Linxia Travel Guide

Situated at southwest central Gansu Province, China on the upper reaches of Yellow River, Línxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture is a canter of Muslim culture in China. Covering an area of 8,169 km², Linxia has a population of 1,946,677 composed of Han, Hui, Dongxiang, Salar, and Bonan, among which the minority ethnic groups takes over 56%.
 

History

Linxia, called Hezhou in ancient times, was a strategic town on southern Silk Road, Tang-Tibet Road and Tea-Horse Trade. It played an important role between Tibet and Central China relationship. The Tea Horse Trade in this area could be traced back to Tang Dynasty and people from central China and Tibet took what they need from here. The trade flourished in Ming Dynasty and Hezhou Tea Horse Department was one of the four famous departments. The city, being one of the only two Hui autonomous prefectures in China, was set up in 1956.
 

Attractions

The numerous mosques and Islamic mausoleums in Linxia are worth for a visit. Binglingsi Grottos is a hot attraction along the ancient Silk Road packed with engraved Buddhist sculptures. Liujiaxia Dam is the largest inland reservoir in Northwest China. Nanguan Mosque built in the Yuan Dynasty is one of the famous Islamic shrines in northwest China.

Beside the attractions, Linxia also has several exotic folk customs. Linxia is renowned as a hometown of Hezhou Hua'er which is a type of folk song popular among the ethnic minorities.
 

Transportation

There is no airport or railway and bus is the only way to get in and out to Linxia. Lanzhou, 150 km from Linxia, is an ideal transfer to the area. There are three bus stations in Linxia City.

The South Bus Station is located at Jiefang South Road. There are buses to Lanzhou, Xiahe, Hezuo, Kangle, and Hezheng within Gansu province as well as Xining in the neighboring Qinghai.

The West Bus Station outside the West Gate operates buses to major cities in Gansu and Xining in Qinghai.

City Transport: The No.1 Bus runs through the city and connects the two bus stations. The flag fall price for a taxi is CNY3 and you can get to most destinations within CNY3 since the city is small.
 

Weather

Linxia has a semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons and moderate temperature. The year's average temperature is 6.3°C(43.3°F) and the annual precipitation of only 537 mm. Summer is comfortable and refreshing due to the high altitude.
 

Food and Restaurants

Most of the restaurants in Linxia serve Islamic food which takes baked bread products as staple. The beef and mutton is very famous and delicious. Mutton Fazi and Eight-treasure tea is the most favorite food in Linxia.

Red Park Café near the Red Park with a sleek modern look serves coffee, tea, bubble tea, and waffles.
 

Shopping

Local products include antique pottery, embroidery and other handcrafts. The central business district located north of the Daxia River contains the city's more upscale shopping and entertainment precincts. Antique Market along one of the main streets has locally made bronze teapots, Tibetan metal and porcelains.
 

Accommodation

Accommodation in Linxia is cheap with many options.

Recommended Hotels in Linxia
Linxia Hotel Hongyuan Road
Address: No.9 Hongyuan Road

Huanyue Hotel
Address: No.25 Minzhu East Road

Hehai Mansion
Address: No.50 Hongyuan Road
 

Travel Tips

1. Be carful the antique market has real and fake antiques.
2. June to August is the best time to travel to Linxia.
3. Bank of China located at No.57, Jiefang Road offers currency exchange.
4. The post office is at No.8, Minzhu Dong Lu.
5. Respect the habits of local Muslim people