The Most Formidable City in China Is in Gansu!
▲ A winding road leads to Wuwei, tracing the past and present of the "Gateway to the Silk Road." Photo/VCG
On one side, the Galloping Horse of Gansu; on the other, the ballads of Liangzhou.
In the vast Gobi of the Hexi Corridor, the earliest "quadruplet cities" sit side by side on the oasis. The easternmost one carries an imposing aura in its very name.
Those "Galloping Horse" statues standing in many tourist city stations, and those "Liangzhou Lyrics" frequently appearing in Tang poetry—this is their original home. Standing on this ancient land, one’s gaze is inevitably drawn deep into history.
▲ The grasslands of Wuwei nurtured the "Land of Heavenly Horses." Photo/VCG
Two thousand years ago, the young general Huo Qubing, at just nineteen, led troops twice into the Hexi Corridor, decisively defeating the Xiongnu. The former Guzang City of the Xiongnu’s Xiutu King was henceforth given a Han dynasty commandery name: Wuwei. Its meaning was straightforward—to showcase the "military might and prestige" of the Great Han Dynasty.
Thereafter, the northwestern frontier, including the Hexi Corridor, was designated as the Liangzhou Inspectorate due to its "constant cold and coolness," governing ten commanderies with its seat in Wuwei. The vast and majestic frontier scenery always inspired poets to express their heartfelt passions, writing under the name "Liangzhou" with fervent heroism.
▲ The boundless desert is likely the most familiar image of Wuwei to outsiders. Photo/VCG
So, is Wuwei just a battlefield of clashing weapons and the frontier with desert camel bells?
Yes, but not entirely. Crossing the Yellow River, as the first oasis in the vast Gobi, the convergence zone of the Qinghai-Tibet, Mongolian, and Loess Plateaus, and the transitional area between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, Wuwei is destined to be more complex.
▲ The Hongyashan Reservoir, built against the Hongya Mountain. Photo/VCG
The seat of the Liangzhou Inspectorate, the Liangzhou Grand Governor’s Office, and the Hexi Military Command; the "Capital of the Five Liang" during the Northern and Southern Dynasties; the largest city in the northwest after Chang’an; the political, economic, and cultural center of Hexi; a "provincial capital" for centuries—this is Wuwei of Gansu.
▲ Wuwei is the "Eastern Gateway" to the Hexi Corridor. Map/monk
The gateway to the Hexi Corridor, a transit point for merchant caravans, a trade hub for exchanging goods between East and West; a resting place for monks, missionaries, envoys, and artisans—this is Wuwei of the Silk Road.
A refuge for noble families from the Central Plains during turbulent times; a "melting pot" of culture and art; where Central Plains culture left its seeds, later nourishing the Sui and Tang dynasties; where Buddhist art blended with Chinese style, Confucian scholars retreated into seclusion, and the sounds of carving echoed in cliffside caves; where Mongols and Tibetans turned conflict into harmony, and Tibet pledged allegiance—this is Wuwei of China.
Wuwei to the left, Liangzhou to the right. These two names seem destined to shine brilliantly in the river of history.
Why was it the "Metropolis of Hexi"?
During the Han and Wei periods, the boundaries of Liangzhou roughly overlapped with today’s Gansu Province. As the seat of Liangzhou, Wuwei long served as the political center of Hexi.
Such an important city naturally did not emerge out of nowhere in the vast Gobi. Indeed, Wuwei differs from the common imagination of the Hexi desert. To the south lie towering mountains, to the north stretches the boundless desert, with the terrain gradually descending from south to north. In the middle lies a vast, flat corridor plain—a huge oasis with fertile soil, crisscrossed by rivers like the Shiyang, fed by meltwater from the Qilian Mountains. Here, agricultural activities and irrigation have flourished since ancient times.
▲ A reservoir in the mountain streams of Wuwei. Photo/VCG
"Liangzhou is not cold but a land of grain; Ganzhou is not dry but a wetland." This widely circulated folk rhyme in Zhangye and Wuwei fully demonstrates the developed oasis agriculture in the Wuwei region. "Golden Zhangye, Silver Wuwei"—the favorable conditions of abundant grain also made it one of the "Land of Abundance" in ancient China. As recorded in the "Xixia Shishi": "With Xiliang (Wuwei), Lingzhou's foundation is solidified. Moreover, its treasury accumulations are sufficient to supply military needs and regulate civilian food—truly a Land of Abundance."
However, among the four "brothers" of Hexi, the other three are also oasis cities irrigated by the meltwater of the Qilian Mountains. So how did Wuwei stand out?
▲ In Wuwei, grasslands beneath high mountains are everywhere—this is the hometown of "Liangzhou's mighty horses." Photo/VCG
Wuwei's eastern natural barrier, Wushaoling Ridge, boasts vast and fertile grasslands that nurture countless strong and agile steeds. "Liangzhou's mighty horses roam the world"—these horses were not only essential for farming and transportation but also crucial military equipment on the battlefield. The presence of cavalry and the quality of warhorses were key factors determining the outcome of wars. From the Han Dynasty to the Western Xia, "Liangzhou's livestock were the richest under heaven." Holding Wuwei ensured provisions and horses, greatly enhancing the ruler's economic and military strength.
▲ Beneath the snow-capped Wushaoling Ridge lies Wuwei's thriving animal husbandry. Photo/creator153476686038639, Figure/Tuchong Creative
Wuwei has a profound horse culture. The famous bronze galloping horse from the Leitai Han Tomb and the simultaneously excavated bronze chariot procession are testaments to Wuwei's status as the "Hometown of Heavenly Horses." Particularly the bronze galloping horse, soaring through the air with one hoof treading on a bird, seems frozen in its most dynamic moment. Unearthed two millennia later, it astonished the world and rightfully became Wuwei's most outstanding city emblem.
▲ Model of the bronze chariot procession, with the original unearthed from the Leitai Han Tomb. Photo/Guīyě Buddy, Figure/Tuchong Creative
Zooming out further, Wuwei is the hub and backbone of the inland northwest. To the west lies the Hexi Corridor, the essential route to the Western Regions; to the east are Guanzhong and the Central Plains; to the north is the Mongolian Plateau, home to the Xiongnu; and to the south is the Tibetan Plateau. Controlling Wuwei allowed proximity to Chang'an's influence, dominance over the Hexi Corridor, connection to the Western Regions, intimidation of the Xiongnu to the north, and deterrence of Tibetan Plateau tribes to the south. It offered vast strategic options in all directions—north, south, and west—granting significant strategic initiative.
▲ Rui'an Fort—Wuwei is also a military stronghold in the northwest. Photo/Zhou Zhaohui
Wuwei's rise as a Hexi metropolis was due partly to its geographical advantage and partly to "timing." During the late Western Han Dynasty, the Central Plains were in chaos, but Liangzhou, being remote, became an oasis of stability amidst the turmoil. As recorded in the "Book of the Later Han: Biography of Kong Fen": "At a time of great turmoil under heaven, only Hexi remained peaceful, and Guzang (Wuwei) was known as a wealthy city, facilitating trade with the Qiang and Hu peoples."
In the late Western Jin Dynasty, history repeated itself. The War of the Eight Princes was followed by the Uprising of the Five Barbarians, which brought devastation to the Central Plains. However, under the rule of the Zhang Gui father and son, Liangzhou remained prosperous and stable, becoming the safest region in the north. People from the Central Plains flocked there for refuge. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Former Liang, Later Liang, Southern Liang, Northern Liang, and the early Tang's Great Liang all established their capitals here, earning Wuwei the reputation of "Capital of the Five Liang."
▲ Wuwei Confucian Temple, adorned with plaques from various dynasties. Photo/I Am Sandan, Figure/Tuchong Creative
Half of Liangzhou's history lies in Wuwei. Wuwei's central status continued into the Western Xia period, serving as its secondary capital, second only to the capital Xingqing Prefecture. Even during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when Gansu's political center shifted, Wuwei remained the cultural hub of Hexi. The Wuwei Confucian Temple, built in the Ming Dynasty, is the third-largest Confucian temple in China and holds the title of "Foremost Academy of Longyou."
As the "Metropolis of Hexi," controlling east-west passage, Wuwei is also a microcosm of ancient Liangzhou and modern Gansu's strategic position in China. During the Han-Tang Silk Road era, it was the "Throat of Trade," a frontline of openness to the outside world, witnessing centuries of prosperous and unimpeded economic and cultural exchanges between China and the West.
Why was it the "Throat of Trade"?
Starting from the Han-Tang capital Chang'an, following the Wei River upstream, passing Baoji and Tianshui, crossing the Yellow River out of Lanzhou, Wuwei was the first major town entering the Hexi Corridor.
Wuwei and Dunhuang are the "Eastern Gate" and "Western Gate" of the Hexi Corridor, respectively. The Silk Road had four routes east of the corridor, which converged into one at Wuwei, ran through Zhangye and Jiuquan, and split into three again at Dunhuang—the Northern, Central, and Southern Routes—leading to the Western Regions.
▲ Wuwei's South Gate City—passing through here feels like traversing back to the Han and Tang dynasties. Photo/Gats, Figure/Tuchong Creative
Wuwei was undoubtedly a strategic hub on the Silk Road, a metropolis where Western Regions merchants gathered and a transit point for long-distance trade. Like the Tang capital Chang'an, it was a vital center for openness and commercial prosperity. Central Plains silk and tea, along with various exotic goods from the Western Regions, were commonplace in Wuwei. Ethnic groups with foreign features—Qiang, Kucha, Sogdian, Tibetan, Khotan, Tocharian, Uighur, Turkic, and others—all once thrived in business here.
Along with trade prosperity came envoys, missionaries, monks, artisans, and other groups from the Western Regions, following the merchants.
▲ At Kumorajiva Temple, the Kumorajiva Pagoda stands silently. / VCG
Kumorajiva, a great monk who promoted Buddhism, was captured by Fu Jian and taken to Wuwei. Despite frequent changes in the Hexi regime, he remained trapped there for seventeen years. However, he did not succumb to despair. The Liangzhou soldiers guarding him became his first audience for spreading Buddhist teachings. Through interactions with these soldiers, Kumorajiva learned Chinese dialects and gained an understanding of Han culture, laying the foundation for his later translation of Buddhist scriptures in Chang'an. The well-known "Heart Sutra" and "Diamond Sutra" are both derived from Kumorajiva's translations.
▲ The Silk Road was also a path through which Buddhist grottoes spread eastward. / Designed by Wang Yue and Monk
As Buddhism entered the Central Plains, the Hexi Corridor served as a crucial transitional zone, facilitating its initial integration with Han culture. During the turbulent Northern and Southern Dynasties, Wuwei was once the Buddhist center of northern China. The Tiantishan Grottoes, excavated under the direction of Wuwei native monk Tan Yao, are among the earliest grottoes in China. Due to their proximity to the capital, the "Liangzhou style" of Buddhist grottoes represented by Tiantishan had far greater influence than the Mogao Grottoes at the time.
▲ A Buddha statue at Tiantishan "observing in the dark." / VCG
In Wuwei, Buddha statues took the first step toward integrating with Chinese artistic styles. Later, the Northern Wei Dynasty captured Tan Yao and other Wuwei monks from Liangzhou to excavate the earliest sections of the Yungang Grottoes. Moreover, the "Liangzhou style" influenced the Mogao Grottoes to the west and the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, and others to the east. It is no exaggeration to call the Tiantishan Grottoes the "origin of grottoes" in the Central Plains.
Hundreds of years after the ancient Silk Road was cut off, Wuwei remains a vital hub on the new Silk Road Economic Belt. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang and Ganwu railways, G30 Expressway, Jinwu Expressway, and G312 National Highway run through its territory. In 2006, the Wushaoling Tunnel, one of China's longest railway tunnels on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang line, was completed and opened to traffic, directly crossing natural barriers and ultimately eliminating the "bottleneck" on the Eurasian Land Bridge corridor.
▲ The mountain-crossing highways are modern silk roads in Wuwei. / VCG
In 2014, Gansu Province's first China-Europe freight train, the "Tianma," departed from Wuwei and arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Since then, Wuwei South Station, as the largest freight marshaling station in Gansu, has become the departure point for almost all of Gansu's China-Europe freight trains. As an international land port vigorously developed by Gansu, Wuwei is reclaiming its position at the forefront of opening up to the west.
▲ The railways passing through Wuwei are the engines extending the modern Silk Road. / VCG
It is precisely its location at the "crossroads of the world" and the commercial and cultural exchanges brought by the Silk Road that have made Wuwei China's Wuwei—a "protective barrier for the nation." It has witnessed many major events that influenced the course of history. Religions, ethnic groups, cultures, and arts from various places continuously interact in Wuwei, and the outcomes of these interactions define what China is today.
A Small "Lever" Moves Great History
For over a thousand years, Wuwei was alternately ruled by Central Plains dynasties and nomadic peoples. However, regardless of the ruler or the changes in dynasties, the consistent themes here have been the reverence for culture, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Liangzhou Ci | Wuwei: Cultural and Prestigious
During the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Central Plains were in turmoil, and culture suffered severe destruction. "In the Qin River, blood reaches the wrists; only Liangzhou stands firm and observes." In the relatively stable Liangzhou, Wuwei became the preferred destination for northern aristocratic families fleeing war and a sanctuary for Confucianism. Although the rulers during this period were mostly ethnic minorities, they consistently treated literati and Confucian scholars well to consolidate their rule. Thus, ethnic minority cultures and Central Plains Han culture quietly converged, interconnected, and influenced each other.
▲ Various precious cultural relics unearthed in Wuwei. / Designed by Naifu
Wuwei not only preserved the spark of Central Plains culture but also creatively developed it. Confucian scholars from Hexi, represented by the three generations of masters and disciples—Guo He, Guo Yu, and Liu Bing—nurtured the main lineage of Hexi Confucianism, which later feedback into the Central Plains and became the cultural foundation of the Sui and Tang empires.
During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Liangzhou fulfilled the imaginations of many poets about the frontier.
▲ Under the "Silver Wuwei," the gates of Liangzhou are bustling. / Photo by Li Wenbo
"Liangzhou Ci" was originally a Liangzhou melody that spread to the Central Plains through sung poetry and became a popular tune during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Among the nearly 2,000 frontier poems in the "Complete Tang Poems," over 100 are titled "Liangzhou Ci" or set against the backdrop of Liangzhou. Their tones are either majestic and bold or romantic and tragic, representing the most profound, imaginative, and artistically advanced portion of frontier poetry.
Wang Han expressed his own sentiments by borrowing the "antiquity" of the Han Dynasty—
"Don't laugh if we lie drunk on the battlefield, how many soldiers ever return from war?"
Wang Zhihuan depicted a classic frontier scenery—
"Why should the Qiang flute complain about the willow trees? The spring breeze never passes beyond the Yumen Pass."
▲ Tiantang Temple, the foremost of the fourteen temples in Tianzhu County. Photo by Zhou Zhaohui
Besides Han culture, Wuwei was also a frontier for the spread of Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism. Haizang Temple is known as the "Foremost Buddhist Palace in Hexi," the most complete ancient temple sanctuary in the Hexi region. Meanwhile, Tiantang Temple, initially built in the early Tang Dynasty, houses the world's largest wooden seated statue of Master Tsongkhapa in its Thousand Buddha Hall.
Liangzhou Alliance | No More Marriage Alliances, but Peace Talks
Going back over a thousand years, Wuwei, which borders the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and serves as the gateway to the Central Plains, was the stage for complex dramas of alliance and conflict between the Central Plains dynasties and the plateau ethnic groups.
▲ White Pagodas are symbols of Tibetan life in Wuwei. Photo/VCG
While many know about Princess Wencheng's marriage to Songtsen Gampo, few are aware that just a year before Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, another princess, Honghua, married the Tuyuhun Khan, marking the beginning of Tang princesses marrying foreign rulers. After the Tibetan Empire destroyed Tuyuhun, Princess Honghua moved to Wuwei, where she lived out the rest of her life.
Promoting friendship and unity through marriage alliances rarely occurred after the Tang Dynasty. So how were relations between the two sides resolved thereafter? Again, in Wuwei, the 1247 Liangzhou Alliance finally formally incorporated Tibet into Chinese territory.
▲ Baita Temple, the site of the Liangzhou Alliance. Photo/VCG
The Mongol army destroyed the Western Xia, occupied Hexi, and the leader, Köden, invited Sakya Pandita, the leader of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, to Liangzhou for peace talks. The two sides eventually formed an alliance at Baita Temple: Tibet submitted to the Mongols, and the Sakya school was appointed to administer the region.
From then on, the Mongols could move south unimpeded to conquer Dali, strategically encircling the Southern Song Dynasty. The Sakya school also gained Mongol support and once became the largest sect on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Phagpa, who succeeded Sakya Pandita as the Sakya leader, became the first Imperial Preceptor of the Yuan Dynasty.
▲ The colorful Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County. Photo/VCG
Shedding its historical brilliance and stepping into modernity, Wuwei, like the entire Hexi region, has quieted down. The shift in political and economic focus has inevitably reduced the bustling activity here. However, beyond the ancient gaze, today's Wuwei belongs to its 1.46 million residents.
Liangzhou District is one of only two counties in Gansu with a population exceeding one million. Unlike Lanzhou's rugged, mountainous terrain, Liangzhou City is exceptionally flat, so despite its large population, it never feels crowded. Walking along the broad Tianma Avenue and Liangdu Avenue, and ascending the "Tianma Eye" in Liangzhou Botanical Garden—the fifth tallest Ferris wheel in China and the tallest in western China—one can take in the views of Liangzhou.
▲ The flat street scene of a Hexi city. Photo/VCG
Besides the botanical garden, the shimmering Tianma Lake and the lush wetland park are popular leisure spots for Wuwei residents. If hunger strikes, Liangzhou Market and Beiguan Market are bustling places for eating and drinking. Dining in Wuwei offers a taste of the substantial and hearty Northwestern cuisine.
Wuwei's "fast food" is the "Three-Cart Set," consisting of Liangzhou walking noodles, cured meat, and rock sugar round jujube Fu brick tea. Noodles, meat, and tea are all indispensable. The chewy noodles paired with rich broth are refreshing and flavorful, the cured meat is fatty but not greasy, and the tea is sweet and thirst-quenching. No wonder in Wuwei, no outside fast-food brand can compete with the local specialty—the "Three-Cart Set" is all you need.
▲ Besides the "Troika", there is also Minqin handmade alkaline noodles. Photo by Zhou Zhaohui
Liangzhou's "sandwich" is roujiamo. Slices of cured meat and shredded pork belly are stuffed into Gao Zhuang steamed buns, making a hearty cured meat bun; Liangzhou mooncakes and Liangzhou liangfen sliced into large thin pieces also appear exceptionally bold. In addition, there are stir-fried boyu, mianpizi, sha rice noodles, and zhuanbaidao, all purely Liangzhou flavors.
▲ Substantial Wuwei mooncake. Photo by Zhou Zhaohui
Since Zhang Qian brought grape seeds from his mission to the Western Regions, this land has been a paradise for melons and fruits. Minqin honeydew melons are just as sweet as Xinjiang's fruits, and grapevines can be seen everywhere, brewing a "city of wine," fitting the famous line: "Fine wine of the grape, cups of jade that glow by night."
▲ Minqin honeydew melons, sweetening the entire nation. Photo by fan
Many tourists can traverse the Hexi Corridor but cannot withstand the "Hexi Bar Corridor." Every Wuwei person, in their past life, was probably a general from "Liangzhou Ci" lying drunk on the battlefield. "Wuwei people have a strange temper, drinking from big bowls without eating dishes." Wuwei people who love drinking rarely go to bars; they prefer tea houses—this is the Jianghu of Wuwei people. Wuwei tea houses have four essential elements: tea, alcohol, meat, and cards, with alcohol being indispensable. Wuwei people also enjoy "passing cloudy days," gathering for fun and chatting idly on overcast days, and they can also listen to the soothing Liangzhou xianxiao storytelling.
▲ Roast whole lamb—Wuwei people cannot do without alcohol, nor without meat. Photo by Zhou Zhaohui
In the blink of an eye, a millennium has passed. Wuwei is still Wuwei, but Wuwei is more than just Wuwei.
Wuwei's past life was the springboard of the Han and Tang "land routes"; today, Wuwei remains an important node on the Asia-Europe Silk Road Economic Belt. Wuwei's past life was a melting pot witnessing ethnic exchange and integration; today, it is a multi-ethnic settlement inhabited by Han, Tibetan, Hui, Mongolian, and 38 other ethnic groups. Wuwei's past life was the dream of Liangzhou, "a solitary city amid towering mountains"; today, it remains a historical city承载着 profound cultural imagination.
The warhorse raising its head and neighing, the Buddha lowering its eyes in silence—Wuwei's voice is both war and peace; the powerful and stirring poetry, the sweet and juicy fruits—Wuwei's hope is both striving and ease.
▲ Modern Wuwei in the park still inspires countless imaginations. Photo by VCG
— Click the image below to explore Gansu with Fengwu Jun —
Give it a "like" to show your support for Wuwei!