under construction in 1909 taken by
Robert Sterling Clark Originally in the territory of the
ancient Western Qiangs, Lanzhou became part of the territory of the
State of Qin in the 6th century BC. In 81 BC, under the
Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), it was taken from the Huns' Huandi Chanyu and made the seat of
Jincheng commandery (), and later of the Jincheng (Golden City)
county (), later renamed
Yunwu. From at least the first millennium BC it was a major link on the ancient
Northern Silk Road, and also an important historic
Yellow River crossing site. To protect the city, the
Great Wall of China was extended as far as
Yumen. Parts of the Great Wall still exist within the built-up area. After the fall of the
Han dynasty, Lanzhou became the capital of a succession of tribal states. In the 4th century it was briefly the capital of the independent state of
Liang. The
Northern Wei dynasty (386–534) reestablished
Jincheng commandery, renaming the county
Jincheng. Mixed with different cultural heritages, the area at present-day
Gansu province, from the 5th to the 11th century, became a center for
Buddhist study. Under the
Sui dynasty (581–618) the city became the seat of Lanzhou prefecture for the first time, retaining this name under the
Tang dynasty (618–907). In 763 the area was overrun by the
Tibetan Empire and in 843 was conquered by the
Tang. Later it fell into the hands of the
Western Xia dynasty (which flourished in
Qinghai from the 11th to 13th century) and was subsequently absorbed by the
Song dynasty (960–1126) in 1081. The name Lanzhou was reestablished, and the county renamed Lanzhuan. After 1127 it fell into the hands of the
Jin dynasty, and after 1235 it came into the possession of the
Mongol Empire. Under the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644) the prefecture was demoted to a county and placed under the administration of
Lintao superior prefecture, but in 1477 Lanzhou was reestablished as a political unit. The city acquired its current name in 1656, during the
Qing dynasty. When
Gansu was made a separate province in 1666, Lanzhou became its capital. In 1739 the seat of
Lintao was transferred to Lanzhou, which was later made a superior prefecture called Lanzhou. Lanzhou was badly damaged during the
Dungan revolt in 1864–1875. In the 1920s and 1930s it became a center of
Soviet influence in
northwestern China. and Baron
C. G. E. Mannerheim in Lanzhou, 1908
Second Sino-Japanese War-World War II During the
Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) Lanzhou, linked with
Xi'an by
highway in 1935, became the terminus of the Chinese–Soviet highway, used as a route for Soviet supplies destined for the Xi'an area. This highway remained the primary traffic route of northwestern China until the completion of the railway from Lanzhou to
Ürümqi,
Xinjiang.
The Battle of Lanzhou Lanzhou's old
Donggang Airport, located near the city centre, was the primary entry point for combat aircraft provided to China under the
Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, and along with other targets around Lanzhou, including civilian centers, were heavily bombed by the
Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and
Navy Air Force. Many air battles were fought between the Chinese Air Force and the Imperial Japanese air forces over Lanzhou and surrounding regions from 1937 to 1945, particularly from 1938 to 1941 when the influx of Soviet war materials formed the primary support in China's War of Resistance against the Imperial Japanese invasion. Instances of major air-battles include an IJAAF raid consisting of 30
BR.20 and
Ki-21 bombers against civilian targets in Lanzhou on 20 February 1939;
17th PS, 5th PG commander Capt.
Cen Zeliu and his deputy commander Capt. Ma Guolian (Ma Kwok-Lim), a Canadian-Chinese volunteer for the Chinese Air Force, shot down the first two bombers in the battle, followed by two more downed as Capt. Cen led another attack on the third formation. They would be joined by pilots of the
Soviet Volunteer Group led by Nikolay Garilov and the 15th PS led by Li Debiao, who would all shoot down five more of the Japanese bombers; the northern Chinese air-raid early-warning net headquarters in
Xi'an observed 21 of the original 30 IJAAF bombers returning from Lanzhou. As the Imperial Japanese forces were preparing for
Operation Z against the United States and other allies in Southeast Asia and the Pacific by mid-1941, the
IJANF were busy training new aircrews in live combat action across China for the upcoming war in the Pacific; on 22 May 1941, Lt.
Gao Youxin of the 21st PS, 4th PG engaged an IJNAF raid on Lanzhou in an
I-16 fighter aircraft, while avoiding confrontation against the
Zero fighters, he shot down a
Mitsubishi G3M bomber north of Lanzhou. On the ground, the
KMT Muslim Generals
Ma Hongkui and
Ma Bufang protected Lanzhou with their cavalry troops, putting up such resistance that the Japanese never captured Lanzhou. ==Geography==