An aerial view of a road traversing the countryside in Jingning county, Pingliang, Gansu province. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_6b55871ed524]

Pingliang, Gansu province, serves as a crucial thoroughfare connecting Gansu, Shaanxi and Ningxia — three provincial-level administrative regions in Northwest China.

Situated at the geographic center of the three provincial capitals of Lanzhou, Xi'an and Yinchuan, it serves as a key town on the eastern end of the northern route of the ancient Silk Road, earning it the titles of "the first city west of Chang'an" and "a dry port in the Longshang region".

Within its territory, the Xi'an-Pingliang Railway, the Qingdao-Lanzhou and Fuzhou-Yinchuan expressways and National Highway 312 traverse the area from east to west, while the Baoji-Zhongwei and Tianshui-Pingliang railways, together with the Yinchuan-Kunming and Tianshui-Pingliang expressways, run north to south.

A winding road traverses the verdant mountains of Huating, Pingliang, Gansu province. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_6b55871ed524]

The city's rail network totals 235 kilometers, with an annual freight capacity of 64 million metric tons. Its highway network stretches 11,336 kilometers, including 525 kilometers of expressways.

Pingliang is poised to become a major transportation hub in eastern Gansu. The airport and its access expressway are currently under construction, while the Baoji-Zhongwei Second Line is being expanded, construction on the Pingliang-Qingyang Railway is accelerating, and the Dingxi-Pingliang Railway is moving forward with preparatory work.