Linxia
A Brief Survey
About 130 kilometers southwest of Lanzhou on the
northwestern plateau, lies the famous, ancient city o[ Linxi-
a--the "Land Port of Gansu". Linxia stands on the bank of
the lower reaches of the Daxia River, since the river is its
neighbor, the town is called" neighbor" (" lin")to the "Xia"
which refers to the Daxia River.
Surrounded by hills, Linxia slopes down gently from
southwest to northeast and is at an average elevation o[ 1,
917 meters above sea level. The four seasons in Linxia are
very distinct and the temperature variation between day and
night is fairly great. The average annual temperature is 6.7
degrees centigrade. The warmest month is in July with an
average temperature of 18. 1 degrees. The coldest month is
January with an average temperature of -7.4 degrees. The
population of Linxia is about 150, 000.
Being the seat of government of the Linxia Hui Au-
tonomous Prefecture, Linxia serves as a political, economic,
cultural, and communication center for the prefecture. The
ethnic groups living here are Han, Hui, Dongxian'g,Baot an,
Salar, Tuzu, Tibetan, and Mongolian. Islam is one of the
most important religions here and the city is characterized
by its strong Islamic influence. Other religions here are Bud-
dhism, Taoism, and Christianity.
As mentioned above, Linxia, historically, was a famous
commercial center, an important place for economic and cul-
tural interchange between the Central Plains and the minori-
ty regions in Northwest China therefore, the local minorities
have a very long history in doing business. The streets
downtown are lined with stores and shops selling products
from all over the country.
The main crops of the area are wheat, corn, and cash
crops like rapeseed, hemp, and vegetables. The major indus-
trial products are optical instruments, machine components,
chemical products, building materials, and light industrial
products.
Scenic Spots
Hong Yuan (Red Garden)
With an area of about 40, 000 square meters, Hong
Yuan lies in the northwest section of Linxia. It is a wonder-
ful world of trees and flowers. By the man-made lake are a
zoo, a children' s paradise, a water bird museum, tea houses,
pavilions and bridges. Among these buildings, the pavilions
and bridges show the most distinctive features of the local
nationalities.
In Hong Yuan are some exquisite brick carvings--a kind
of local handicraft. The tea houses are places where the local
people like most to gather and enjoy the companionship as
well as the tea, here you can see why people say that Linxia
is a great harmonious family of ethnic groups.
Dagong Bei
Located south of Hong Yuan, Dagong Bei is a good
place to enjoy the sight of the palatial architecture of the
northern style. With a very unique arrangement, the
mosques of Dagong Bei are not only the largest group but al-
so the oldest in Linxia. They were built during the Qing Dy-
nasty (1636-1911 DA)
Folk Customs
Songming Yan Hua~ er Festival
Linxia Hua~ er. also called Hezhou Hua~er, is very popu-
lar in this area. What makes Linxia Hua~ er different from
Lianhua Mountain Hua~ er is that the style of the former is
richer and full of change, the language is very poetic with a
strict metrical patterns and unique rhythm, furthermore, so-
lo singing antiphonally is the usual performance style rather
than choral singing. Generally speaking, a hua~ er song of the
Linxia style contains four or six sentences, which reveals a
singer's heart-felt emotions. The subject matter is wide-
ranging, but those concerning love are naturally the most
popular.
Songming Yan Mountain is one of the most important
locations for the Linxia Hua~ er festival. It lies 60 kilometers
south of Linxia and just 28 kilometers south of the Hezheng
County seat. Here the high mountains with hardy, old pines
reach into the skies. Here the gentle breeze soughs through
the pines and causes the trees to sway like the waves of a
green lake.
The hua' er festival is actually held annually on the
28th day of the fourth lunar month, however, on the 26th
day, the singers and fans begin arriving. As soon as they ar-
rive, they put up their tents on the hillsides under the trees
and add their voices to the singing of those who arrived ear-
lier; songs of welcome fill the valley with singing which e-
choes through the valley day and night.
On the early morning of the 28th day, singers in threes
and fours, on the river banks or on the hillsides, gather to
lift their voices and sing hua' er songs. Antiphonal solos and
choruses are dotted throughout the area. Of course, the most
excellent singers attract large crowds around them and these
places become the focal points of the festival. Everyone is
caught up in the joyous tumult of the festival.
In recent years, the number of those attending has been
well over 100, 000; therefore, naturally, trade fairs are now
held during the festival which certainly adds to the bustle
and excitement of the thrilling sights and sounds.
Yanxi Qu (Wedding Songs)
Among the people of Linxia, another type of folk song
is very popular, it is called Yanxi Qu. The song style is simi-
lar to hua' er but usually sung antiphonally by men while
they dance at wedding parties. The singingis usually with-
out accompaniment, After the bride is married, the bride-
groom' s parents will give a dinner party that evening to cel-
ebrate the marriage. During the evening, male guests--rela-
tives and friends, often sing beautiful Yanxi Qu to express
good wishes to the newlyweds. Yanxi Qu' s dance move-
ments are vigorous, richly expressive, and characteristic of
the ethnic style. Nowadays, Yanxi Qu is not restricted to
wedding parties, it has become a very popular form of art
song performed both by men and women at traditional fes-
stivals and when celebrating a good harvest.
Peony City
The local people are very fond of their flowers, especail-
ly peonies. In Linxia, one can hardly find a single family that
does not grow peonies; there are as many as 180 varieties in
the town. The best places to enioy them are Dagong Bei,
Hong yuan, and Donggong Guan (Eastern Mansion) where
there are some ancient species which are regarded as rare
treasures of China.
Every year, when the summer arrives, peonies, both in
Linxia and the surrounding countryside, are in full bloom as
if they were competing with each other for beauty prizes.
The local people named this month "Peony Month", in
which they like to visit each other and witness the beauty of
their friends'peonies and share the happiness.
Some peony enthusiasts even like to hold peony parties;
the hosts and guests admire the peonies while sining peony
songs and drinking wine. What a happy occasion!
Folk Handicrafts
Linxia Brick Carving
Linxia Brick Carving, also called,Hezhou Brick Carving,
is a unique form of folk art on building facades. It first was
used during the Northern Sung Dynasty (960-1127 AD) and
became a mature artistic form during the Ming (1368-1644
AD) and Qing (1636-1911 AD) Dynasties. At present, Linxia
Brick carving has assimilated the artistic characteristics of
painting and wood carving, which has, even more, imbued
this form of art with a style of its own.
Rich and varied brick carvings can be found on many
buildings in Linxia,nevertheless, Hong Yuan and Donggong
Guan, are thought of as the real museums of brick carvings.
In them, there are some masterpieces, by famous artists,
which display unique artistic form and superb technique.
Bao' an Waist Knives
Enjoying a history of more than 130 years, Bao~ an
Waist Kinves are a traditional handicraft exclusively manu-
factured by the Bao' an minority. With exquisite craftman-
ship and unique style,the knives are elegant and practical.
There are dozens of different kinds of Bao' an Waist Knives;
they are named according to their shapes, hilts, and sheaths.
Among them, 'Shiyang Jin'is the most famous one. Bao' an
Waist Knives are not only articles for daily use for Tibetan,
Mongolian, Dongxiang and other minority groups, but also
serve as exquisite ornaments and souvenirs. Over the years,
they have developed a ready market in Gansu, Qinghai,
Ningxia and some other minority districts. Of course, they
are also in great demand by visitors from elsewhere.
Folk Food
Huangjou Mutton (Millet Wine Mutton)
Cooked with local mutton and locally-made millet wine.
Huangjou Mutton is the best-known snack in Linxia. The lo-
cal millet wine has a golden color and mellow taste. The
mutton is sliced as thin as paper, put into the boiling millet
wine for a few seconds, chopped green onions are added, and
it is ready to serve. The taste is delicious but not too rich.
Having it regularly is very good for the health.
Native Products
Tangwang Chuan Apricot
These apricots are bright orange, soft, low in cellulose,
have a juicy, sweet taste and a fragrance similar to peaches.
They are remarkable for their size; only three of them may
weigh over 0. 5 kilograms. As they are mainly produced in
Tangwang Chuan, Dongxiang Automonous County, and not
suitable for transport, the fresh fruit is only available in the
local area. It ripens between mid-June and the first week of
July. The apricot is also processed for canning, for candied
fruit and jam.
Bracken
Bracken is shaped like a hand and so it is also called ~
Foshou' (Buddha' s Hand), but the local name is 'Jixiang
Cai" (Lucky Vegetable). Since it grows in the wilds, bracken
is regarded as still free from pollution. So people think that
it has a special medicinal value for health,it also contains
various nutritive minerals and vitamins in abundance.
In China, people started eating bracken long, long ago.
At first, it only appeared on the common peoplet s dinner ta-
bles as an ordinary, wild herb~later, it could be found on the
tables of high officials and noble lords. It is said that brack-
en was even among the items given as imperial tribute.
When spring comes, the young bracken is fresh and ten-
der, and ready either for eating right after washing or being
dried and salted. As far as salted bracken is concerned, that
processed in Linxia has the best color and taste. It has a
ready market abroad.
White Beans
These large, white, broad beans grown in Linxia County
are also one of the best-known native products which enjoy
an excellent reputation for taste and quality.
local area. It ripens between mid-June and the first week of
July. The apricot is also processed for canning, for candied
fruit and jam.
Bracken
Bracken is shaped like a hand and so it is also called ~
Foshou' (Buddha' s Hand), but the local name is 'Jixiang
Cai" (Lucky Vegetable). Since it grows in the wilds, bracken
is regarded as still free from pollution. So people think that
it has a special medicinal value for health,it also contains
various nutritive minerals and vitamins in abundance.
In China, people started eating bracken long, long ago.
At first, it only appeared on the common peoplet s dinner ta-
bles as an ordinary, wild herb~later, it could be found on the
tables of high officials and noble lords. It is said that brack-
en was even among the items given as imperial tribute.
When spring comes, the young bracken is fresh and ten-
der, and ready either for eating right after washing or being
dried and salted. As far as salted bracken is concerned, that
processed in Linxia has the best color and taste. It has a
ready market abroad.
White Beans
These large, white, broad beans grown in Linxia County
are also one of the best-known native products which enjoy
an excellent reputation for taste and quality.