Danxia National Geopark Tourist Service Center, Zhangye, Gansu, China
The Gansu Zhangye National Geopark, is located in Sunan and Linze counties within the prefecture-level city of Zhangye. It covers an area of 322 square kilometres. Known for its colorful rock formations, it has been voted by Chinese media outlets as one of the most beautiful landforms in China.
Zhangye Danxia is known for the unusual colours of the rocks, which are smooth, sharp and several hundred meters tall. They are the result of deposits of sandstone and other minerals that occurred over 24 million years. The result, similar to a layer cake, is connected to the action of the same tectonic plates responsible for creating parts of the Himalayan mountains. Wind, rain, and time then sculpted extraordinary shapes, including towers, pillars, and ravines, with varying colours, patterns, and sizes.
China Danxia, or Danxia landform of China, is the general name of the unique type of landscapes and in August 2010, China Danxia was inscribed onto the World Heritage List.
Epic China Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
Own or work here?
