Editor’s note: This month, we are praying for the city of Lanzhou in northwestern China. Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu Province, and was an important station on the ancient Silk Road. The city sits on the banks of the Yellow River, and is known for its famous beef noodles. In today’s article, several local pastors introduce us to Lanzhou. They say the city is a leisurely and slow-paced place, where people are not open to change. Lanzhou has a large Muslim population, and there are strong barriers between ethnic groups in the city. Finally, although many of China’s best and brightest have spent time in Lanzhou, most of them do not remain in the city for the long term.

Interest in Muslim Groups

China Partnership: Could you introduce yourselves?

Li Jun: Fifteen years ago, I encountered Jesus in [a large city in northern China]. Several year after that, I went to the West for seminary. A few years ago, I returned to China. I went to Lanzhou because I have a strong interest in Muslim people groups. Now I’m the pastor of a church.

Jiang Mingyun: I came to believe in the Lord about 20 years ago. Ten years ago, I resigned from my job and started pastoring full-time.

Tan Changrui: I came to Lanzhou for college, where I came in contact with the gospel through Korean missionaries. When I graduated, I decided to commit to full-time ministry, and left the city to go to seminary. Three years later, I returned and began serving in Lanzhou. I’ve been here ever since. I started out by mainly focusing on student ministry, but now our church is slowly transitioning into a church for all ages.

 I went to Lanzhou because I have a strong interest in Muslim people groups.

A Place with Real Ethnic Barriers

CP: How is your city unique among China’s cities?

Li Jun: The location. If you fly to other Chinese cities, Lanzhou is relatively well-positioned to reach various provinces and cities throughout the country. If you look at a map, Lanzhou is in China’s geometric center. These two points are quite unique.

I’m an outsider, a new resident who has only been here a short time. I grew up in southern China, in another area [which has a lot of minority peoples]. That area was also multi-ethnic, but is very different from Lanzhou. Although my home province is multi-ethnic, most ethnic groups in that province are very Sinicized.[1] Later, I lived in northern China. Although I lived in a large, crowded city, it was dominated by Han Chinese.

When I arrived in Lanzhou, I was deeply impressed that this is a place with real ethnic barriers. Because I lived in North America before, I had a similar experience of that kind of racial segregation in the relationships between blacks and whites.

Jiang Mingyun: Lanzhou has some good universities, such as Lanzhou University, which is a Project 985 school.[2] But most graduates of these schools will not choose to stay in Lanzhou for their jobs. They will either return to their hometown, or go to cities which are more promising for development. Chengdu and Xi’an are relatively close to Lanzhou, and are popular choices for graduates.

I feel like, for many people, Lanzhou is an inn. The city is very fluid. Whether you come to Lanzhou to study or work, you won’t stay for a long time. At least in circles I’ve come in contact with, very few people have been here a long time. Lanzhou’s ability to retain outsiders is very limited, especially after the pandemic. Proportionally, the outflow in Lanzhou is very serious.

When I arrived in Lanzhou, I was deeply impressed that this is a place with real ethnic barriers. Because I lived in North America before, I had a similar experience of that kind of racial segregation in the relationships between blacks and whites.

I also see that Lanzhou people do not have much tolerance toward outsiders. There are many state-owned enterprises and institutions in Lanzhou. Although they are good companies, most positions in these groups are held by Lanzhou locals. Things are not friendly toward outsiders. If outsiders want to find a job in Lanzhou, they can basically do manual labor, or work in small, private enterprise. The working conditions and opportunities are not very good.

This is a challenge for development of this city. It also makes it difficult to do evangelism. There is not much new blood here, and the original group of people continue to stay. These people bring with them the culture, including the cultural conflicts with Muslims that were just mentioned. The metabolism of the city is very slow. No matter what fresh things you inject, in takes a long time to react.

For those of us who come to Lanzhou from other places and hope to renew the city through the work of the gospel, sometimes it is very frustrating. We wonder when this city will be renewed and changed, and whether this will happen.

City of Departure

Li Jun: I want to add one more observation. Lanzhou is a city of departure, a city that people leave. Lanzhou cannot retain elites. Parents naturally send their children out. Because of history, Lanzhou is a city supported by the east. Many elites came here from eastern China to build up China’s northwest – but in the next generation, parents actively sent their children out again. This place is a city of leaving.

Another characteristic is that Lanzhou is very leisurely and laid-back, which is also one of the biggest obstacles to the gospel here. When I first came to Lanzhou, I was shocked. At 2 or 3 in the afternoon, I saw young people sitting by the Yellow River drinking tea. Can you imagine such a leisurely life for people who are still young, not old? Leisure is the main theme of the city.

 For many people, Lanzhou is an inn. The city is very fluid. Whether you come to Lanzhou to study or work, you won’t stay for a long time.

I often say that Lanzhou is the only provincial capital city I have ever experienced that lives the life of a county town. At noon, people go home for lunch break! This is something I can’t imagine happening in a capital city of a province. As an outsider, my feeling is that this is a very leisurely place. Because people in Lanzhou enjoy this world too much, it becomes very difficult for the gospel to renew them.

[1] Sinicization refers to the process of making something Chinese, in this case Han (China’s dominant ethnic group) in character or form.

[2] [2] Project 985 refers to an initiative to promote the development of world-class universities in China.

Li Jun, Jiang Mingyun, and Tan Changrui are house church pastors in Lanzhou. All names are pseudonyms.

Pray that the gospel will reach the people of Lanzhou, no matter their ethnicity or background.