The online voting campaign "Premium Silk Road, Splendid Gansu—Visitors’ Favorite Gansu Delicacies," jointly launched by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission and Qunar.com, will go live on May 4, 2017. Lasting for one month, the event invites travelers and netizens to participate via new media platforms such as the internet, WeChat, and mobile apps to vote for the finest flavors that have wafted along the Silk Road for millennia.
Image provided by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission
Gansu is the first leg of the Central Plains culture’s journey to the world. In ancient times, the Long Mountains were the first major range that the Silk Road had to cross. “The passes of Long are steep, separating the Chinese from the barbarians,” and “The streams at the head of the Long Mountains flow with mournful sounds. Gazing afar at the Qin plains, one’s heart breaks.” Ascending the Long Mountains and crossing the Long Pass meant leaving the Central Plains and officially stepping onto the Silk Road. Stretching over 1,600 kilometers within Gansu, the Silk Road is the region where Eastern and Western cultures blend most dynamically. This land has not only preserved captivating human stories and dazzling historical sites but also boasts millennia-old culinary delicacies.
Image provided by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission
To promote Silk Road culture and build the Gansu tourism brand, the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission and Qunar.com have joined forces to launch a special vacation and food event themed "Premium Silk Road, Splendid Gansu." The campaign aims to provide travelers with more valuable travel information and enhance their vacation experience.
After careful research, the organizers have selected Gansu’s ten most representative delicacies for this special event.
Beef Noodles: Lanzhou is a key city on the ancient Silk Road, where agrarian and nomadic peoples once lived and blended. Beef noodles are the perfect embodiment of this fusion—the staple “noodles” of farming cultures and the staple “beef” of nomadic cultures merging seamlessly here. Lanzhou beef noodles are celebrated for their five characteristics: clear soup, white radish, red chili oil, green coriander, and yellow noodles, and are hailed as China’s No. 1 noodle dish. Behind their deliciousness lies a convergence of timing, terroir, and culture. Lanzhou has a temperate continental climate, with no sweltering summers or harsh winters, making it ideal for growing crops and raising livestock. The wheat grown in Lanzhou’s unique sandy fields is considered top-tier, and its special “He Shang Tou” variety has historically been tribute to the imperial court. With its distinctive flour and traditional craftsmanship, the noodles are hand-pulled on the spot and served in under two minutes. Topped with seasoned beef broth, sliced white radish, a drizzle of spicy chili oil, bright green garlic sprouts, and cilantro, the dish is simply divine.
Image provided by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission
Hand-Pulled Lamb: People in Northwest China love eating big chunks of meat and drinking from big bowls. If you visit Gansu, there’s one meat dish you must try: Dongxiang hand-pulled lamb. With over a century of history, this dish uses fresh Dongxiang castrated lamb, boiled in plain water with a touch of Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and ginger slices. Once cooked, the tender ribs are served hot. Tear off a piece, dip it in salted pepper, chili oil, or vinegar, and pair it with freshly peeled garlic cloves—take a bite of meat, then a bite of garlic. The lamb is tender, fragrant, and delicious, with no gaminess, making it a true delicacy among meats.
Image provided by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission
There are also the silky-smooth and chewy “niangpi” (cold skin noodles); the near-perfect health food “milk egg liquor”; the refreshing “huidouzi” (fermented mung bean dessert); the longevity dish “jue ma fan” (pea shoot rice); Qinzhou’s top delicacy “Tianshui guagua”; the “cuo yu mian” (fish-shaped noodles) shared with heroes; the crispy-outside, tender-inside “roast lamb leg”; and the cooling sour rice dish “jiang shui mian.” These delicacies, whether heard of or not, tried or not, all exude the cultural essence of the Silk Road.
Image provided by the Gansu Provincial Tourism Development Commission
For more details on these delicacies, please visit the official website or WeChat page of the Gansu Provincial Tourism Commission, or the dedicated page on Qunar.com. The organizers invite all travelers and netizens to join in the tasting, vote for your favorite Gansu delicacy, and receive a Qunar.com wireless gift pack just for participating. http://zt.dujia.qunar.com/zts/2017_gansu/pc.php