The first stop in Lanzhou, Gansu — Gansu Provincial Museum

I arrived in Lanzhou from Wuwei on the afternoon of April 23rd, staying at the Nongken Guesthouse near the train station, just 5 minutes away. I stayed in Lanzhou for one day, just to pursue the original 'Galloping Horse' which is the symbol of Chinese tourism. On the 24th, I took bus No. 1 directly to the Gansu Provincial Museum in the early morning, enjoying the city scenery along the way and planning the subsequent sightseeing route. I had booked the tickets in advance and entered at 9:40 AM. At the reception, I asked about the time for the free guided tour, and there was one starting at 9:40. Without waiting for my companions, I rushed to the second floor to listen to the explanation, but still missed the opening part. I always enjoy a guide's opening; if it's a good one, you can hear their scope, perspective, and cultural depth... We were lucky, as the 'Galloping Horse' is usually on display from May 1st to the end of October each year, but this year the original was just put on display on April 22nd (Monday) when the museum was closed. Having seen many replicas, I was amazed by the original, the exquisite casting skills that perfectly captured a horse capable of catching birds, especially the proud smile on the horse's face. The 'Galloping Horse' comes from the Leitai Han Tomb in Wuwei City, Gansu Province, where a spectacular chariot and horse procession was also unearthed. (Image 11) 56 pieces of gold ornaments were retrieved after being looted from the Dabaozi Mountain site in Lixian, Gansu. In the 1990s, it was looted, and a batch of precious cultural relics were illegally sold and lost overseas. In 2015, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage allocated all 56 pieces of the lost gold ornaments from Dabaozi Mountain, originally held by the National Museum of Asian Arts Guimet in France, to the Gansu Provincial Museum. They are irreplaceable in studying the early history and culture of the Qin people, Qin ethnicity, and Qin state. These cultural relics also tell the story of China's success in retrieving lost cultural properties. The guide mentioned that if one goes to Tianshui, exploring the early history and culture of the Qin state is more important than eating hot and spicy soup. (This point exactly matches my thoughts; if it were just for the hot and spicy soup, it wouldn't attract me, but the early history and culture of the Qin state would make me include Tianshui in my future travel plans. Tianshui is currently very popular, so I'll wait for it to cool down before exploring.) My travel companions, after more than ten days of travel, were already exhausted. They sat neatly at the exit on the second floor, looking forward to my return, which made me hastily browse the third floor before leaving with them. The guide also suggested visiting the Lanzhou City Museum and the Gansu Bamboo Slips Museum, both of which were rated as first-class museums this year. If I pass through Lanzhou again, I will come back...