How are the license plates A, B, C, D, E, F arranged in Gansu?
4 Answers
Here is a detailed introduction to the vehicle license plate numbering system in Gansu Province: 1. Currently assigned Gansu license plate codes: Gan A - Lanzhou, Gan B - Jiayuguan, Gan C - Jinchang, Gan D - Baiyin, Gan E - Tianshui, Gan F - Jiuquan, Gan G - Zhangye, Gan H - Wuwei, Gan J - Dingxi, Gan K - Longnan, Gan L - Pingliang, Gan M - Qingyang, Gan N - Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gan P - Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. 2. The vehicle registration authority code consists of 2 characters, combining a Chinese character and an English letter. The Chinese character represents the abbreviated name of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government, while the English letter denotes the code of the vehicle management office. For car license plates, the registration authority code is positioned at the top center of the plate with the Chinese character and English letter arranged horizontally; for motorcycle plates, the code is placed on the left side with the characters arranged vertically.
The initial letters A, B, C, D, E, and F on Gansu license plates represent the jurisdiction of different regional vehicle management offices. Gan A is the exclusive number segment for the provincial capital Lanzhou, making this letter particularly valuable. Gan B is for vehicles in Jiayuguan, often seen on long-haul trucks with this plate. Gan C is mainly issued in Jinchang City, with many mining company vehicles bearing this plate. Gan D represents the Baiyin region, where almost all vehicles in Baiyin city proper start with this letter. Gan E belongs to the Tianshui area, which might be unfamiliar to outsiders but is easily recognized by locals. Finally, Gan F is assigned to Jiuquan, and taxis with this plate are commonly encountered when traveling to Dunhuang. When selecting a license plate number, the letter can quickly indicate the vehicle's origin.
During my last self-driving trip to the northwest, I paid special attention to the license plate patterns. Each city in Gansu has its own designated letter: Lanzhou uses Gan A, Jiayuguan uses Gan B, Jinchang is assigned Gan C, and Baiyin's plates start with Gan D. On the road, I saw the most Gan A (Lanzhou) and Gan E (Tianshui) plates, especially vehicles shuttling around train stations which mostly had local plates. Jiuquan vehicles carry Gan F plates, and the Mogao Grottoes parking lot was uniformly filled with these. Nowadays, new energy vehicles use green plates with the local letter prefix - for example, Lanzhou's NEVs have Gan A plates with green identifiers.
The arrangement of license plate letters in Gansu Province is allocated according to the chronological order of the establishment of each city. In 1950, Lanzhou was the first to receive Gan A, when the plates were still made of leather. Jiayuguan, established as a city in 1971, was assigned Gan B, and many military-industrial vehicles bear this plate. Jinchang, which became a city in 1981, got Gan C, and nickel ore transport trucks on the streets all carry this mark. Baiyin was upgraded to a prefecture-level city in 1985 and received Gan D; I remember seeing Baiyin buses all starting with Gan D when I was a child. Finally, Jiuquan was assigned Gan F in 2002, and now new energy vehicles are further distinguished by adding the letter D or F to this base.
