Getting There -- The airport is 75km (47 miles) to the north. China Eastern Airlines (tel. 0931/882-1964; fax 0931/882-8174; open 8am-9pm) has its main office opposite the JJ Sun Hotel. They can book tickets on any Chinese airline. Buses for the airport (1 hr.; ¥30/$3.90/£1.95) leave 2 hours before each flight.
Queues at the new railway station (tel. 0931/492-2222) in the south of town can range from very short to very long. It's worth a shot to go directly here if you are hoping to head out of town quickly. Sleeper tickets may also be purchased through your hotel or from the largest ticket outlet in the Railway Bureau (Tieluju) at Hezheng Lu 156, on the first floor of the Jinlun Dasha. Take bus no. 34 from the station to Tieluju.
Trains originating in Lanzhou connect with Beijing (T76: 7:22pm, 20 hr.; K44: 4:03pm, 27 hr.), Shanghai (T118: 12:47am, 25 hr.), Urumqi (T295: 4:01pm, 24 hr.), Xi'an (K120: 9:58pm, 10 hr.), Guangzhou (K228: 11:22pm, 36 hr.), Chengdu (K348: 4:27pm, 22 hr.), Pingliang (N906: 7:32pm, 12 hr.), Jiayuguan (N851: 8:50pm, 11 hr.), Xining (T207: 7:42am, 3 hr.; T209: 4:18pm), and Golmud (T27: 4:11pm, 15 hr.). The speediest connection with Yinchuan is the K916 at 10:21pm (9 hr.).
Most regional services depart from the hectic South Bus Station (Nan Zhan) in the far southwest of town (tel. 0931/291-4066), a ¥10 ($2.60/£1.30) taxi ride from the center. Be prepared for some aggressive touts selling the Xia He services; if you arrive with a long wait for a direct service, head to Linxia (or Hezuo) and change there -- don't believe a word the touts tell you about the availability of onward buses. Buses connect with Hezuo (258km/160 miles; 5 hr.; ¥44/$5.70/£2.85) every half-hour from 7am to 4pm; with Linxia (149km/92 miles; 4 hr.; ¥27/$3.50/£1.75) every 20 minutes from 7am to 6pm; and with Xining at 10am, 11am, and noon (there are more Xining services from the long-distance station). There are three direct buses to Xia He (256km/159 miles; 4 hr.) at 6:30am, 8:30am, and 2pm (¥44/$5.70/£2.85). The West Bus Station at Xijin Dong Lu 486 (tel. 0931/291-9537) has direct buses to Liujia Xia (2 hr.; ¥12/$1.55/80p) that run regularly between 7:20am and 6pm.
The long-distance bus station at Pingliang Lu 133 (tel. 0931/456-2222) is just northwest of the railway station. Buses connect with Xining (3 hr.; ¥53/$6.90/£3.45) every 45 minutes between 7:30am and 7:30pm. There is one sleeper bus to Xi'an every evening at 8:30pm (10 hr.; ¥120/$16/£7.80).
Getting Around -- Green Santanas charge ¥7 (90¢/45p) for the first 3km (2 miles), then ¥1.40 (20¢/10p) per kilometer; add a night surcharge (¥1.60/20¢/10p) from 10pm to 5am. Buses start at ¥1 (15¢/5p), which is paid on boarding at the front of the bus. Bus no. 1 is useful; it starts at the railway station and passes the Bank of China, the JJ Sun Hotel, Sunshine Plaza, and the Friendship Hotel (opposite the Lanzhou Museum).
Tours -- Most hotels have tour desks which offer tours to Bingling Si. There are numerous branches of CITS, each accusing the others of being illegitimate. A helpful branch is located on the 11th floor of the Luyou Dasha, Nongmin Xiang (tel. 0931/881-3133).
