Gansu

Introduction
Land
- Relief
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns
Economy
- Agriculture
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
History

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Ornate, multi-tiered pagoda-style minaret of a Chinese mosque in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, featuring intricate carvings and green tiled eaves against a cloudy sky.

At a Glance

Gansu summary

Related Questions

How did the Long March help expand Communist influence in Gansu?
How did the two branches of the Silk Road meet at Dunhuang?
How do Tibetan villagers in Gansu mark the beginning of spring planting?
How do village communities in Gansu celebrate the Lunar New Year and other seasonal festivals?
How does Gansu produce hydroelectric power from the Yellow River?
How does rainfall differ between western and southeastern Gansu?
How does the Yellow River shape the location of Lanzhou?
How is Gansu divided administratively into prefecture-level municipalities and autonomous prefectures?
What happened during the devastating 1920 earthquake in eastern Gansu?
What industries developed in Lanzhou after 1949?
What kinds of art can be found in the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang?
What kinds of manuscripts were found in the Mogao Caves library?
What landforms are found in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu?
What religious traditions do Tibetans and Monguors in Gansu follow?
What transportation routes connect Lanzhou with Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and other parts of China?
What was discovered in the sealed library at the Mogao Caves?
What were the effects of the Muslim rebellion in Gansu from 1862 to 1878?
When did people first live at the Dadiwan Neolithic site in eastern Gansu?
When did the People’s Liberation Army capture Lanzhou?
Where is Gansu province located in China?
Where is the westernmost gate of the Great Wall located in Gansu?
Which city is the capital of Gansu province?
Which crops are grown in the fertile Hexi Corridor?
Which famous travelers entered China through Gansu along Silk Road routes?
Which goods did camel caravans carry from China through Gansu on the Silk Road?
Which languages and writing systems are used by the Hui people in Gansu?
Which livestock are raised on Gansu’s grasslands and in the Hexi Corridor?
Which natural resources support Gansu’s industries?
Which regions and countries border Gansu province?
Which religions are practiced by Han Chinese in Gansu?
Who controlled Gansu during the 1920s and 1930s?
Why are hajjis respected in Hui communities in Gansu?
Why did Dunhuang decline as a trading center in the 20th century?
Why do many ethnic groups in Gansu use Chinese as a second language?
Why does Gansu have strong potential for solar and wind energy?
Why does agriculture in western Gansu depend on snowmelt from the Qilian Mountains?
Why has Gansu province been an important passageway between central China and the far west?
Why is Lanzhou an important manufacturing and transportation center in northwestern China?
Why is eastern Gansu especially vulnerable to earthquakes?
Why is navigation on the Yellow River in Gansu limited?
Why is soil erosion a serious problem on Gansu’s steep farmland?
Why is the Mogao Caves complex in Dunhuang historically important?
Why was Dunhuang an important town for foreign merchants entering China?
Why were the Mogao Caves named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987?
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?
What caused the Russo-Japanese War?
Where was the Russo-Japanese War fought?
How did the Russo-Japanese War end?
What is the climate in Guangzhou?
What UNESCO World Heritage site is found at the heart of Beijing?
What are the major ethnic groups in China?

Geography & Travel States & Other Subdivisions

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Gansu - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Gansu

province, China

Also known as: Kan-su, Kansu, Tangut

Written by

Victor C. Falkenheim

Emeritus Professor and Former Chairman, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Toronto. Editor of Citizens and Groups in Contemporary China.

Victor C. FalkenheimAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

Gansu, sheng (province), north-central and northwestern China. It is bordered by Mongolia to the north, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the northeast, the Hui Autonomous Region of Ningxia and the province of Shaanxi to the east, the provinces of Sichuan and Qinghai to the south and southwest, and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the west. A vital strategic pivot linking the centre of the country with the vast territory in the extreme...

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