Wuwei, located on the historical Silk Road, is the first stop on the way from Lanzhou City to the Hexi Corridor (the corridor west of the Yellow River). Human beings have inhabited on this land since 7,000 years ago. With abundant historical recourses, the city is considered to be one of the most famous historical and cultural cities of China. For those Chinese history lovers, Wuwei may be their must-see. Going sightseeing in the city, you can visit the following areas:

Downtown Area 

 Leitai Han Tombs
 Confucian Temple

The downtown Wuwei has a history of more than 2,000 years. In the Han (206BC-220) and the Tang (618-907) dynasties, the military operations happened very frequently in western China. At that time, Dunhuang, Zhangye, Wuwei and Jiuquan were very important military bases, where the emperors often resorted to arms. In history, they four were called Hexi Si Jun (Hexi Four Counties).Due to the profound past, today you can find numerous historical and cultural relics in the city. The most famous ones include Leitai Han Tombs and Confucian Temple. Leitai Han Tombs, situated in the Leitai Park, comprise three main chambers of brick. In the tombs, the most famous find is the Bronze Galloping Horse. It's an amazing art work. Three of the horse feet raise high into the air. The only one foothold is on a flying swallow. Many people wonder how the horse keeps balance. The Confucian Temple, also called Wenmiao Temple, is the largest and best-preserved temple in Gansu Province dedicated to the great ancient educator Confucius.Near to the Confucian Temple is the Xixia Museum. The museum mainly exhibits the cultural relics of the Xixia Kingdom (1038-1277), set up by the ancient ethnic minority Dangxiang in Gansu, Ningxia and other regions in the northwest of China. In the museum, the most attractive exhibition is the Xixia Tablet. It's a stone tablet engraved with Xixia language and Chinese.

East of Wuwei

22 kilometers (about 14 miles) east of the city exits the largest desert park of China. It's a green pearl inlaid on the front edge of the Tengger Desert. Built up in 1986, the park shows visitors beautiful scenery of desert, grassland and gardens. The north of the park adjoins the Endangered Wild Animals Research Center and on its east is Changcheng Town (Great Wall Town). In the town, a lot of sites of Han or Ming Great Wall can be found.

Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County

Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County is administered by Wuwei City. There are many natural scenic spots well worth visiting, such as Tianzhu Small Three Gorges and Shimengou Grassland Park. The Tianzhu Small Three Gorges are famed for unique gorge landscape. It includes Zhuchaxia Gorge, Jinshaxia Gorge and Xianmingxia Gorge. Among them, the Zhuchaxia Gorge is the longest. The peaks there seem extraordinarily steep. Limpid stream flows through the gorge. And the pinetrees cover the gorge very densely. The Shimengou Grassland Park, as the name implies, is a park built on the basis of natural grassland. There, the sky is bluer and the grass is greener. Cattles enjoy the soft sunshine and eat grass with great relish. Everything there seems relaxed and comfortable.

Additionally, if time is not pressing, you can go to Tiantishan Grotto (also called Big Buddha Temple, Dafosi in Chinese) located 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the city, or Ruianbao (Ruian Manor) situated in Minqin County, Wuwei City. The grotto, made in Dongjin Period, lies on the lofty snow-caped Mt. Tiantishan. A big Buddha sits in the grotto against the mountain. It's the witness of Buddhism introduced through Wuwei to the inner land of ancient China. And Ruianbao, built in 1938, actually is a landlord's manor. It's one of the most unique and best-preserved manors of China.