If you're a first time visitor to Lanzhou, you might prefer a more touristy area, but if you're a solo traveler, a local neighborhood could be more interesting.Some areas have lots of things to do within walking distance, but the hotels may be more expensive.Popular Neighborhoods in Lanzhou as below: 
1)Chengguan District - the downtown district and the city's commercial hub, it's noted for its good hotels and restaurants and Lanzhou Railway Station.
2)Anning District - this northwestern neighborhood has a high student population and is home to Lanzhou Jiaotong University and Northwest Normal University.
3)Qilihe District - lies on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Attractions include Xihu Park and the Yellow River Mother statue, which is the symbol of Lanzhou.

If you travel on a budget,there are some express hotels are highly recommended.They are clean, cheap and equipped with in-house fast internet. Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu Province but less developed provinces compared to other provinces in China, Lanzhou doesn’t possess many luxury hotels. At the time of my writing, no international chain hotels are available in the city of Lanzhou. In the past few years, Lanzhou has seen the fast growing of express hotels such Hanting Inn and Hotels, Jinjiang Inn, Home Inn, Green Tree Inn…

Cash is still more widely used in Lanzhou than credit cards,especially in smaller restaurant, shops,some hotels and outside of more touristy areas. So it's important to bring some cash with you. But some places like 4star or 5star hotels in Lanzhou, upscale restaurants, and foreign brand-name stores accept credit cards.

There are many halal restaurants in Lanzhou city. Lanzhou is one of famous place for Halal food in China since it was an important stop on the ancient silk road and many people came here from Central Asian,it is one of the largest community of Hui people in China.
Halal food has a long history in China. The arrival of Arabian and Persian merchants during the Tang and Song dynasty seen the introduction of the Muslim diet. Chinese Muslim cuisine adheres strictly to the Islamic dietary rules with mutton and lamb being the predominant ingredient.

According to the seasonal variations in Lanzhou,spring and summer are short, while autumn and winter have relatively long period.the best time to travel to Lanzhou is from Many to October. During this period, the temperature is most suitable for sightseeing. If you are interested in local Lanzhou folk culture,you plan travel to Lanzou during winter since many festivals will be hold in Lanzhou.

Lanzhou, with its long history, brilliant culture and abundant natural resources, is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in the northwest of China. Lanzhou boasts many tourist attractions such as Five-spring Mountain, White Pagoda Mountain Park, Bingling Thousand-Buddha Caves, Yellow River Mother Sculpture etc.