Five Springs Mountain Park

The Five Springs Mountain Park was established in 1955 and has since become one of the most frequented tourist attractions in Lanzhou. The Park, in the south side of the city proper of Lanzhou, is at the north foot of Gaolan Mountain is along with its neighbor Lanshan Park, a pretty area of mountain scenery, artificial temples and winding paths. The park is named after the five springs that can be found at the foot of the mountain, to the south of the city. The 5 springs there, namely the Ganlu, Juyue, Mozi, Hui and Meng. Legend has it that a General from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), Huo Qubing, stabbed his sword into the ground after finding no water for his horses or himself. The five springs erupted from here and are still flowing today.

There are over 10 places in the park crowded with ancient temples, palaces, pavilions as well as some historic relics, such as the Chongqingsi Temple, the Thousand-Buddha Pavilion, the Manisi Temple, the Dizangsi Temple, the Three-religion Temple, the Crescent Pavilion, the Sword Bridge and the Zhongshan Memorial Hall. Inside the Chongqingsi Temple, there is an iron bell made in the period of Taihe (a title of an emperor's reign) in the Jin Dynasty (1202 AD), which is 3 meters in height, 2 meters in diameter and 5,000 kg in weight. There stands a copper statue of Introducing Buddha inside the Jingang (Buddha's warrior attendant) Palace, which is 5.3 m high, 2.7 m around the body and over 10,000 kg in weight. The park covers an area of 10, 500 sq, m.

The best time to come here would have to be during the summer months, when the temperature is almost always a few degrees C. cooler than the city. If action is your thing, there is an annual Temple Fair every year around mid-May (Buddha's birthday, which falls on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month). On apart from Buddhist rituals, a temple fair featuring a flower exhibition, folk arts, and cultural activities is held in the park. In addition, fancy lanterns are displayed there during the Spring Festival every year.