LANZHOU


Meaning of LANZHOU in English

or Lan-chou

City (pop., 1999 est.: 1,429,673), capital of Gansu province, north-central China.

Situated on the upper Huang He (Yellow River), it became part of the territory of Qin in the 6th century BC and later developed as a major trade centre on the Silk Road . It became the seat of Lanzhou prefecture under the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD) and the capital of Gansu province in 1666. It was badly damaged during the Muslim uprisings in 1864–75. A centre of Soviet influence in northwestern China in the early 20th century, it was the terminus of the 2,000-mi (3,200-km) Chinese-Soviet highway that was used during the Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) for the transport of Soviet supplies. It developed as an industrial and cultural centre after World War II. It is the seat of Lanzhou University.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.