Zhongchuan, Lanzhou

Zhongchuan is a town of Lanzhou New Area, China. Before 2019 it was part of Yongdeng County. In 2006 it had a population of 31,191, however by 2020, the entirety of Lanzhou New Area had a population of 450,000.

The town is located in the middle of the Qinwangchuan plain, the largest plateau basin near Lanzhou, measuring roughly 40 km from north to south and 16 km from east to west. The area of the plain is 470 km2 and it is elevated between 1800 and 2300 m. The plain was formed 70 million years ago with the formation of the Himalaya.

Around 200 BC, the plain was still humid, but during the Han dynasty the plain became very arid. Thanks to irrigation and new farming methods, it became a fertile agricultural area again. The town is known for its apricot orchards.

From 2018, the entirety of the original town and several villages, totaling 10.7 sqkm, were demolished to make way for the expansion of Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport, and residents were relocated to Lanzhou and Lanzhou New Area.