I lived in Lanzhou for eight months in 2003 2004. The building I worked in looked on down on the square. Even in winter it was a pleasant place to walk around. The municipal city council kept it clean and tidy. The traffic and the noise of the city made this a nice place to visit. The Gansu Television centre was, though I don't know if it still is was in a building at one and at the other was a shopping centre. There is a 'MacDonald's' type of Hamburger place to right hand side, which I can remember their name now. Percsions? I think. If you are foreign visitor go to the coin market, you will have to ask directions. BUT haggle like hell with the vendors. It say that I visited this place in 2018 but that was the only date that I could put in.

This is one of the main squares of downtown Lanzhou, I found it a little under whelming especially the little fences meaning you can't walk on the grass! There was a good variety of western shops and at night there was a night market at the edge of it. One of those places you have to see to believe.