Guyuan
People's Republic of China · Asia
About Guyuan
Guyuan, formerly known as Xihaigu or Dayuan (大原), is a prefecture-level city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It occupies the southernmost section of the region, bordering Gansu province to the east, south, and due west. This is also the site of Mount Sumeru Grottoes (须弥山), which is among the ten most famous grottoes in China. As of the end of 2018, the total resident population in Guyuan was 1,124,200. At the end of 2024, the city's resident population was 1,140,800, a decrease of 6,900 compared with the end of the previous year. Among them, the resident population in urban areas was 535,600, accounting for 46.95% of the resident population (the urbanization rate of the resident population), an increase of 1.29 percentage points over the end of the previous year.
Guyuan is the oldest city in Ningxia, being established in 114 BC as Gaoping, capital of Anding Commandery. It was a stop on the Northern Silk Road.
During the Warring States Period, Guyuan belonged to the territory of Qin state, later Qin Dynasty. The original name of the city began...
Guyuan travel guide
Understand
History - Guyuan City is the route of the ancient Silk Road, but also a necessary place for the East of religion. The history of the successive introduction of Guyuan's religions is Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, and Catholicism. Climate - It belongs to the typical continental climate, forming such climatic characteristics as long cold winters, variable temperatures in spring, short summers, rapid cooling in autumn, large temperature differences between day and night, low rainfall in spring and early summer, many catastrophic weather events, and large regional differences in precipitation.
Getting there
By train Guyuan Railway Station is 3km east of town center.
Lanzhou - takes about 11 hours Xian - takes about 8 hours Yinchuan - takes about 6 hours
By bus Long Distance Bus Station is west of Zhongshan Street
Lanzhou - takes about 8 hours Xian - takes about 7 hours Yinchuan - takes about 4 hours (7am to 6pm, from Yinchuan South Terminal)
See
Xumi Mountain Grottoes. During the Northern Wei, Sui, Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, more than 130 grottoes were tunneled into the eastern side of Sumeru Shan. Filled with Buddhist sculptures and almost 1400 years old. 1 Guyuan Museum (固原博物馆), 133 Xicheng Road, Yuanzhou District (原州区西城路133号) (bus nos. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9), ☏ +86 954 7282331 (bookings), +86 954 2032653 (office), [email protected]. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. Very nice collection of artifacts dating from the Stone Age through the Silk Road period to the Qing dynasty. Free. Huoshizhai National Geopark Liupan Mountain Forest Park Xiaoguan Ruins Cultural Park
Sleep
Budget
Mid-range Guyuan Youdian Hotel (Guyuan Youdian Binguan), 12 Zhengfu Road, ☏ +86 954 2031784.
Splurge
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.