Qingyang (qìngyáng 庆阳) is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province (甘肃省). It is habitually called 'Long Dong' (lǒng dōng 陇东) because of its locality in eastern Gansu Province . It borders Shaanxi Province (shǎn xī shěng 陕西省) in the east and north in the neighborhood of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (níng xià huí zú zì zhì qū 宁夏回族自治区) in the west. Within the province, it is bounded on the south by Pingliang City (píng liáng 平凉).

 
Overview

Longnan has 1 urban district, 7 counties, and 146 towns with a total population of 2,548,000, only 310,000 of which are urban residents. The area is 27,119 km² with 200 square kilometres of forest and 530 square kilometres of grassland. Qingyang is well-known for its rich folk cultures. Traditional local Chinese art forms include shadow puppet theater, Qingyang sachet, paper cuts, needlework, folk music, and songs. The famous scenic spots in Qingyang include North Grotto Temple (běi shí kū sì 北石窟寺), Zhouzuling National Forest Park (zhōu zǔ líng sēn lín gōng yuán 周祖陵森林公园), and Twin Pagoda Temple (huá chí shuāng tǎ sì 华池双塔寺). |
 

History

Qingyang has an extremely long history. The first paleolith was discovered in Huachi County of the city. The Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC to 771 BC) developed and grew in Qingyang and then moved southward. It was during the Qin Dynasty (qín cháo 秦朝) (221BC-206BC) that shires and prefectures began to be set up in this region. On this land, the Qin Dynasty built the Great Wall, the Tang Dynasty (táng cháo 唐朝) built an imperial palace for short stays, the Jin Dynasty (jīn cháo 金朝) excavated the grottoes and the Ming Dynasty (míng cháo 明朝) erected stone memorial archways.

It was part of the area where the earliest cultures along the Yellow River developed and was part of the heartland of the Qin state that would eventually unite China. It was also an important place in the communistrevolution.
 

Geographic Features and Climate

Qingyang is in the lower middle part of the Yellow River on the loess plateau and is within the eastern Gansu basin. Elevation ranges from 885 to 2082 meters above sea-level. There are 5 major rivers in Qingyang including the Malian (mǎ lián hé 马莲河), Pu (pú hé 蒲河), Hong (hóng hé 洪河), Xilang (sì láng hé 四郎河), and Hulu (hú lú hé 葫芦河). Their combined annual flow is more than 800 million cubic meters.

Qingyang has a semi-dry continental climate with plenty of sunshine. Average temperature of the city is 7°C-10°C. Average annual precipitation is 480-660 mm, while average annual sunshine amounts to 2,250-2,600 hours. Enjoying a continental monsoon climate, the city features little rain with more evaporation along with low humidity. The rainfall is mainly concentrated around July to September.
 

Attractions

North Grotto Temple (běi shí kū sì 北石窟寺)
The North Grotto Temple is located in Sigouchuan at the intersecting point of the eastern banks of the Puhe and Ruhe rivers, 25 kilometers southwest of Xifeng District, Qingyang City, Gansu Province.

The North Grotto Temple, which is surrounded by green mountains at the back and clear waters at the front, locates itself on the reddish brown rock cliff with a length of 12 meters and a height of 20 meters. The temple is comprised of 295 temple-caves on the cliff from Northern Wei Dynasty, Northern Zhou Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty and Qing Dynasty and 2125 sculptures. The temple caves are so concentrated that they assembles a honeycomb of 20 meters high and 120 meters long, which constitutes the grotto with the most abundant contents in Longdong region. The sculpture and carving art that has lasted for more than 1,000 years is the mirror reflecting the intellectuality of the ancient people and leaves for us great spiritual fortunes.

The grotto comprises of three stories and among the caves the Number 165 created by Xi Kangsheng (xī kāng shēng 奚康生) is the biggest of all, which is a grand grotto with 7 Buddha as the content. The 7 Buddha is magnificently built and is with the flavor and charm of the Wei Dynasty. Accompanying the 7 Buddha, the statues of Mile Buddha, Riding Buddha, etc are all impressive masterpieces.

Location: 25 kilometers southwest of Xifeng District (xī fēng qū 西峰区), Qingyang City, Gansu Province
Tel: 0934-8212126
Opening Hours: 7: 30-18: 00
Transportation: Take a taxi in Xifeng, about CNY50 (round-trip fee)
Admission Fee: CNY15

Zhouzuling forest park (zhōu zǔ líng 周祖陵)

Zhouzuling Forest Park is famous for a tomb, Zhouzu Tomb, located in Dong Mountain in Yingyang County, which is a famous scenery of humanities as well as a natural scenery.

The forest park has Zhaozhou Ancestor Paifang (zhào zhōu shèng zǔ pái fāng 肇周圣祖牌坊), Zhouzu Palace (zhōu zǔ dà diàn 周祖大殿), Zhouzu Pavilion (zhōu zǔ líng ting 周祖陵亭), Zhouzu Stele Pavilion (zhōu zǔ bēi ting 周祖碑亭), Eight Diagram Pavilion (bā guà ting 八卦亭), 38 Emperor Temple, Stele Gallery, Lanfeng Pavilion, etc, 38 Temple integrates 38 emperors from Zhouwen King to Nan King, providing rich data for study and research of Zhou dynasty.

This scenic spot gets its name from the famous tomb on the top of the mountain. It is recorded that after Bu Jue, the ancestor of Zhou family resigned from his duty, he moved westward to settle down in Qingyang and created the splendid Chinese agriculture. Due to his huge contribution in this respect he was buried on this mountain.

Location: East Mountain in Xifeng District, Qingyang City
Tel: 0934-3229679
Opening Hours: 7:00-19:00
Transportation: It only takes 40 minutes from downtown Qingyang to Qingyang County. Then visitors can take a bus to the scenic spot.
Admission Fee: Free
Recommended visiting time: 2.5 hours
 

Specialty

The Perfumed Bags (xiāng bāo 香包)
In Qingyang, whether in shops, on the streets or in peasant homes in the countryside, everywhere perfumed bags in a dazzling array of colors and shapes can be found: lanterns with designs of phoenix, fish and dragon; embroidered balls, clusters of butterflies, babies of happiness and longevity, and the 12 animals that represent the 12 Earthly Branches which symbolize the year in which a person is born. In Qingyang, almost every family has the tradition of making perfumed bags and at each Dragon Boat Festival the local people exchange perfumed bags and wear them.

A perfumed bag is also called "a lotus bag." The history of making and wearing perfumed bags can be traced to the Warring States Period. During the Tang and Song dynasties, perfumed bags gradually became an accessory, especially for women, and by the Qing Dynasty perfumed bags became tokens of love. In modern times perfumed bags are used primarily as presents during the Dragon Boat Festival, their main function being to solicit happiness and to drive out evil spirits.

Perfumed bags have a long history in Qingyang, chiefly because there is a strong farming culture, where the men farm and the women weave. In addition to weaving and sewing, the women also create arts and crafts to enhance life and to present to others as token of friendship. Thus, perfumed bags came into existence and are now widely spread.

Noodles With Minced Meat (sào zǐ miàn 臊子面)
The Noodles with minced meat is a traditional food in Qingyang. It is also called "Whistling noodles" for it is too spicy, when people eat this food they apt to utter a kind of sound which resembles a whistle. This kind of noodles is very uniquely made and has a very long history. It is recorded that the noodles dates back to the wedding customs in the Ming Dynasty when the emperor Hongwu reigned. The noodles are long, thin, soft and easy to digest, thus making it favorable to both old and young people. The noodles can be divided into two categories due to the different types of soup materials, namely the Noodles with minced meat and the noodles with sour soup.
 

Transportation

By Air: Qingyang Airport is 8 km from the downtown, There are only there regular flight line in this airport, they are Qingyang to Lanzhou, Qingyang to XI’an and Qingyang to Tianjin.
By Bus: Because there is no railway station in Qingyang, the bus is the major tools for travel, there are two principle bus station in Qingyang, the West Xifeng Bus Station and East Xifeng Station.
The Qingcheng Passenger Transportation Station, Qingcheng Transportation Company
Address: No. 17 Beiguan
Telephone: 0934-3227545

Other Tips

Seat of the City Government: No.186, Changqing Beilu, Xifeng District
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0934-8212126
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184
Best Time to Visit: Summer and autumn are the most favorable seasons to travel Qingyang.