Lanzhou: A Magical City on the Yellow River!
Hi there! My name is Lily and I'm 10 years old. Last summer, my family and I went on an amazing trip to Lanzhou, a city in northwest China. I had so much fun exploring the incredible sights and trying all the delicious foods. Let me tell you all about it!
First up, the Yellow River Mother Sculpture Park. This place is huge and has tons of giant sculptures along the riverbank. The most famous one is the Yellow River Mother statue, which is a massive 20-meter-tall sculpture of a woman holding a baby. It represents the importance of the Yellow River to the people of Lanzhou. I felt so tiny standing next to it!
My favorite part was the "Water Calligraphy Corridor" where you can actually walk on the water! It's a long pathway with shallow water running along the sides, and you can dip your feet in as you walk. I got my shoes totally soaked but it was worth it – so much fun!
Another cool spot is the White Pagoda Hill Park. It has an ancient white pagoda that's over 1600 years old!
You can climb up to the top and get an amazing view of the whole city. There are also beautiful gardens with colorful flowers everywhere. We saw some cute little squirrels scampering around too.
For lunch, we had to try Lanzhou's famous beef noodle soup, which is their signature dish. The noodles are stretched by hand into long strips and cooked in a rich, beefy broth. It was so delicious and filling! We went to a famous restaurant called Mazilu Beef Noodles that's been open for over 100 years. I slurped up every last drop.
After that, we headed to the Waterwheel Garden to see the gigantic wooden waterwheels. Some of them are over 10 meters tall! They were used a long time ago to pull water from the Yellow River for irrigation. Watching them slowly turn and splash water was really mesmerizing. There's also a museum there explaining how they work.
For dinner, we sampled lots of tasty Lanzhou snacks and street foods from the vibrant Night Market. My favorites were the crispy fried dough twists, sweet roasted cakes, and mouth-watering lamb kebabs straight off the grill. I probably ate way too many but they were irresistible!
The next day, we visited the underground Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves. These ancient carved caves used to be home to Buddhist monks and are covered in colorful sculptures and murals decorating the walls. Some of the statues were enormous! Our guide told us they were built over 1600 years ago, which is just mind-blowing. Walking through the dimly lit caves felt like stepping back in time.
On our last day, we took a boat tour along the Yellow River. It was so peaceful cruising down the waterway, watching the city skyline drift by. The river is known as the "Mother River" of China since it flows across nine provinces and has been so important throughout the country's history.
Our guide pointed out sights like the iconic Zhongshan Bridge, which is one of the longest bridges spanning the Yellow River. We also passed by the Lanzhou Water Mill Museum which has a whole outdoor area showcasing different types of old-fashioned watermills. From the river, you can see why Lanzhou is called a "Golden City" with its yellow sandstone architecture glowing in the sunlight.
I had the best time in Lanzhou! If you ever visit, here are my top tips:
• Wear comfy shoes since you'll be doing lots of walking
• Try all the different street foods, especially the beef noodles
• Take a Yellow River cruise to see the city from the water
• Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated in the dry climate
• Wake up early to beat the crowds at popular spots
Lanzhou is such a magical, historical place with amazing food and sights. I'll never forget walking along the Yellow River or seeing those gigantic waterwheels slowly turning. I hope you get the chance to experience it for yourself! Let me know if you need any other Lanzhou travel tips.
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