Northwest China attractions

Xian's Drum Tower (Gulou), built during the Ming Dynasty, is set across from the equally ancient Bell Tower in the heart of the Old City. The structure's original purpose was to keep time, with its drums beaten each evening to mark sunset; sunrise was marked with the tolling of bells in the Bell Tower.

One of Xi'an’s newest attractions, the Xian Museum, stands nearby one of its oldest, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built around 707. The 15-tiered stone structure has witnessed centuries of history—a history on display in its neighboring museum through a collection of archaeological pieces, jade ornaments, calligraphy, and Buddhist art.

Xian’s Muslim Quarter, also sometimes known as Muslim Street, is home to the majority of the Muslim Hui minority ethnic group. This community comprises descendants of Silk Road traders who eventually settled in Xian to form a tight-knit community that endures to this day. Visitors will find about 10 mosques in the area, as well as a lively food market and street food scene.

The Pingshan Grand Canyon, located in Gansu province in the Gobi Desert, is something to behold. You can see different shades of red and yellow rock representing the different periods in which the canyon developed. There’s a stone forest, gullies, and mazes to explore, plus the annual Obo Festival, which celebrates Mongolian sporting culture, including archery, wrestling, and horse racing.

The Yellow River (Huang He) is massive, but it’s only China’s second-longest river after the Yangtze. Its color comes from yellow sediment in the water from the Loess Plateau. Before it was damned, it flooded regularly, taking lives along with the floods and earning the nickname China's Sorrow. The river water is now crucial for farming in several parts of China.

Also known as Guangren Lama Temple, Guangren Temple is the only Tibetan Buddhist temple in Shaanxi province. It dates back to the early 18th century but was extensively rebuilt during the 20th century. The 3-acre (1.3-hectare) area encompasses a multitude of halls and shrines, as well as a vast spirit wall and an ancient bodhi tree.

Close to the towering South Gate (Yongningmen) of the Xian City Wall, Shuyuanmen Pedestrian Street is a pedestrianized lane that’s tailor-made for souvenir shopping. Head here for traditional arts and crafts, as well as Chinese signatures from jade to chopsticks, from teapots to calligraphy. The historic-looking buildings are reconstructions.

Dafo Temple of Zhangye in Gansu is home to one of the longest reclining Buddhas, measuring around 125 yards (115 meters) and painted in bright colors and gold. Besides the Buddha, you find wooden engravings and other Buddhist sculptures in the 2-story Giant Buddha Hall. Plus, there are pagodas, frescoes, and layers of Buddhist history.

One of China’s biggest lakes, Qinghai Lake (Lake Kokonor) is impressively surrounded by white-capped mountains, with horses, yaks, and Tibetan, Mongolian, and Muslim culture all around you. People make the journey to enjoy the natural beauty, ride horses, cycle, and hike. The area is also known for birdwatching, so bring some binoculars, and make sure your cameras are ready for action.

Check out bronze-age horses, dinosaur bones, rooms full of ancient Chinese painted ceramics, and much more at the Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou. This city landmark houses more than 350,000 cultural and historic relics. Check out paleontological fossils, jade from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and all kinds of art related to the Silk Road in this natural history museum.

The Western Xia Imperial Tombs, at the base of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia, are a series of mausoleums and tombs where emperors of the Western Xia Empire are buried. A few are open for public viewing, allowing visitors a look at life under the dynasty, which ruled northwestern China until it was destroyed by the Mongols thousands of years ago.

Up until 1909, there wasn’t a permanent bridge across the massive Yellow River, but rather a system of unstable rafts tied together. With the help of a German businessman and imported materials for construction, the Zhongshan Bridge (Yellow River Iron Bridge) was built. It makes an impressive backdrop for photos, and is well worth a visit when you’re in Lanzhou.

Bingling Temple is home to caves, grottoes, and pagodas with Buddhist carvings and sculptures dating back several dynasties. The rocky cliffs and mountains surrounding the area make it only accessible by boat across the Liujiaxia Dam. It’s a remote treasure that’s been ransacked by looters over the years, but it’s still worth a visit.

Jiayuguan Pass lies at the end of the western section of the Great Wall of China. It’s a remarkably well-preserved section, and once marked the boundary of Ming Dynasty China, in an area known for its wild terrain. Ancient soldiers or nomads who arrived here were robust souls.

Despite its name, the Tibetan Medicine Culture Museum doesn’t focus solely on medical items: it covers astronomy, science, art, and has some impressive artifacts, too. It’s best known for housing the world’s longest thangka scroll, which charts Tibetan history and took four years to complete, with 400 artists contributing.

The Weijin Tombs are thought by many to be the world’s largest underground art museum. Here, several family burial tombs dating back thousands of years have been excavated, unearthing bodies, artifacts used daily in the home, and hundreds of murals drawn on bricks. The pictures on the murals provide insight into life in the Wei and Jin dynasties.

Carved into the side of a cliff, the Maijishan Grottoes contain thousands of Buddhist sculptures and frescoes crafted by pilgrims and traders as they made their way across the Silk Road. These grottoes are one of four cave complexes in China and have a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Tucked into the north range of the Qinling Mountains just outside Xian, Louguantai National Forest Park was where Laozi, father of Taoism, penned his foundational philosophy of theTao Te Ching. Travelers will find three Taoist temples within the park, as well as a bamboo forest and wild-animal-breeding center.