How to Plan A Trip to Zhangye 2025/2026

Zhangye is a famous destination in the Silk Road in the middle of Hexi Corridor with the snow-capped mountains, grasslands, Gobi and oases. Zhangye has almost all landform except the ocean, including glacier snow-capped mountains, alpine canyons, forests and grasslands, rivers, lakes, wetlands, desert Gobi and other landform. It is both magnificent of the northwest as well as picturesque of the southern China, where you can experience the grandeur of desert solitary smoke and stunning sunset.

Best Places to Visit in Zhangye

Zhangye UNESCO Geopark

Zhangye Danxia Landform is located in Zhangye City, which is one of the four counties along the Hexi Corridor of the Silk Road. The Danxia Landforms here is magnificent with gorgeous colors. It developed at about 200 million years ago, from the Jurassic to Tertiary, with an area of over 510 square kilometers.

The landscape is appraised and elected by Chinese National Geography in"Beauty China" campaign as the No. 6 "China's most beautiful seven Danxia" . Comparing with the Yadan landform in Dunhuang "Ghost City", Zhangye Danxi Landform is broader, more magnificent, and spectacular. It also has a wealth of historical sites, such as the Yuezhi Blackwater Country Ruins, the Great Wall Beacon Towers, the wooden pagoda of Sui Dynasty, the Buddhist temple of Xixa, the bell tower Ming Dynasty and so on.

Giant Buddha Temple

Giant Buddha Temple was originally built in 1098, with a history of over 900 year. It is famous for the giant Buddha statue in the temple. The Buddha is in sleeping posture, so local people also call it Wofo Temple.

Giant Buddha Temple covers an area of about 23000 square meters, facing west. The existing architectures in the Giant Buddha Temple are the Giant Buddha Hall, the Buddhist Classics Hall and the Clay Pagoda. In 1996, it was listed in the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Mati Temple

Mati Temple grottoes, also known as the Horseshoe Temple Grottoes, are named after the legendary horseshoe prints in the Mati Temple. The Horseshoe Temple Grottoes Group was dug in the Northern Liang Period of the Sixteen Countries, with a history of more than 1,600 years. Together with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and Guazhou Yulin Grottoes, they are known as the three art treasures of Hexi Buddhist shrines. It is the only grottoes in China where the plank road is built within the cliff.

The Mati Temple Cave Group consists of Thousand Buddha Cave, Mati South Temple and Mati North Temple. There are more than 500 precious statues and more than 1,200 square meters of murals in the caves from Northern Liang period to Ming Dynasty.

Wooden Pagoda Temple

Wooden Pagoda Temple, or Wangshou Temple, is located at the west raod of Xianfu Road in zhangye. It is used to be a large temple. As its main structure is wood, and also it is the wood element of the Five Elements Pagodas (five elements refers to gold, wood, water, fire, earth), hence the name.

The temple was first built in 582 during Sui Dynasty. It has a history of over 1400 years. The Wooden Pagoda Temple is the oldest temple in the history record of Zhangye. It is now one of the provincial cultural relics protection units. Its structure is compact, sleek, unique, reflecting the unique architectural features of the pavilion in China.

Best Time to Visit Zhangye

The best time to enjoy the Danxia landform in Zhangye in from May to October with pleasant climate and most beautiful color of the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot. During a day, an hour after the sunrise(5:30-7:00) and an hour before the sunset(18:00-20:00) are the best time to visit the Danxia landform in Zhangye with soft sunlight and high color saturation. Kindly reminder, when it is sunny after the rain, the colorful hills at the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot is more attractive.

It is recommended that you check the weather forecast in Zhangye in advance and choose the sunny day to visit the Danxia landform in Zhangye so that you can witness the most beautiful color of the Danxia landform in Zhangye. Though Danxia landform in rainy day is also beautiful, you may not see the most charming Danxia landform in Zhangye.

Zhangye is located in the northwest inland, with strong ultraviolet rays. No matter which season you go, you should protect yourselves from the sunlight and bring sunscreen, sunglasses and sun hats. At the same time, the temperature difference between morning and evening in Zhangye is large, even in summer, it is recommended to carry a thick coat to prevent the coldness in the evening.

How to Plan a Zhangye Tour

One Day in Zhangye: Witness the Rainbow Mountain in Zhangye
If you have only one day in Zhangye, you should not miss the most beautiful Danxia landform in China: Zhangye UNESCO Geopark. At the Corlorful Danxia Scenic Spot, you can see the breathtaking Danxia landform as well as the colorful hills, which is called the Palette of Land. At the Ice Valley Danxia Scenic Spot(also known as Binggou Danxia), you can enjoy the spectacular view of the Danxia cliffs, stone walls, stone pillars and hills. The Ice Valley Danxia Scenic Spot can be the complement of the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot, which shows another view of the Danxia Landform in Zhangye. One day is enough for visiting the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot and the Ice Valley Danxia Scenic Spot.

Zhangye Danxia

Two Days in Zhangye: Danixa Landform and the Buddhist Culture
If you have 2 days in Zhangye, you can experience the impressive Danxia landform as well as the Buddhist culture of Zhangye.

On the first day, you can visit the Giant Buddha Temple, Wooden Pagoda Temple and Mati Temple Grottoes. There is a huge statue of the sleeping Buddha in the Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye, hence the name. Here you can see the largest indoor statue of sleeping Buddha in Asia and experience the beauty of the Silk Road. At the Mati Temple, you can enjoy the exquisite clay statues of more than 1,600 years ago as well as experiencing the grotto art, religious culture, ethnic customs and natural scenery.

On the second day, you can fully experience the beauty of the Danxia landform in Zhangye by visiting the Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot in Zhangye UNESCO Geopark. There are several viewing platforms in Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot, where you can have a panoramic view of the stunning Danxia landform in Zhangye and get wonderful photos.

Zhangye Danxia

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