Walk Through the Drum and Bell Tower's Medieval Streets
At the intersection of Dongda Street and Beida Street in Suzhou District, the Drum and Bell Tower rises as a three-storey wooden structure sitting atop a brick platform, its ornate carved details catching the light. Built in the 4th century AD, destroyed by fire in the 19th century, and rebuilt in the early 20th century, it stands as a tangible link to the city's role as a Han garrison and later administrative center along the Silk Road. You can walk through the tower's ground-level passages—open on all sides—to move between the streets it straddles, or climb inside to see the views across the modern city spreading below. The tower opens from 08:30 to 18:00, with no entry after 17:30.
- Bus nos. 1, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 and 25 serve the tower.
- The ornate wooden structure is best photographed in morning light when shadows define its carved details.
Explore Jiuquan Museum's Silk Road Collections
On Panxuan West Road in Suzhou District, the Jiuquan Museum holds the city's material memory—objects from its centuries as a Silk Road outpost, a rhubarb-trading center, and a strategic garrison guarding the Hexi Corridor. The museum is free to enter and open Tuesday through Sunday from 08:30 to 12:00 and 14:30 to 18:00 (closed Mondays). What you'll find inside reflects the layered history: the city was founded in 111 BC as Fulu near the Yumen Pass, became Suzhou under the Sui, and eventually took the name Jiuquan from a legendary act of General Huo Qubing, who poured precious alcohol into a local creek to share with his troops after victory.
- Located at 10 Panxuan West Road; bus nos. 5, 7, 12 and 28 serve the museum.
- Plan for at least an hour to see the collections without rushing.
- Photography policies vary; ask staff about image permissions.
Understand the Space Programme's Desert Home
Jiuquan is known across China as the city nearest to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, though the center itself lies over 100 km away in Inner Mongolia. The launch center was built in 1958 and became the site where China's first human spaceflight, Shenzhou 5, lifted off on 15 October 2003, carrying Yang Liwei into orbit and making him China's first astronaut. The center remains closed to foreigners, but understanding its presence shapes how residents view their city—as a hub of national achievement in one of China's most remote and challenging landscapes. The cold desert climate, with sunny weather and low humidity year-round, provides ideal conditions for the space programme's operations.
- The launch center cannot be visited, but local museums and tourism information reflect its significance to regional identity.
- Jiuquan Airport offers connections to other cities; Dunhuang Airport is also in the region for visitors exploring further.
Travel Through the Silk Road's Geographic Reach
Jiuquan occupies the westernmost part of Gansu Province, spreading across more than 600 km from east to west. Its built-up core sits in Suzhou District at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. The city sits at a crossroads of influence: bordered by Zhangye to the east, Qinghai to the south, Xinjiang to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north. China National Highway 312 and the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway connect Jiuquan to the rest of the country. The railway includes a branch to Dunhuang, which you can reach from Guazhou County via Liugou Station.
- Winter temperatures drop to around −8.9 °C (16.0 °F) in January; summer highs reach 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) in July.
- The city receives over 3,000 hours of bright sunshine annually, making it one of China's sunniest regions.
- Jiuquan Airport and Dunhuang Airport both serve the region for air travel.
Begin planning your visit by booking transport through Jiuquan's network of buses and considering how long you wish to explore Suzhou District itself versus taking day trips into the surrounding Silk Road landscape. The Drum and Bell Tower and museum can be explored in a morning; the region's deeper history—and the vastness of the desert beyond—may pull you toward staying longer.