Yellow River Mother Sculpture (Huanghe Muqin Diaosu)

The Yellow River Mother Sculpture, known in Chinese as Huanghe Muqin Diaosu, is the emblem of Lanzhou and stands beside the river on South Binhe Middle Road in Qilihe District, Gansu province, China. Completed in 1986, the stone statue shows a reclining mother with a child at her side, a figure meant to portray the Yellow River as the nurturing mother of Chinese civilisation. The sculpture is carved from granite and sits among planted lawns and paths on the riverbank, with the water close by. A visit is brief: visitors walk around the figure, read the interpretive inscriptions, and take photographs, usually spending 20 to 40 minutes. The most popular photo angle is from the riverside path in front of the sculpture with the river in the background; the side view shows the sweep of the mother's form against the water. The statue is part of the Binhe Road promenade, so many people arrive on foot while walking the riverside, around 20 minutes west of Zhongshan Bridge. The site is open around the clock and free. Mornings and evenings are the most pleasant, with locals walking and exercising along the path, while midday in summer can be hot with little shade. Crowds gather at weekends, with school groups and tour parties queuing for photos at the base. Because it is an outdoor public monument, there is no ticketing, and a visit combines easily with the riverside paths, the waterwheels east of the city, and the city's other river landmarks.