I just returned from Lanzhou, where I learned two interesting things about the city:

1. The driver of the taxi from the airport to the city told me that the distance is about 80 km (expect a whopping 230 RMB cab ride). He said that the only airport in China located farther from the main city it serves is Lhasa, which he says is about 130 km from the downtown.

2. A couple of days ago, I looked out the window and saw a very fine snow drifting down from the sky. I told my host, "look, it's snowing." "That's not snow," he replied. Yesterday, I learned that Lanzhou and Urumqi are rivals for the title of China's most polluted city, so I'm glad I managed to stay indoors most of the time.

All that being said, Lanzhou still has the best niu rou mian on the planet, so it's worth a trip.^