Gansu is a long, narrow province in northwest China that follows the Hexi Corridor, the Silk Road passage between the Qilian Mountains and the Gobi. It joins the Yellow River city of Lanzhou, the Mogao Caves and Mingsha dunes at Dunhuang, the Ming fort at Jiayuguan, the rainbow Danxia hills of Zhangye, and the Tibetan monasteries of Xiahe and Langmusi into one of China's richest cultural and landscape routes.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Yeguang Cup (Luminous Jade Cup)
Cups carved from Qilian jade (Jiuquan), a Gansu tradition said to date to the Han and Tang dynasties and immortalised in Wang Han's Tang poem about 'luminous cups of grape wine'; sold in Jiuquan and Dunhuang
Price: CNY 100-3,000+ / USD 15-444+ depending on jade quality
Where: Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market craft stalls, Jiuquan city shops, Dunhuang Museum shop
Dunhuang Mural Replicas and Prints
Hand-painted and printed copies of Mogao Grottoes murals, flying apsaras and Silk Road motifs, as scrolls, fans, bookmarks and silk prints
Price: CNY 20-1,000 / USD 3-148
Where: Mogao Grottoes gift shop and visitor centre, Dunhuang Museum, Shazhou Night Market
Lanzhou Lily (Baihe) and Dried Lily Bulbs
Lanzhou lily is a sweet, fleshy edible lily from Qilihe and Yuzhong, sold dried or as powder; a protected geographical-indication product
Price: CNY 30-120 / USD 4-18 per 500 g
Where: Lanzhou supermarket specialty counters, Zhengning Road night market stalls, Lanzhou railway-station shops
Gansu Goji Berries (Wolfberries)
Red goji berries and black goji grown in Jiuquan, Jingtai and Minqin, a Gansu specialty and cheaper alternative to Ningxia goji
Price: CNY 30-100 / USD 4-15 per 500 g
Where: Lanzhou specialty shops, Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market, Zhangye shops
Hand-Woven Carpets and Felt (Tibetan and Hui)
Hand-knotted wool carpets from Gannan and Linxia, and felt rugs from Tianzhu, in Tibetan and Hui patterns
Price: CNY 150-6,000 / USD 22-889 depending on size and knot density
Where: Xiahe Labrang Street shops, Linxia old town, Hezuo market
Labrang Thangka and Butter-Lamp Items
Hand-painted Tibetan Buddhist thangka scrolls, prayer wheels, butter lamps and incense from Xiahe's craft workshops; thangka painted on cotton with mineral pigments are the authentic type
Price: CNY 200-10,000+ / USD 30-1,481+
Where: Labrang Street shops in Xiahe, Hezuo craft shops
Taoyuan Inkstone (Tao River Stone Inkstones, Taoyan)
Inkstones carved from green and purple Tao River stone from Zhuoni and Lintan, one of China's four famous inkstones since the Tang dynasty
Price: CNY 100-5,000+ / USD 15-741+
Where: Lintan and Zhuoni workshops, Lanzhou craft shops, Gansu Provincial Museum shop
Lanzhou Gourd Painting and Carving
Gourds engraved and painted with scenes, a Lanzhou specialty (Lanzhou calabash carving, a provincial intangible heritage craft)
Price: CNY 30-1,500 / USD 4-222
Where: Lanzhou craft shops near Zhongshan Road, Zhengning Road area stalls
Tianshui Lacquerware (Tianshui Qigong)
Carved lacquer ware from Tianshui, with a tradition dating back to the Han dynasty; the carved lacquer is known as 'Tianshui lacquer'
Price: CNY 80-3,000 / USD 12-444
Where: Tianshui craft shops near Fuxi Temple, Tianshui city shops
Minxian Angelica (Danggui) and Medicinal Herbs
Gansu is China's largest source of angelica root, with Minxian Danggui prized for quality; sold as slices, tea and gift boxes
Price: CNY 20-200 / USD 3-30 per 250 g
Where: Minxian Chinese Medicinal Materials Market, Lanzhou pharmacies
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Zhengning Road Night Market
Lanzhou's best-known night market, a pedestrian lane of halal food stalls and snacks, near Nanguan Ethnic Food Street
Where: Chengguan District, Lanzhou
Hours: Daily approx. 6PM-midnight (some stalls from early evening)
Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market
A large night market in central Dunhuang with food courts, donkey-meat yellow noodles and souvenir stalls
Where: Shazhou Town, Dunhuang, Jiuquan
Hours: Daily approx. 5PM-1AM in season (May-October); closes about 11PM off-season
Labrang Street Shops, Xiahe
The main commercial strip leading to Labrang Monastery, lined with Tibetan craft and religious goods shops
Where: Xiahe County, Gannan
Hours: Daily approx. 8AM-8PM
Linxia Old Town Bazaar (Bafang and Dongguan area)
Market streets around Linxia's historic mosques, selling Hui specialties and daily goods
Where: Linxia City, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Hours: Daily approx. 8AM-8PM
Minxian Chinese Medicinal Materials Market
Minxian is known as the 'home of Chinese angelica'; the trading center is the hub for Gansu's herb trade
Where: Minxian County, Dingxi
Hours: Daily approx. 8AM-6PM; wholesale peak in the morning
Lanzhou Dongfanghong Square (The Mixc) Shopping Area
Lanzhou's modern shopping hub around Dongfanghong Square with chain retail and dining
Where: Chengguan District, Lanzhou
Hours: Daily approx. 10AM-10PM
Gansu Provincial Museum Gift Shop
Museum shop with quality cultural-creative products themed on the Gansu bronze Flying Horse
Where: Qilihe District, Lanzhou
Hours: Tue-Sun approx. 9AM-5PM