(Note: I’m not really sure when exactly I’ll have a chance to post this, but this is the Lanzhou entry from Friday.)
Today was my first day out of the traditional tourist cities of Beijing and Shanghai, and I’m almost positive I’m not going to see any foreigners for at least a week. The plan is to eventually make our way to Northwestern China, where the culture and people are completely different from what you’d find in eastern China. The first stop is Lanzhou, and already I started feeling the culture shock. This came in two parts – the first came before even getting on the plane. People dressed in traditional Muslim headdress – the men with the cylindrical caps and women with the full headscarves – were all over our gate area, and it was just so bizarre to see Chinese people in Muslim clothing. Later I found out that Lanzhou is about 20% Hui, which is one of the many ethnic groups in China, and they are of Islamic ethnicity. As a result, almost all the restaurants here are Halal, which in Chinese, is translated as “clean and real”. The sign “clean and real” is seen everywhere, there are mosques all around the skyline, women are covering their entire head with a scarf, and you almost feel like you’re in a completely different country.
The second part hits you when you see the city for the first time. Lanzhou is located on the bank of the Yellow River, although you really wouldn’t know there was a river around if all you saw was the terrain on your way from the airport. There are big yellow plant-less rocky mountains all around, and at first, after getting off the plane, you feel like you just went flew from New York to New Mexico. Then, when you actually hit the city (which is a ridiculous 75km away from the airport), everything hits you in an instant – the river, the smog, the enormous buildings and the mounds and mounds of people. The buildings are higher and more plentiful than even Beijing, and everything’s being so crammed into such a little amount of space. But nothing feels like it’s 21st century – it feels more like a 1980s version of Hong Kong, where these huge signs, billboards and apartment buildings all look rusted and falling apart, tons of people are selling novelty items in the street and huge construction wastelands on every other block. It’s unlike anything I’d ever seen before.
Translation: Clean and real grilled meat.
One of the many mosques found in Lanzhou.
Still crowded. Yup, still in China.
Tall buildings and a construction site. The MO of Lanzhou, if you will.
Lanzhou is certainly not a city known for its attractions – in this guidebook I read about Lanzhou, under the list of “Things to do”, it simply said “Leave”. So, needless to say, I wasn’t expecting much, but I think that after today, Lanzhou is a cooler and more interesting city than people in guidebooks give it credit for. We stayed with my aunt, who is an English professor at the Lanzhou University of Technology, at her place close to the school, and took a taxi to her place from the bus stop, had a quick rest, and then headed for the city. We ate dinner at a “clean and real” restaurant (whose signs are all in green, the color of Islam), and took a tour through the city streets at night, which to put it lightly, is busy.
First we walked through another lane of street food vendors, this time much much different than what you’d find in Beijing. The cooks are mostly Hui, which means they are traditionally Islam and much less likely to be shouting at you or trying to coerce you into buying their food. They cook their food peacefully and attempt to entice you only when you’ve shown interest. Also, I get the feeling that everyone in Lanzhou eats here because there are literally over 100 food stalls, that when you are walking through it, feels like the Twilight Zone because it’s never-ending and keeps on repeating. There’s the usual barbecued meat fare (mutton is the main meat here, certainly no pork), and fried buns and pastries, but there were two items that I believe are specialties to the region. The first is Lanzhou La Mian (literally pulled noodles, you’ll recognize it more as the Japanese word Ramen), which is traditionally served in a beef broth with beef. Interesting, the food is such a local favorite that the government has decreed it illegal to sell a bowl of it for more than 3.50RMB ($0.50). The second, and less appealing specialty, is sheep head, which is boiled whole and served whole in front of you. There’s something quite unsettling about choosing a dead animal’s head to eat, but apparently a lot of good meat is in the head, especially the sheep brain, which is considered quite a delicacy. There seems to be a lot of local flavor, though, in the food of Lanzhou, and it’s very distinctly different that what I found in the big cities.
Another bustling food market.
A traditional Hui chef, just doing his thing.
Sheep head, staring right back at you.
Lots and lots of noodle stands like this where you pick your own toppings.
Afterwards, we took a stroll along the Yellow River, which was beautiful at night. It’s quite amazing how the nighttime brings out a different face to the city, and for Lanzhou, all the dirt and grime disappears into the darkness and all you get to see is the natural beauty of a city by the river. There’s a pedestrian bridge that’s completely lit up, and full of street vendors and people enjoying an evening walk along the river. In fact, the entire riverside district, besides the stink, is a very beautiful and cool part of the city. There’s definitely a charm here that I didn’t expect, and I’m sure I’ll get to see a lot of that tomorrow when I take a more extensive tour of the city. There are a few spots that we passed that I definitely want to go see, a mountain that overlooks the city, a large park, and I definitely need to have some of that Lanzhou La Mian.
The Yellow River at night.
