coal, wind and solar power are also exceptional rich resources. Hence Gansu has become China’s industrial base of new energy and new energy equipment manufacturing.

Special Geographical Advantages Located in the middle section of Eurasian Continental Bridge, Gansu province is in a vital position to link the east to west and connect the south with north. The capital Lanzhou lies in the geometric center of China's land territory, and has been developing into an important communication hub and logistics center which is open to Central Asia and West Asia.

Excellent Foundation for Development Gansu has a complete industrial system in petrochemicals (Lanzhou), nonferrous metal (Jinchuan and Baiyin), coal power, machinery manufacturing, electronic equipment and food processing. In particular, Jiuquan is famous for its iron and steel industries, whilst Yumen and Changqing are renowned for their oil fields.

The Prominence of Late-Development Advantage At present, Gansu province is in a strategic period of opportunity to accept eastern industry transfer. In recent years, the State Council of P. R. China issued the Notice of Opinions for Further Supporting Social and Economic Development of Gansu, approved to set up the fifth National Level New Area (Lanzhou New Area) and build the Zone for the Cultural Inheritance and Innovation of Chinese civilization. The province has thus gained a place on the national strategic platform, and will play a role in promoting the development of economic, social and cultural industries.