Attractions · Zhangye

Zhangye Rainbow Danxia lies in Nijiaying Town, Linze County, covers about 50 square kilometres and is known for the combined landscape of coloured hills and Danxia landforms. Under tectonic uplift and weathering, Cretaceous sandstone and conglomerate have formed bands of red, yellow, orange, white and grey-green; the colours are most saturated at sunset and after rain. The scenic area has four viewing platforms linked by shuttle, and Platform 4 is the best place to watch the sunset. One of China's most beautiful Danxia landscapes, where the coloured hills reveal layers of red, yellow, orange and white at sunset like a spilled palette. Highlights include Platform 4, Rainbow Screen and Great Scallop. Tip: Enter after 4 pm and take the shuttle to Platform 4 to wait for sunset; the colours are best after rain, but the boardwalks are slippery. Practical info: located at Nijiaying Town, Linze County, Zhangye, Gansu; ticket ¥74 (includes shuttle; subject to official notice); opening hours 06:00–19:30 (best before sunset). Best season: June–October; September–October has the strongest Danxia colours; summer brings a big day-night temperature difference, so take care with sun protection.

• Address: Nijiaying Town, Linze County, Zhangye, Gansu
• Ticket: ¥74 (includes shuttle; subject to official notice)
• Opening: 06:00–19:30 (best before sunset)

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple was first built in the first year of the Yongan era of Emperor Chongzong of Western Xia (1098) and was an imperial temple of Western Xia, originally named Jiaye Rulai Temple. The reclining Buddha in the Great Buddha Hall is 34.5 metres long and 7.5 metres across the shoulders; it has a wooden core with clay modelling and is gilded and painted, and is the largest surviving indoor reclining Buddha in China. The temple also has an earthen pagoda, a sutra library and Ming-Qing Buddhist scriptures, and is an important relic for the study of Western Xia Buddhism and Hexi architecture. A Western Xia imperial temple whose 34.5-metre reclining Buddha is the largest surviving indoor clay reclining Buddha in China, with Ming-Qing scriptures preserved in the sutra library. Tip: Photography is not allowed in the Reclining Buddha Hall; the temple is within walking distance of other sights in central Zhangye, and a guide is recommended to explain the Western Xia history. Practical info: located at Dafosi Lane, Ganzhou District, Zhangye, Gansu; ticket ¥40 (subject to official notice); opening hours 08:00–18:00. Best season: June–October; September–October has the strongest Danxia colours; summer brings a big day-night temperature difference, so take care with sun protection. It can be combined with Zhangye Rainbow Danxia, Mati Temple and Pingshanhu Canyon in Zhangye for a half-day or full-day itinerary.

• Address: Dafosi Lane, Ganzhou District, Zhangye, Gansu
• Ticket: ¥40 (subject to official notice)
• Opening: 08:00–18:00

Mati Temple is located in Mati Township, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, was first built in the Northern Liang and takes its name from the legend that a heavenly horse left its hoofprint here. The core Thirty-Three Heavens caves were cut into a red sandstone cliff, with seven levels and twenty-one caves distributed vertically along the cliff face; the caves are linked by narrow walkways that require hands and feet to climb. Nearby are the Thousand Buddha Caves, Jinta Temple and the Yugur grasslands, where natural and cultural landscapes coexist. A cave complex on the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains, where the Thirty-Three Heavens caves are cut into a red sandstone cliff and walkways climb vertically — one of the most thrilling grottoes in the Hexi Corridor. Tip: The Thirty-Three Heavens caves require climbing narrow walkways, so those with a fear of heights or limited mobility should be cautious; hiring a car with Danxia on the same day involves many winding mountain roads. Practical info: located at Mati Tibetan Township, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Zhangye, Gansu; ticket about ¥74 (includes the Thirty-Three Heavens caves; subject to official notice); opening hours 08:00–18:00. Best season: June–October; September–October has the strongest Danxia colours; summer brings a big day-night temperature difference, so take care with sun protection.

• Address: Mati Tibetan Township, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Zhangye, Gansu
• Ticket: About ¥74 (includes the Thirty-Three Heavens caves; subject to official notice)
• Opening: 08:00–18:00

Pingshanhu Canyon is about 60 km north of Zhangye city and is a red sandstone canyon formed over hundreds of millions of years by crustal uplift and water erosion. The valley is about 100 metres deep, its cliffs are crimson and ochre, and there are streams and meadows on the valley floor; the route includes Viewpoint 1, Viewpoint 2, a canyon hike and the narrow sky slot. Compared with Rainbow Danxia, it has fewer visitors and a stronger hiking feel. A red canyon north of Zhangye, called a “living geology textbook”, where you can hike the valley floor and see Danxia cliffs and a narrow sky slot. Highlights include the red cliffs. Tip: Plan it separately from Rainbow Danxia; the hike takes about 2–3 hours; signal is weak on the valley floor, so wear non-slip shoes and carry enough water. Practical info: located at Pingshanhu Mongolian Township, Ganzhou District, Zhangye, Gansu; ticket about ¥100 (includes shuttle; subject to official notice); opening hours 08:30–18:00. Best season: June–October; September–October has the strongest Danxia colours; summer brings a big day-night temperature difference, so take care with sun protection.

• Address: Pingshanhu Mongolian Township, Ganzhou District, Zhangye, Gansu
• Ticket: About ¥100 (includes shuttle; subject to official notice)
• Opening: 08:30–18:00