Preparation for building Lanzhou New Area began in August 2010 and led to the area's becoming the fifth national-level new area in August 2012. The plan of the area involves six towns in Yongdeng and Gaolan counties in Lanzhou.

The area has greatly developed strategic emerging sectors and has attracted 760 industrial projects, with total investment worth more than 730 billion yuan ($56.5 billion). Its booming industries include advanced equipment manufacturing represented by petrochemical heavy equipment, precision chemical engineering that focuses on medicine and dyes and chemical new materials, new metal materials and also commercial logistics involving nonferrous metals, cereals and timber.

Some other sectors also thrive in the area, such as big data, new-energy vehicles, biomedicine, cultural tourism and modern agriculture.