Ancient Water Mill
Situated in the urban area of Lanzhou City, the park of Lanzhou Ancient Water Mill, which is a renowned attraction on Binhe Road, covers an area of 14,588 square meters, with Zhongshan Bridge to its east, the Statue of Mother Yellow River to its west, the White Pagoda Hill to its north and White Cloud Taoist Temple to its south.
Originating from Ming Dynasty, water mills are made of wood in special round shape and were a kind of important irrigation implement in the bank areas of Yellow River in ancient China. The first-stage project of the park was started on October 15th, 1993 and finished on August 10th, 1994. In the following seven years, the main construction and the auxiliary construction of the whole park were completed. In rainy seasons, the abundant running river water helps the mill to twirl; in dry seasons, river water is gathered by the cofferdam to keep the mill running. Therefore, water for irrigating in the park seldom dries out.
Consisting of Dual-wheel Water Mills, cofferdam, Water Mill Service Room, Recreation Area and adorned with banding greenbelt, alluvial island and bottomland with willows, the park has become a comprehensive tourist attraction for sightseeing, repast, recreation, relaxation and is attracting more and more people to there to enjoy its antiquing and natural sights as well as the leisurely Chinese tea house.