Silk Road - Lanzhou

Since Lanzhou is the start off point of our Silk Road tour, the first day is an obligatory tour of the city.  The most important thing on the itinerary is a guided tour of the Gansu Provincial Museum which houses artefacts from across the centuries and gave us a good introduction to the historical background of the Silk Road.  We were then taken to lunch at a specialty Lanzhou noodle place where we were treated to a live demonstration of how the noodles were made.  The best treat was the lamb rack - it was so good we actually asked for a second helping!  

After lunch, we were given complimentary foot massages at a special foot massage parlour.  Foot massage is an important health treatment in Chinese medicine as it frees up the energy flow to the different organs in the body.  It certainly felt great and relaxing.  I chatted with the massager and she even gave me permission to take a photo of her. These ladies work long hours into the small hours because apparently customers would come in at the end of a long day after business engagements.  

The Zhongshan Bridge in Lanzhou is the first permanent bridge built over the Yellow River in Lanzhou.  The steel truss bridge originally named "First Bridge" was renamed Zhonghsan in honour Dr. Sun Yat-sen.  There were lots of tourists and locals on the bridge and in the adjacent gardens.  A great place for people watching - I didn't expect to be able to do street photography in Lanzhou!  

There are many water wheels along the Yellow River in Lanzhou and we stopped at the water wheel garden to see two of these wheels and also watched a demonstration of how the sheepskin is inflated for the rafts which we rode on the day before in the Stone Forest.  Then it's on to dinner with another 10 course meal.  This will be the pattern for the next 12 days - our meals always include fish, different meats, soup and a variety of vegetables and of course dessert.  Our guide had specified "low fat low salt" to the kitchen at every stop and this was followed to the best of their ability in most cases.  Our guide made a point of letting us try different local beers at every stop.  We got a glimpse of Lanzhou at night on the way back to the hotel to get ready for the long day ahead of us on the road to Zhangye, our next stop.  

The Gansu Provincial Museum with its famous Flying Horse

Flying Horse Sculpture from Eastern Han Dynasty (2nd century AD)

This carved unicorn from Han Dynasty (202BC) is my favourite piece

Silk Road Map in the museum

Many riders have this cover in different materials 

Breakfast street food carts are everywhere

These streetfood carts are towed by motor cycles to their working locations everyday.

Shops selling interesting goods - like safes...

Lanzhou noodles made with different flour for differen purposes

Most delicious lamb rack

At the entrance to the foot massage palace, a statue of Shennong  (Divine Farmer) mythological Chinese ruler who has become a deity in folklore - credited with various inventions including the hoe, plow, the Chinese farmer's almanac, and the use of herbal medicine.

Beautiful riverfront park

Popular place for tourists

Zhongshan Bridge - first permanent bridge across the Yellow River

View of Lanzhou from the bridge

The sculpture representing the Yellow River as the "Mother River"

Double waterwheels in the Waterwheel Garden

Blowing up the sheepskin that is being used to float the rafts on the river as a historical mode of transportation (see previous post on Stone Forest)

A shopping street for cultural goods

Delicious dessert made with edible lily and papaya

On the way back to the hotel we got a glimpse of Lanzhou at night from the river