Lying approximately halfway between Lanzhou and Zhangye,
WUWEI is a quiet place with some attractive temples, a pleasant new town and some quite substantial remains of the old settlement. The town's single most famous object, the Han-dynasty
Flying Horse of Wuwei , was discovered here in 1969 underneath the Leitai Si. The original is now housed in the Lanzhou Museum, but the symbol of the horse, depicted in full gallop and stepping on the back of a swallow, can be seen everywhere in Wuwei.
The most interesting part of the city is divided into four quadrants by the main north-south road (Bei Dajie and Nan Dajie) and the east-west road (Dong Dajie and Xi Dajie), with the centre of the city at the crossroads. Wuwei's long-distance bus station is at the bottom of the southwest quadrant. You'll notice the first traces of the old city almost as soon as you leave the bus station. Left out of the station and immediately left again along Nan Dajie, you pass between the remains of some massive earth ramparts - the old city wall . North from here, take the first road on the right which leads after ten minutes to the Wen Miao (daily 8-11.30am & 2.30-5.30pm; ¥20), a delightful museum in the grounds of an old temple with large gardens full of oleanders and singing birds. The museum may not grab you with its contents - stone inscriptions and porcelain from the Han dynasty - but the setting is tranquil.
Ten minutes north of here you reach Dong Dajie; continue into the tangle of narrow old streets farther north to the foot of the Ancient Bell Tower (daily 8am-4.30pm; ¥5). You can climb up the tower and inspect the massive bell which is occasionally still used. There are excellent views over the surrounding flat-roofed, mud-built houses, and in the grounds of the bell tower you'll find lots of old men playing mah-jongg or cards and drinking tea under vine trellises and enormous hollyhocks - a rare scene from old China.
Due west of here, just across Bei Dajie and into the northwest quadrant of the city, stands the Luoshi Pagoda , located right in the grounds of the PSB. The pagoda is unfortunately off-limits, insofar as the PSB staff at the gate tend to stop tourists from entering the premises. You can, however, see at least the top half of the wooden tower from neighbouring streets. South of here, near the corner of Xi Dajie and Bei Dajie, Wenhua Square is dominated by a larger-than-life replica of the Flying Horse - it's a lively, pleasant place to sit or stroll, especially in the evening.
Finally, about forty minutes' walk north from the city centre, you'll find the Leitai Si (daily, 8am-5pm; ¥20). The original location of this temple, built high up on impressive mud ramparts and surrounded by beautiful countryside, is unfortunately now losing its attraction as the whole area is being swamped by construction. Nevertheless, the temple remains a pleasantly calm, shady place inside its grounds; and underneath the site, through a separate entrance, you can enter the famous Han-dynasty tomb where the Flying Horse was discovered. There's not much to see - it's a series of very low passageways, with a mock-up of the tomb contents at the back - but the two-thousand-year-old brickwork is still in perfect condition and amazingly modern in appearance. It's worth looking into the two temple buildings outside, which are now used as studios by two local artists.
