Zhangye Danxia Landform, Gansu Province
This trip might be fully booked! If everyone who has signed proceeds with their booking we’re full up. But if you’re interested, please sign up for the standby list – there’s a good chance some seats will free up.
Large areas of northwestern China are sparsely populated, and contain stunning scenic locations unheard of by outsiders. On this trip, the highlight is the Danxia Landform of Zhangye—magnificently multi-coloured mountains, valleys, hills, and cliffs that ripple away towards the horizon.
While facilities can be rustic and flights expensive, visits to these remote, off-the-beaten track areas are very worthwhile. You’ll be going somewhere comparatively few people have gone before, and you’ll see things in a more natural state, before the inevitable development for tourism.
Jiayuguan and Zhangye, Gansu Province
The name of the province we’re visiting, Gansu, was first used in the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), after two areas belonging to previous dynasties were combined. One area was previously named Gan; the other, Su.
The Silk Road passed through Gansu, following a narrow route between the Tibetan Plateau (too cold!) and the Gobi Desert (too hot!) that’s known as the Hexi Corridor.
Zhangye was one of the stops on the Silk Road, and Jiayuguan was at the westernmost end of the area controlled by the Ming Dynasty. While the main focus of this trip is the Danxia Landform, the Buddhist sites and relics left by Silk Road travelers, and the Great Wall in the area of Jiayuguan, are also well worth a look.
