Have you heard the saying, “April showers bring May flowers”? Well, here in China’s northwest, the saying would be more accurately altered to “March sandstorms bring April flowers.” Some days, the skies are grey with dust blown in from the Gobi Desert and you can barely see the skyscrapers outside your window. But other days, you can enjoy strolling through town taking in the fragrance of the flowered trees in bloom. This is our first spring in China, and we are thoroughly enjoying our time exploring the city.

Lanzhou University

The campus is gorgeous in spring time. Various kinds of flowered trees, bushes and tulips drape the campus grounds. Our kids love playing by the pond, with its koi fish and tadpoles swimming about.

White Pagoda Mountain Park

Just past the famous Zhong Shan Pedestrian Bridge along the Yellow River, this is a favorite place for the locals to visit. The trees provide ample shade and you can enjoy beautiful views of the river and the city. Today, the river is green, not yellow because the water is calm and there are not strong enough currents to shake up the sediment underneath.

Five Springs Mountain Park and Lan Mountain

This is another popular spot of the locals to enjoy a weekend hike with the family. At the base of the Five Springs (Wu Quan) Mountain, kids enjoy amusement park rides and playing with the tadpoles in the spring water flowing down the mountain. There are also many vendors selling local delicacies and trinkets. You can either hike up the mountain or take a chair lift. The path is well paved and we enjoy trying to spot different buildings around the city that we are familiar with.

Shi Chuan Pear Orchard

This past weekend, some friends took us to an ancient pear orchard just outside of town. It was so peaceful and relaxing. There are many private gardens where owners set up large tables to offer tea and meals to visitors. Some have bouncy castles, swings or a trampoline for kids to play on. You can literally stay there a whole day if you like and only have to pay for the reasonably priced meal and tea. The trees around us were mostly around 300 years old, but there were older ones as well. Our friend said they could get to around 800 years old. Pears were originally cultivated in China and there is a rich history of pear cultivation along the Yellow River. The dry climate of Gansu province is ideal for growing many things, including pears, apples and peaches.

Most people think there is nothing special about this place besides beef noodle soup. After living here for a year, we beg to differ. The people are friendly and easy going, there are so many wonderful local delicacies and produce to enjoy, the Yellow River and mountains are fun to explore, and the scent of spring blossoms in the air is such a treat.