The iron bridge across Lanzhou
Opened in 1909, Zhongshan Bridge joined Lanzhou’s two banks with a permanent iron crossing. Today pedestrians cross it beneath White Pagoda Hill.
Lanzhou.
Lanzhou is the only provincial capital through which the Yellow River flows. The river gives the city a clear axis: Zhongshan Bridge spans the old crossing, White Pagoda Hill rises on the north bank, and neighborhood noodle shops line the streets between them. The river valley continues well beyond this central waterfront, shaping the city’s districts and daily movement.
Stories
The clear broth of Lanzhou noodles
A bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles brings hand-pulled strands into clear beef broth with beef, chili oil and herbs. The craft was added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021.
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White Pagoda Hill above the north bank
White Pagoda Hill takes its name from the pagoda rebuilt there during the Ming period. Its paths, calligraphy gallery and river views make it a landmark above Lanzhou’s north bank.
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Waterwheels that lifted the Yellow River
Lanzhou’s wooden waterwheels used the river current to raise water into irrigation channels. The Waterwheel Expo Park keeps the form visible beside the south-bank promenade.
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Lanzhou
Zhongshan Bridge
The iron bridge finished in 1909, now a footbridge across the Yellow River in Lanzhou.
Lanzhou
White Pagoda Hill
A park on the north bank of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, named for a white pagoda rebuilt in the Ming dynasty.
Lanzhou
Yellow River waterwheels
Lanzhou's river-side waterwheels, a Ming lift for irrigation, shown today along the south bank expo park.
Photo credits and rights
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Lanzhou Iron Bridge across the Yellow RiverAuthor not specified on source page · Rights status not determined Photo source ↗ Orientation normalised, proportionally resized and encoded as WebP; no crop or retouch.
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Lanzhou beef noodle bowlAuthor not specified on source page · Rights status not determined Photo source ↗ Orientation normalised, proportionally resized and encoded as WebP; no crop or retouch.
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White Pagoda Hill in LanzhouAuthor not specified on source page · Rights status not determined Photo source ↗ Orientation normalised, proportionally resized and encoded as WebP; no crop or retouch.
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Lanzhou Yellow River waterwheelAuthor not specified on source page · Rights status not determined Photo source ↗ Orientation normalised, proportionally resized and encoded as WebP; no crop or retouch.
