Live Your Best Lives
After falling in love with traveling, I especially love small towns.
Personally, I find small towns more appealing, sparking a desire to explore. Just like what Teresa Teng sang, "Small towns have many stories, filled with joy and happiness. If you visit a small town, you'll gain a lot."
What kind of city is considered "small"? In my definition, all cities except provincial capitals are considered small.
For example, Tianshui , a small city located more than 300 kilometers away from Lanzhou . If Baiyin interprets the ruggedness of Gansu, Longnan interprets the gentleness and softness of Gansu to the extreme, then Tianshui has both, integrating both ruggedness and delicacy into one.
Tianshuicheck the details
Tianshui, located in the southeast of Gansu Province, is a national historical and cultural city. There are 169 national, provincial and municipal key protected cultural relics in the area, including the Dadiwan Ruins, Tianshui Fuxi Temple and Maijishan Grottoes.
6592 recommendations, 5829 visits
"Tianshui means water coming from the sky." Such a small town makes people want to go there alone even in the hot summer.
On the day of departure, take the bullet train from Lanzhou West Railway Station to Tianshui South Station, which takes about one and a half hours to arrive. It is best to depart early (D8924/G866 is recommended) so that you can arrive before the breakfast stalls in Tianshui city close.
This is my travel routine. When I go to a new city, I must find a breakfast shop frequented by locals, blend in with them, and enjoy breakfast.
Read on and spend 12 hours with me in Tianshui!
This is the old city of Tianshui - Qinzhou District. The trees on both sides of the streets are very tall, including many century-old trees. Walking on such streets will make you feel relaxed and comfortable.
Continue walking in the direction the locals come and you will find a vegetable market with a strong sense of local life.
Visiting a market is a fantastic way to experience city life! Firstly, it's a down-to-earth experience, and secondly, it allows you to learn about the locals' daily diets. Small-town markets are particularly fascinating, with open-air stalls of all sizes showcasing the vibrant life.
Walking briskly into the market, the peaches stacked on the street are dazzling, even more pleasing than peach soda. The vendors bring the peaches fresh early in the morning, then spray them with a thin layer of mist. The crystal-clear water droplets cling to the fuzzy surface, making you unable to move your feet, eager to buy ten pounds.
Living in Tianshui, you'll never be short of fruit once spring arrives. Cherries arrive in May, Qin'an peaches start to hit the market in June, and even before midsummer arrives, the market is already overflowing with imported sweet potatoes. This sweet summer is sure to make you gain a few pounds!
If people in Lanzhou start their day with a bowl of beef noodles, people in Tianshui restart their day with the aroma of gua gua.
Regardless of the shop, whether it's Guagua, Ranran, or Ganmianpi, each is roughly four yuan a bowl, and the portions are generous. The flavors themselves aren't all that different, with the sour, spicy flavor of sesame paste, chili peppers, and garlic water serving as the main tones. It's just the different ingredients that create the biggest difference in texture.
According to legend, Gua Gua was originally a royal food in ancient times, and later spread to the people. It has to be admitted that this food made from buckwheat starch does occupy a place in the breakfast world of Tianshui.
▲ The bowl on the top is Guagua, the one on the bottom left is Ranran, and the one on the bottom right is rolled noodles
▲Guagua, Ranran, and Lao Lao all use these seasonings
Gangu Chili Noodles
This kind of chili powder is very famous in Gansu. The color of the chili powder is bright and it is very suitable for making toppings for oil-splashed chili and Tianshui Guagua.
After refining the hot oil, pour it into the chili powder. You can smell the mouth-watering aroma while stirring. It is best to sprinkle some sesame seeds on it. The red color in Lanzhou beef noodles also needs it to enhance the flavor.
Hu's Ancient Residence (South House)
📍Address : No. 117, Minzhu West Road
Free admission with ID card
Opening hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Visiting time: 1-2 hours
After eating Tianshui Gua Gua, we followed the map to the Hu Family Residence (commonly known as Nanzhaizi). In the mouth of the old Tianshui people, this ancient residence has another name - Under the Big Locust Tree. It got its name because there is a big locust tree that has grown for five or six hundred years at the door of the residence. It takes three people holding hands to hug the tree. In the hot summer, this place is the best place to cool off.
The founders of the South and North Houses were Hu Laijin and Hu Xin, both prominent officials during the Ming Dynasty. Locals in the same county hailed them as "father and son, local sages." Around the 36th year of the Wanli reign, the South House was established, and seven years later, the North House took root across the street. Both residences embody the classic Siheyuan style, but their northwest location distinguishes them from Beijing's traditional Siheyuan.
The South House covers an area of 5,000 square meters and contains 14 courtyards of various sizes. It perfectly preserves the layout and style of residential buildings from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. It is best to hire a tour guide to guide you through the house one by one, otherwise you will only be able to take a quick look at such a large house and have no idea what it means.
Enter from the main gate of the South House and go through the small door on the left to reach the Trumpet Creeper Courtyard. There is a large cluster of trumpet creepers in full bloom in the courtyard. My friend who was traveling with me was very happy to see the flowers. She said that Shu Ting once said this in "To the Oak Tree", "If I love you, I will never be like the climbing trumpet creeper, using your high branches to show off myself."
There are not only trumpet creepers, but also red pomegranate flowers and magnolias in full bloom in the house in midsummer, creating a unique scene.
The courtyards are connected by corridors, and the eaves provide shade and shelter from the rain. Walking along the winding paths within the courtyard is very cool and comfortable. The buildings are staggered and it is difficult to tell where you are. The scenery of the four seasons is particularly attractive.
Arriving at the main hall, there is a very secluded academy next to it. Turning another corner, you can reach the chess courtyard, which is full of music, chess, calligraphy and painting. The garden landscape in each courtyard has its own merits, which can be said to be "a scene in every step, and a scene in every place".
Going around to the back of the house, you can take a look at the embroidery building where the young lady of the ancient Qinzhou family lived. This boudoir is hidden on the upper floor of a two-story building, and the lower floor is the residence of the maids. There is a hanging basket in the young lady's room that can reach the maid's room for transporting items.
After visiting the South House, cross the road to reach the North House. The South and North Houses were originally connected by an underground passage, but this passage is currently under maintenance and is not open to tourists.
The extant North House is much smaller than the South House. Its door plaque reads "Tai Chang Di," a reference to the official rank of its owner. The North House is also a typical Ming Dynasty official residence, with a square layout and simple decoration, reflecting the strict etiquette of hierarchy.
There are also rich works of calligraphy masters in this courtyard. When Jiang Zemin came to Tianshui in 1992, he also left the four words "Hometown of Emperor Xi", which shows the historical and cultural heritage of Tianshui.
Tianshui holds a grand ceremony to worship the Chinese ancestors every year. The scene is very grand and many compatriots from home and abroad will rush here to participate in the event.
Reception Building
📍Address : No. 24, Minzhu West Road
Average consumption per person: 40+
About 50 meters from Beizhaizi, you'll see a large sign that reads "Yingbinlou." This restaurant is a long-established establishment, quite large, with three floors: the main floor is for dining, and the upper two floors are primarily private dining rooms. The restaurant's menu is distinctly Qinzhou-style, featuring many traditional dishes but also incorporating modern innovations.
I recommend everyone to order the Jiangshui hot pot, the rich pomegranate buns, and the Tianshui old tofu.
Jiangshui is a sour water fermented from vegetables such as celery, lotus leaves, and wild vegetables. In summer, some people in Gansu like to make Jiangshui noodles. After the noodles are cooked, they are taken out and put into the Jiangshui, and then stir-fried with some chopped green onions and dried chilies, and a handful of coriander. This bowl of noodles can really cool you down.
▲ Jiangshui hot pot
Tianshui Lao Doufu is a cold dish with a refreshing taste. The most amazing thing is the Fugui Pomegranate Bun, with a golden and crispy crust sprinkled with leisha. The filling is stir-fried diced lamb and red and green bell peppers, then tied with kelp into a pomegranate shape. One bite is full of aftertaste. If you're not in a crowd, I recommend ordering a half portion (6 pieces) to avoid being too greasy.
The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, the Mati Temple in Zhangye, the Yulin Grottoes in Guazhou, the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui... These grottoes are all influential Buddhist sites in the Hexi Corridor. They are all carved into the cliffs, but in terms of mountain height and steepness, the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui and the Mati Temple in Zhangye are the steepest.
Maiji Mountain, originally a solitary peak within the Xiaolong Mountains of the western Qinling Mountains, earned its name from its resemblance to a pile of wheat in a farmer's field. More strictly speaking, Maiji Mountain is formed by the confluence of the Qinling, Helan, and Min Mountains. Its warm and humid climate allows trees to flourish here, resulting in a lush, verdant landscape that is truly a delight to the eyes.
There are 221 existing caves in Maiji Mountain, divided primarily into the East and West Cliffs. Standing at the foot of the mountain, the opposite cliff is nearly vertical, dotted with caves of varying sizes. The main connection between the two cliffs is a plank road built over the air, and even before ascending, your legs feel weak.
How did ancient craftsmen carve caves on this cliff without cranes or elevators? This is a question worth pondering.
The Maijishan Grottoes were excavated during the Later Qin Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,600 years. Their most prosperous period was the hundreds of years from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty. During the Western Wei Dynasty, the Maijishan Grottoes were closely connected with the royal family of the Western Wei Dynasty. However, judging from the total number of grottoes, most of the Maijishan Grottoes were excavated by merchants and ordinary people.
During your visit, you'll see numerous smaller caves, many of which were built with funds from local residents. Because they were largely privately excavated, the Buddha statues within them are more diverse and, in layman's terms, more down-to-earth. The most striking are the three Great Buddhas of the West Cliff (Cave 98), but most of the caves are locked away, so you can't see them without a special cave ticket.
The walk from the scenic area's main gate to the grotto entrance takes over half an hour, along a mountain road shaded by trees on either side. Passing stalls selling souvenirs and local snacks, you reach the base of the grottoes. Climbing the pre-installed steel ladder, each step has a hollowed-out connection. Stepping onto a step and peering down is enough to break out in a cold sweat.
Tips:
Many people get discouraged halfway up and want to turn back, but the ladder is narrow and if you want to go down, someone else is climbing up, which can easily lead to danger. You have no choice but to keep going up. If you are afraid of heights, I really don't recommend coming here.
Adult ticket 90 yuan/person
How to buy tickets
❶You can buy tickets directly at the ticket window of the scenic spot, but it only supports cash payment, not WeChat/Alipay payment, and there are only three ticket windows, which is not convenient and fast enough;
Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Visiting time: 3-4 hours
❶ After entering the scenic area through the gate, it takes more than half an hour to walk to the bottom of the grottoes. If you don't want to walk, you can take the scenic area battery car (8 yuan/person, one-way; 15 yuan/person, round-trip). After getting off the battery car, you still need to walk for about ten minutes to reach the bottom of the grottoes. It is important to note that the grottoes will be closed at 5 pm and the caves will be cleaned at that time, so grasp the time;
❷Do you want to hire a tour guide?
If you've ever been to the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, you'll realize how important it is to have a guide to understand the murals and history of the grottoes! It's really necessary to hire a guide!
As soon as you get off the electric car, you will see many tour guides soliciting customers. It is not recommended to hire such tour guides, as they cannot take you into the caves. It is recommended that you hire a tour guide at the last ticket gate entering the caves. They can follow you into the caves, climb the ladder with you, and explain everything to you one by one. The price is also 50 yuan for 5-10 people. You can get together as a group and then split the bill. It will only cost about ten yuan per person, which is very cost-effective.
❸The stairs to the Maijishan Grottoes are quite steep, so it is not recommended for the elderly, especially those who are afraid of heights.
How to get to Maijishan Grottoes from Tianshui City? There are three options.
❶Take bus No. 5 at Qinzhou Bus Terminal (fare: 10 yuan/person), but this bus stops running at 2:30 pm;
❷You can go to Tianshui Railway Station and take bus No. 34 (5 yuan per person), which runs until 6:30 pm;
❸When taking a taxi in Qinzhou District, the driver will charge 160 yuan, but you can bargain with him to reduce the price to 130 yuan.
These three options depend on your own time. I suggest that you set out for Maijishan Grottoes in the morning to avoid a lot of inconvenience.
The Maijishan Grottoes area is currently undergoing construction on a substantial visitor center, and several sections of the road from the city center to Maijishan are undergoing renovation. Driving there is dusty and extremely bumpy, taking nearly an hour and a half. Especially in the summer, it's cooler to start in the morning.
A day in Tianshui ended in the sunset. When we went there, there were still 171 days left for Tianshui to get out of poverty. You can also go to Nanzhaizi here to see the trumpet creepers and climb the Maijishan Grottoes to admire the difficulties of the ancients. It is better to come as early as possible and contribute to the development of Tianshui before it gets out of poverty!
If you think that just going to Tianshui is not enough, I would like to recommend the following route to you:
This route goes from Gansu to Ningxia, where you'll experience the powerful influence of Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and other faiths. You'll also see the mists of Maiji Mountain, bravely climb Kongtong Mountain, and enjoy Shapotou. There are too many highlights to mention, so you must experience them yourself! ! !
