Lanzhou, also Lan-chou or Lanchow, city, northern China, capital of Gansu Province, a major transportation and industrial center on the Huang He (Yellow River). It is one of China's leading petrochemical and nuclear power centers; other manufactures include machinery, tools, railroad equipment, chemicals, fertilizer, aluminum, and rubber goods. Coal is mined nearby, and petroleum is shipped here by pipeline from Yumen. Main road and rail routes to Inner Mongolia and oil-rich northwestern China pass through the city. Lanzhou University is here. An old walled city, founded before the 6th century BC, Lanzhou gained early importance as an overland travel center between Central Asia and China's historic heartland in the Wei River valley. Its modern transformation into a major industrial city occurred during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and the late 1950s. Population (1991) 1,453,645.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Lanzhou Information info
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