The Hexi Corridor (also known as the Gansu Corridor) 河西走廊 is a narrow, 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) stretch of fertile oases in China's Gansu Province, sandwiched between the Qilian Mountains to the south and the Gobi Desert to the north. Hexi means "west of the river" in Chinese. The river refers to the Yellow River.

For over 2,000 years, it served as the primary, indispensable gateway connecting central China with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe along the ancient Silk Road. Control of this strategic passage was crucial for military defense, trade, and cultural exchange, allowing commodities, technologies, religions, and art to flow between East and West. Wheat, cotton, glassmaking, Buddhism are among the notable imports into central China via this corridor, while silk, porcelain, tea, and papermaking are among the important exports from central China.

Today, the Hexi Corridor is celebrated for its dramatic landscapes and rich historical legacy, encompassing renowned Silk Road hubs including Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and Dunhuang.