Pingliang Travel Guide
Population: 2,240,000
Area: 11,325 square kilometers (4,373 square miles)
Nationalities: Han
Administrative Division: 1district (Kongdong); 6 counties (Jingchuan, Lingtai, Chongxin, Huating, Zhuanglang, Jingning)
Seat of the city government: No.141, West Street, Kongdong District, Pingliang City
Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0933-4161376
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184
Bank of China Pingliang Branch: No17, West Street, Kongdong District, Pingliang City
China Post Pingliang Branch: No.43, Kongdong Road (East), Kongdong District, Pingliang City
Location: Standing in the east of Gansu Province, Pingliang neighbors Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the north and Shaanxi Province in the south and east, being an important pass linking the inner Gansu with the east region of China.
History: It was one of the headstreams of Chinese civilization that was inhabited by human ancestors 200-300 thousand years ago. As early as 3,000 years ago, cultivation culture had been created in this area. In the year of 358, the name of Pingliang was first used for a shire.
Physical Features: The city is located in the hill and ravine region on Loess Plateau having rivers, valleys, mountains, plains and tablelands. Decumbence of the Liupan Mountain parts the city into the east dry and mountainous region and the east ravine area within the drainage area of the Jinghe River.
Climatic Features: Pingliang bears a temperate semi-dry continental monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of 8.5C (47.3F). Its eastern area is warmer and wetter than the western. On the whole, the rainfall mainly concentrates during July to September.
When to Go: in spring and autumn
Special Local Products: apple, walnut
Scenic Spots:
Mount Kongdong is a branch of the Liupan Mountains, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Pingliang city proper. It was a mountain resort that combining the beauty of natural and historic landscapes. It was not only the ancestral mountain of Taoism, but also a religious site with coexistence of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism for over 1,500 years. It is endowed with typical Danxia Landform with strange rocks and caves scattered all over the mountain. Historic tracks and masterpieces by nature left in the mountain make it a famous national scenic area.
Other Scenic Spots: Queen Mother Palace Grottoes, Longquan Temple, Wulongshan Scenic Area, Yunya Temple Forest Park
Tourist Tips:
Pingliang has two principal bus stations. The west station is located in Gonglu Street, offering special line buses to the Kongdong Mountain. The east station is in No.68, Jiefang Road (North). Pingliang is about 350 kilometers (217 miles) from Lanzhou, and there are several buses in the bus stations daily shuttling between the two cities.