Check out Lanzhou because it is more than noodles

Shops selling Lanzhou lamian (hand-pulled noodle), named after the capital city of Gansu province, are there in most cities in China.

The popularity of the noodle is such that it overshadows all other attributes of the city. But the local authorities are now trying to change that perception.

On Feb 28, a promotional event sponsored by Lanzhou municipal government was held in Beijing, where the authorities introduced 23 key cultural tourist attractions.

The city's districts including Chengguan, Qilihe, Honggu, Xigu and Yuzhong county are developing tourist resorts. And Shenjialing, a small mountainous village and a major battle site during China's War of Liberation in the late 1940s, has four cultural squares to show tourists the historical side of the place.

Yongdeng county has plenty of natural resources. It plans to develop Shuping geological park into a 4A scenery spot.

Theme parks have been built to attract visitors.

Another attraction is the kushui rose, a highland species that grow in a cold, arid environment.

Located at the southwest of Lanzhou city, Honggu district has also seen rapid development. It is home to 24 types of intangible cultural heritage at both the provincial and city level.

The local art center showcases traditional crafts, such as black pottery production that goes back over 4,600 years, and Honggu embroidery, originally developed in the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, which is still dominated by the colors red and green, reflecting the aesthetics of rural China.

The Honggu lantern show based on the Chinese character fu (happiness) is an eye-catching temple fair activity.

It is held in the middle of the first month of lunar calender on Yao Street. There, lamps, numbering 361, with the fu characters written on them are hung in 19 rows and columns, signifying Taoist gods guarding the place and bringing good luck.

A local resident surnamed Xu, 73, says that he has been enjoying the special red lanterns since childhood.

During the lantern show this year, it was discovered that the post-90s generation is also attracted by the traditional event. Some were found recording and sharing the experience through social media platforms.

In the past three years, Lanzhou has developed 179 cultural tourism attractions with a total investment amounting to 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion).

Domestic and foreign travelers made 67.2 million visits to Lanzhou last year, an increase of 24 percent compared to the previous year; and the total tourism revenue year on year experienced a 30 percent growth and reached 59.4 billion yuan.

Li Rongcan, the municipal Party secretary of Lanzhou, says that the municipal finance bureau will continue to spend around 50 million yuan every year to develop the local cultural tourism industry, until the total expenditure reaches 10 billion yuan.

Li says that Lanzhou now has many more opportunities than at any time in the past, and it is now aiming for high-quality development.

xuhaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn