A 1909 steel bridge, the view from White Pagoda Mountain, water-lifting wheels and a river cruise
A city day along the river: the iron bridge, the waterwheels, the white pagoda hill and a short cruise. Eight hours, and the pace is deliberately slow.
Anyone wanting the grottoes or the desert — those are different routes, further west.
The cruise is weather-dependent and short. Treat it as a bonus, not the reason for the day.
Hotel pick-up in Chengguan and Qilihe districts, Lanzhou
Local time (GMT+8). The provincial museum closes on Mondays; on those days the day ends at Santai Pavilion on Lanshan for the city panorama instead.
Chengguan and Qilihe districts, by private car
The 1909 iron bridge, with its centenary stone at the northern end. Eight hundred metres west along the riverside road stands the Yellow River Mother sculpture. About 50 minutes
Free to enter; walk up or take the river cable car (own expense). The Yuan-dynasty white pagoda at the top is the best place to see the whole city and the river’s bend. About ninety minutes
Own expense. Locals eat them at midday; “erxi” with extra beef and an egg is the standard order. Most old shops shut after two
Rebuilt lifting wheels of the kind Duan Xu devised in the Ming, close to 20 m across. A short walk along the river path. About 40 minutes
From the White Pagoda wharf, about 40 minutes out and back, with the bridge and both banks seen from the water. Ticket included
Home to the Bronze Galloping Horse and the brick relief of a mounted courier. Free, but you must reserve a slot on the museum’s official account. About ninety minutes
Or step off at Zhengning Road night market or Dazhong Lane for dinner
For travellers with a day between trains who want Lanzhou without rushing. Little walking, and fine with children or older parents.
跟團遊每人 $57，或私家團每車 $256 起（含司機與導遊）。跟團價包含司機、導遊與門票；私家團價則是整臺車的價格，不論人數多寡。
行程從 09:00 到 17:00——從接送到下車約 8 小時，含車程。若你當晚要趕火車或飛機，請把票訂在 18:30 之後。
Hotels in Chengguan & Qilihe。司機與導遊會在那裡與你會合；確切地點於出發前一天確認。
Private car and driver-guide, hotel pick-up and drop-off、Yellow River cruise ticket、White Pagoda Mountain, with guiding。
Lunch and dinner、The river cable car (about ¥55 return)。
兩天。我們不接受當天或隔天的預訂，因為車輛、導遊與門票都必須提前安排。行程前 7 天以上取消免費；之後依序為20%（6–3天）與60%（2–1天），當天則完全不退款。
Second visit to Zhongshan Bridge and it still works: the first iron bridge across the Yellow River, over a century old, and better the longer you stand there. Most people photograph it and move on — walk the far bank and look back.
Come at dusk. The river turns gold, families paddle at the water's edge, and the bridge lights come on while you watch. In summer the evening air is the best thing about Lanzhou.
Pair it with a sheepskin raft ride if the season allows — the old ferry method, still working below the bridge. At night the ironwork is floodlit and the riverside walk fills up.
