Experience in Lanzhou, China, by Shu

What is it like to live in Lanzhou? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I born in Lanzhou and was raised here. So my experience is more like a native perspective.

Lanzhou is not a big city in China. It located in far inland of China, it is even very exotic to most of chinese. Thus I would say it would be a good choice to be here if you want to experience something different.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Lanzhou?

You can find club/bar in every city. But most locals here enjoy beer in open air during summer. Compared with some larger cities, culture activities, like drama, opera, public speech/lecture, etc are relatively rare in Lanzhou.

How much does it cost to live in Lanzhou?

The living cost is low in China, as well in Lanzhou. 50 Yuan (7 euro or 8 USD) can feed well, I mean three meals.

Having a supper in a fancy restaurant could cost 100 to 200 Yuan per person, a beer costs 5 to 10 Yuan, the bus costs 1 to 2 Yuan per trip, a taxi would cost 10 to 50 Yuan, depending on the distance, a common hotel may cost 150-200 Yuan per night... And the living cost could be even lower if you live and eat in campus.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Lanzhou? Is there any advice you can give?

Most chinese universities will provide accommodation in their campus.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Lanzhou is famous for it's noodles in China. It is also a good place to have delicious beef, lamp and some snacks, while some other chinese cities may consume more pork. The food here is kind of spicy. People are fond of hot pot also.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Lanzhou?

Nothing special in Lanzhou. But Lanzhou could be a good start point if you want to visit Xinjiang, Tibet, Dunhuang and Xi'an.

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Is it good to eat out in Lanzhou? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

There is a lot, too many actually. I can not give a recommendation here, since the city is still too big, although kind of smaller than others in China.

Is the nightlife good in Lanzhou? Where is good to go?

I have little experience about this, sorry.

What advice would you give future students heading to Lanzhou?

You may meet some people want to practice english with you. Please try understand each other. It is a remote area and people need time to get along with foreigners.