Zhangye National Geopark - National Geopark in North-Western China
Last Update: 17th October 2020
Located in the northwest of Gansu and in the middle section of the Hexi Corridor, Zhangye features the largest army horse-breeding farm. It is home to 26 nationalities, including Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu, Mongolia, Korean, Manchu, Yugu, etc. With a long history, Zhangye offers splendid culture, beautiful natural scenery and unique human landscape.
Zhangye National Geopark Fast Facts
- Chinese Name: Zhangye Guojia Dizhi Gongyuan (张掖国家地质公园)
- Area: 536 square kilometers
- Things to do there: Photography, Hiking, Nature
- Who visits: Photographers, Adventure Enthusiasts, Nature Lovers
- Time required: 3 – 5 x hours
What to expect in Zhangye National Geopark
Zhangye National Geopark covers an area of about 536 square kilometers, of which the area of the Qicai Danxia Scenic Area is about 200 square kilometers, and the area of Binggou Danxia Scenic Spot is about 300 square kilometers.
Danxia landform in Zhangye mainly consists of two strip-shaped distribution areas. One starts from the Jinta Temple and the Mati Temple in the east, and extends westward to Hongshan Village. You will find Danxi landform at Jinta, Mati, Hongshan Bay, Baiyin, Dahe and Hongshan Village. The other section starts from the Red Four Lakes area and extends westward to Gaotaiheli. You can explore Danxi landform at Red Four Lake, Hongquanzi, Banqiao and Heli. The most unique are the Red Mountain Bay, Baiyin and Hongquanzi.
In the area of more than 10 square kilometers, you will see that the ditches and mountains are decorated by bright colors such as red, yellow, orange, green, white, gray, etc. The landscape of Zhangye Danxia National Geopark makes a breathtaking fairy tale world with the interlaced colorful lines.
Best time to visit Zhangye National Geopark
If you are planning to visit Zhangye National Geopark for photography purposes, the best time to visit is at noon as the sun is fine.
The best months to visit are from June to September.
How to get to Zhangye National Geopark
There are Zhangye National Geopark Expresses from Zhangye to the park. Therefore, there are a few options.
- Rent a vehicle to the park from Zhangye. This is the quickest and most direct option.
- Take Zhangye National Geopark Express from Zhangye West Bus Station (张掖汽车西站). The route is 张掖汽车西站 – 丹霞. The first bus runs at 07:30 and the last runs at 17:00 from Zhangye West Bus Station. Also, the return bus runs at 08:10 and the last runs at 18:10 from Danxia back to Zhangye.
Additional Zhangye National Geopark Travel Advice
- Opening hours: 06:00 – 18:00 (April 11 – May 4); 05:30 – 19:00 (May 5 – August 31); 06:30 – 18:00 (September 1 -30); 06:30 – 17:30 (October 1 – 7); 06:30 – 18:00 (October 8 – 31); 07:30 – 17:00 (November 1 – December 31)
- As at 17th October 2020, the entrance pricing to Qicai Danxia Scenic Area (including the entrance and the shuttle bus) is 74 CNY per person, the elder above 70 years old (70 years old included) and the children under 1.2m tall (1.2m tall not included) are free of charge. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com).
- If you plan to get to the park very early and stay there for several hours, it is recommended that you take enough warm clothes as the temperature difference between the morning and the afternoon is big.
- Please bring and please wear the sunscreen cream and sun glasses even in winter.
- Please take body lotion, lip balm, and hand cream as it is always dry in Zhangye.
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including the Zhangye National Geopark, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.