Tianshui Travel Guide

  1. Tianshui

The second largest city in Gansu, China, is Tianshui and it has a whopping population of nearly four million people. It is most famous for its connection to the Silk Road as it sits along the ancient route.

The Maijishan Grottos are nearby and they are home to thousands of old Buddhist sculptures that were created back in the Wei Dynasty. Buddhist monks are believed to have been the sculptors and they arrived in Tianshui via the North Silk Road and used the grotto as a worshipping place.

Tianshui is mountainous in the south and to the east, and the north of the region is mainly flat with a few slight hills while the center of the area sits in a river valley. Close to Tianshui are the Qin tombs, which include an original map of Guixian County that dates back 2,200 years.

Travel to Tianshui- getting there

From Lanzhou it is easy to reach Tianshui by bus on a journey that takes about 5 hours. Lanzhou is home to the nearest airport and flights from the capital Beijing take 1 hour, 30 minutes. From the area of Maiji there are local buses that will take visitors on a journey that takes about 1 hour to Tianshui and there are also intermittent train services that run from other major tourist hotspots.

In brief

Worth it? This city is well worth visiting as it is steeped in a rich history and has lots of things to see and do.

What to do: hike the pretty countryside, see the nearby tombs, visit the caves and see local life in the surrounding villages.

Best time to go: September, October and November are the best months to visit Tianshui.

How long? A few days.

Tianshui attractions

  • Maiji Caves: are home to a grotto that is houses religious shrines.
  • Fuxi Temple: was built in the Ming dynasty and hosts a local fair that takes place every year.
  • Water Curtain Cave: is a cave set in Zhonglou Mountain. It is surrounded by a lovely scenic valley and has cliffside inscriptions that are interesting to explore.

Events

  • Tianshui Fuxi Culture and Tourism Festival: held annually in June at the Fuxi Temple, this massive celebration brings people from all around to celebrate the joy of prayer.