Welcome to Gansu & Qinghai Provinces !

Area : 450,000 square km                Area : 720,000 square km   
Population : 24.67 million               Population : 4.88 million
Capital : Lanzhou                               Capital : Xining

The localities covered are the followings : 

• Langmusi

• Xiahe

• Tongren

• Xining

• Zhangye

• Jiayuguan

• Dunhuang

• Lanzhou

Check the trains' schedules...

Average Temperatures (Celsius) for Lanzhou :

Rainfall : equal or superior to 50mm

Average Temperatures (Celsius) for Dunhuang :

Rainfall : dry all year round with a maximum of 12mm in July

The infamous travel insurance in Gansu ?

As the story goes, this is because a foreigner was once involved in a costly accident that the Gansu bus company now requires every foreigners to purchase an insurance. Whether or not you will receive any money if injured is unclear but at least the bus company will not have to pay anything, which is the objective of this scam.

This policy is not carried everywhere in Gansu. Basically, you will be requested to buy it at Lanzhou or Xiahe Bus Stations. If you do not have the insurance, you might in theory be refused the ticket or charged more.

In practice, you may have a few ways to avoid paying (in particular in Xiahe) :

• At the bus station, say "yes" when they ask you if you have an insurance (baoxian) and slowly take your own travel insurance out of your bag. By the time you show it, the chances are the ticket will already be ready. If they are not happy with your document, underline the word "Insurance" (they do not read English but the word "Insurance" is also written on the Chinese policy) and explain in whatever language that you are already covered and basta !

• If the above does not work, buy the ticket directly in the bus and negotiate hard if they want to charge you more. In rare cases, you might be refused access to the bus but if you arrive before the bus is full and play the role of the stubborn foreigners it should be OK.

If you have to take it, it basically cost 30Y for 14 to 20 days or 15Y for 7 days.

Be aware that Lanzhou West bus Station add 10Y handling fee on top of the 30Y for two weeks (no choice). On the contrary, it cost only 10Y for one week at the agency of the Friendship Hotel (Lanzhou Friendship Tours, tel 233 3051)

Also, check carefully that the dates correspond to your travel plans...