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Lanzhou

Lanzhou

The Yellow River cuts through the city—a bowl of beef noodles awakens the northwest morning.

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Province

Gansu

Region

Northwest

Cuisine

Regional

Population

4.35 million

Upcoming Events

festival

Lanzhou Yellow River Cultural Tourism Festival

Aug-Sep 2026 · Yellow River waterfront and Zhongshan Bridge

Yellow River rafting on sheepskin rafts, riverside noodle-making competitions, and the famous Lanzhou Beef Noodle Festival.

What to Do

Sheepskin raft Yellow River rides, beef noodle-making competitions, Zhongshan Bridge light shows, riverside folk music.

$8-15/day (rafting $10, beef noodles $2-3, meals $5-8) Food lovers, culture travelers, photographers, families

Combine With

White Pagoda Mountain, Gansu Provincial Museum, Waterwheel Garden, Bingling Temple Grottoes, Lanzhou beef noodles for breakfast.

All Snacks

Lanzhou Beef Noodles

Lanzhou Beef Noodles

Signature

$1-2

Clear broth, white radish, red chili, green cilantro, yellow noodles—from extra-thin to thick

Noodles Soup
$1-2
Shouzhua Yangrou

Shouzhua Yangrou

Signature

$6-10

Lamb ribs boiled in plain water, dipped in spiced salt for the pure taste

Meat Signature
$6-10

Niangpizi

$1-1

Wheat-starch jelly sheets + sesame paste + chili oil

Noodles Cold-dressed
$1-1

Huidouzi

$1-1

Black peas slow-cooked with alkaline water into a paste, served with sugar

Dessert Sweet Soup
$1-1

Tianpeizi

$1-1

Fermented oat sweet soup, refreshing and heat-relieving

Dessert Fermented
$1-1

City Colors

primary
secondary
light
dark
accent

Lanzhou is represented by #C4A46C. Every city has its own color memory.

Watch & Taste

Food tours & street food videos from Lanzhou

Lanzhou Street Food Tour
Lanzhou Food Guide & Travel

Explore Lanzhou

Landmarks & attractions

Yellow River & Bingling Temple

Yellow River & Bingling Temple — Ancient Buddhist caves along the Yellow River near Lanzhou

Lanzhou · A City’s Color

Lanzhou’s color is Yellow River yellow—the Yellow River runs through the city, the base color of the Loess Plateau. But Lanzhou locals’ morning is chili red—a bowl of beef noodles, a spoonful of oil-splashed chili.

Signature Snacks

Lanzhou Beef Noodles

“One clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow”—clear broth, white radish, red chili, green garlic sprouts, yellow noodles. Noodles range from capillary-thin to extra-wide, eleven thicknesses to choose from. Authentic Lanzhou beef noodles emphasize “clear broth, yellow noodles,” not the red oily soup found elsewhere.

Hand-Grabbed Lamb

White-water boiled lamb ribs, no seasoning added. Dip in a bit of spiced salt, taste the lamb’s natural flavor. Dongxiang-style hand-grabbed lamb is the most famous. Pair with a bowl of Sanpaotai covered-bowl tea to cut the richness.

ShopAddressSpecialty
Mogouyan Old BrandNongmin AlleyBeef Noodles
Ma ZiluDazhong AlleyBeef Noodles
Pangmama Hand-GrabbedXiaoxihuHand-Grabbed Lamb

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