Thematic keywords of this issue’s introduction: Gansu, northwest, provincial capital, Yellow River, multiculturalism. I have a special liking for Lanzhou.

I arrive in Lanzhou at least three times a year, just for fun, or even to have a meal of Lao Ma's "hand-caught"; or even to stand on the top of Baita Mountain one evening and quietly watch the Yellow River flowing through Lanzhou below my feet.

Passing by the city, you can watch the sunset slowly set over Wuquan Mountain, casting a golden afterglow that merges with the water of the Yellow River; you even came here just for the city of Lanzhou.

First time getting to know Lanzhou.

In August 1996, it was the month when new employees of the company reported. There was a college student who graduated from Lanzhou Jiaotong University and was an "indigenous" student in Lanzhou. On the day of registration, I was surprised that this 1.8-meter-tall young man actually had a very standard dick.

in Mandarin, this is my first impression of Lanzhou.

In September 2003, I officially entered Lanzhou City.

I attended the Lanzhou Railway Bureau’s semi-annual professional meeting on the Baolan Railway Project. This was the first time I took advantage of my work to set foot in Lanzhou.

The straight-line distance from Jinan to Lanzhou is 1,300KM. After more than 2 hours of air travel, Shandong Airlines landed safely in Gansu and went directly to Zhongchuan Airport.

The most impressive thing is that the airport is so far away from the city of Lanzhou. Later I saw someone on the Internet complaining and posting information saying that Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport is the farthest distance between an airport and a city in China at 69KM. This is a bit exaggerated.

, in fact, Zhongchuan Airport, which is the farthest airport from the city, is not the first in the country. Qamdo Bangda Airport is 136 kilometers away from Qamdo Town, making it the farthest civil airport from the central city in China.

The first physical impression that Lanzhou City gave me is that the city is like a large-scale stage play, with a unique three-dimensional and visual appeal.

The city appearance of Lanzhou is two mountains sandwiched by a ravine. The urban context running east to west is very clear. It is 17km from Lanzhou West Railway Station to Lanzhou Donggang Town. There are bare mountains to the north and south of the city. In recent years, the vegetation has become better, and you can see it from a distance.

I saw green vegetation on the mountain, and the ditch in the middle of the city is the central area of ??Lanzhou City. There is also a 200-400 meter wide Yellow River flowing through Lanzhou City. After traveling through many cities in China, except for the mountain city of Chongqing,

In addition to the three-dimensional and intricate feeling, the cityscape of Lanzhou also has its own visual impact.

The city of Lanzhou has its own mysterious veil, not only because it is a fortress on the Silk Road, but also because it is far away, even out of reach, far away from the fatigue of the carriages and horses, far away from the freedom and undisciplinedness, and even more because it is China.

The provincial capital city in the northwest is located in the center of China's hinterland, so we are full of curiosity and yearning for Lanzhou.

Having traveled west to Lanzhou many times, one family member summarized five outstanding impressions of Lanzhou: 1. The penetration of the Yellow River culture, which is full of golden armor, has penetrated the entire city.

When it comes to Lanzhou, the Yellow River is comparable to it. The only city in China that embraces the Yellow River is Lanzhou.

In terms of urban construction, Lanzhou Urban Construction has its own large-scale projects, which is quite remarkable. Against the backdrop of annual breaches and flooding in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Yellow River only flows through the Lanzhou area, which is so gentle. Xiliang, Hexi Corridor,

The culture of Daliang and other ranks also provided the source of inspiration for Lanzhou’s later cultural contact and development.

If we simply look at the Yellow River culture, it actually does not belong to the city of Lanzhou. To be precise, it is the city of Lanzhou that promotes and inherits the Yellow River culture more purely and thoroughly.

2. It is located in the northwest, 1,400km away from the capital, and the city is full of Mandarin with the flavor of "Jinglan".

After many friends came to Lanzhou, they were surprised that many people in this western city speak Beijing-style Mandarin. However, Lanzhou and Beijing are 1,400 kilometers apart. A common saying shortens the distance between people.

, made me think about the deeper meaning of having an ode to one's heart toward Beijing.

What’s the truth behind Mandarin?

The dialects in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Sichuan and southern Fujian all have their own charm and characteristics, which are difficult for outsiders to understand. It seems that people there do not worry about outsiders not understanding their hometown dialects, but Lanzhou is worried that they have a strong nasal accent.

The Northwest dialect of Lanzhou is incomprehensible to outsiders, so speaking Mandarin with a Beijing-style flavor also shows that Lanzhou people are very concerned about foreign culture and popular things.

In essence, Lanzhou is a city of immigrants, so the history of normal city construction is not long, let alone a famous historical and cultural city.

Especially during the Anti-Japanese War and the time line from the founding of New China to the reform, it can be said that people from different regions across the country gathered together.