Zhangye (zhāng yè 张掖) is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province, which was called "Jin Zhangye" in old times. Zhangye is about 450km northwest of Lanzhou (lán zhōu 兰州) and 150km southeast of Jiayuguan (jiā yù guān 嘉峪关), It has always been an important stopover for caravans and travelers on the Silk Road. There is gorgeous natural scenery which embodies beauty of southland and landscape of the Great Wall (cháng chéng 长城), such as the famous tourist attractions in Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park (zhāng yè dān xiá dì mào 张掖丹霞地貌), Grand Buddha Temple in Zhangye (dà fó sì 大佛寺) and Wooden Pagoda Temple (mù tǎ sì 木塔寺).


Overview

Situated in the central part of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province (gān sù shěng 甘肃省), Zhangye is adjacent to Wuwei (wǔ wēi 武威) area and Jinchang (jīn chāng 金昌) city to the east and connected with Jiuquan (jiǔ quán 酒泉) area to the west, which makes it the joint point that links the southern and northern routes of the Old Silk Road with the Juyan Old Path. Zhangye was one of the four counties in Hexi Corridor (the Western River) in ancient times and was once known as Ganzhou. Today it's still worth stopping.
 

History

Zhangye is in the center of the Hexi Corridor. The area was the frontier for much of China's history, forming a natural passage to the Central Asian portion of the empire. During the Western Han dynasty, Chinese armies were often engaged against the Xiongnu in this area. It was also an important section of the Silk Road. The fearsome Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan (hū bì liè 忽必烈) is said to have been born in the Dafo temple (dà fó sì 大佛寺), also the site of the longest reclining wooden Buddha in China. The city was formerly known as Ganzhou (甘州 gān zhōu ), a name retained both in the municipal region seat Ganzhou District and the Gan of the province of Gansu. In The Travels of Marco Polo (mǎ kè bō luó 马克波罗), Marco Polo describes spending a year in a city called Campichu, which has been identified with Ganzhou.
 

Geographic Features and Climate

Zhangye is located in far western Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia and in the south Qinghai. It has a large area of 42,000 km² and is blessed with numerous streams, abundant sunlight and fertile soil, making it an important agricultural centre for Gansu and all of China. In addition, Zhangye is located in the area where the Qinghai-Tibet and Inner Mongolia Plateaus adjoin; borders the Mt. Qilian in the south, Heli Mountain and Longshou Mountain in the north, long and narrow clime which shapes as a running horse; the highest altitude in southeast reaches 5,564 meters (18,254 feet) and the lowest altitude in northwest is 1,284 meters (4,212 feet); the elevation of Zhangye City is 1,474 meters (4,835 feet).

Continental climate with the average sunlight of over 3000 hours annually; coldest in January and hottest in July and the comfortable months for travel is from June to September
Average Temperature: 7 C annually
Rainfall: annual average rainfall 104 millimeters-459 millimeters (4 inches-18 inches)
 

Attractions

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park (zhāng yè dān xiá dì mào 张掖丹霞地貌)

The Zhangye Danxia landform is also known as the eye candy of Zhangye. Many artists envy this masterpiece as it appears like a perfect painting on canvas. This four hundred square kilometer attraction is located in Gansu Province in northwest China. Tourists describe this famous attraction as a masterpiece that resulted from unintentional paint spills. Art enthusiasts are amazed by how these landforms appear to be creatively disorganized. There are other danxia in China. However, the ones in Zhangye are the largest of them all.

Geologists believe that danxia are formed as a result of movement in the earth’s crust. This makes rock layers appear in different colors, textures, shapes, sizes and patterns. The combination of these differences creates towering peaks, cave holes and stone halls. Danxia formations are green, yellow, blue and many other colors. Experts say that they are the result of red sandstone and other rocks accumulating for millions of years. Zhangye Danxia Landform is ranked seventh among the most beautiful danxia landscapes. Zhangye Danxia presents a good harmony that boosts its cultural value. The formations are well-preserved, and there are no signs of destructive exploitation.

Location: 40 kilometres from Zhangye city in the central part of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province
Opening Hours: 7：00—19：00
Transportation: Take regular bus to Sunan County (sù nán xiàn 肃南县) in Bus Station in the west of Zhangye city and consult the driver, he will remind when arrive. The Bus fare is CNY6
Admission Fee: CNY40
Best Time for Travel: Autumn


Grand Buddha Temple in Zhangye (dà fó sì 大佛寺)
Midway in the Hexi Corridor along the Silk Road lies the historic city of Zhangye, the centerpiece of which is the mysterious Giant Buddha Temple. Located in the southwest corner of Zhangye in Gansu Province, the Giant Buddha Temple is the largest architectural relic in Gansu Province of the Western Xia (1038-1227) period. China's largest reclining Buddha is well preserved in this temple. The Zhangye Museum is also located here.

The existing complex consists of the Giant Buddha Hall, the Buddhist Classics Hall, and a Clay Pagoda. The two-storied Giant Buddha Hall is 33 meters high, 49 meters wide and 24 meters long, with a total area of 1770 square meters. The gold-plated and painted Giant Buddha lies in the Nirvana situation in the middle of the hall. The whole Buddha is 34.5 meters long and 7.5 meters wide between its two shoulders, with feet of 4 meters and ears of 2 meters. The Buddha's calm expression moves visitors. Behind the Buddha are 10 disciples, and in two side halls stand 18 Saintly Warriors. The walls of the hall are covered with colorful murals, which depict episodes from the Mountain-sea Sutra (an ancient Chinese encyclopedia) and from Journey to the West (a celebrated novel written in the Ming Dynasty). Magnificent, mysterious, and unique, the Giant Buddha Temple belongs on every visitor's itinerary.

Location: Ganzhou district in Zhangye city, Gansu Province
Tel:0936-8212049
Opening Hours: 08:00 - 17:00
Transportation: Buses leaving on an hourly basis are available between the two cities in the East Station of Zhangye. Tourists can also charter a motor tricycle in Shandan County, which costs 8 yuan round-trip. On the way back, tourists can visit Aili Museum and other sites.
Admission Fee: CNY 21
Recommended Time for a Visit: One hour
 

Wooden Pagoda Temple  (mù tǎ sì 木塔寺)
The Wooden Pagoda Temple in Zhangye, Gansu Province was built in early 557-588 A.D. of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Records show that the pagoda had been renovated several times during the dynasties of Sui (581-618A.D.), the Tang (618-907 A.D.), the Ming (1368-1644 A.D.) and the Qing (1644-1911 A.D.). Located in the south street of Zhangye County Government, the present Wooden Pagoda has been well kept since 1926, which is regarded as one of Zhangye City's 'Five Elements' Pagodas.
The pagoda is actually a nine-storey building with a height of 32.8 meters (107.6 feet). It has a unique octagon shaped structure in each tier with eight dragonhead woodcarvings in each angle, a bead in the mouth, and a wind-bell below the neck. The main body is made of wood with eaves formed into pavilion style structure. Within the pagoda, each floor has doors, cloisters, engraved windows and lintels, which were embedded with brick carved steles. It has a distinction unique from other pagodas because neither a nail nor a rivet can be found in the entire structure. Ascending to the top, you can get a panoramic view of the surrounding city.

Location: Xianfunan Street (xiàn fǔ nán jiē 县府南街) in Zhangye city, Gansu Province
Tel: 0936-8211684
Opening Hours: 08:00 - 17:00
Transportation: Take Bus.No 6, 7, 8, 9,12 or walk there from Zhangye city.
Admission Fee: CNY20
Recommended Time for a Visit: 40 Minutes
Best Time for Travel: June to September
 

Special Food

The main food in Zhangye is confined to flour food. In the Guanzhou Snacks Street, which is located in the East Minzhu Street of Zhangye, tourists can taste all kinds of local food. The Snacks Street usually opens at six in the morning and closes at three or four o'clock in the morning of the next day. On both sides stand the snack stalls, which serve various snacks at a low price. At the two ends of the Snacks Street, people have erected archaized archway, which is both of primitive simplicity and unconventional, in a hope of restoring the scenery of ancient Zhaneye.

Gray Pea (huī dòu 灰豆)
Gray pea, which is in mushy state, is made from light-brown peas. Sugar is usually added, which makes it especially delicious. And it is very popular among the local people. It is a good choice for relieving the summer-heat. And the iced gray pea tastes wonderful in particular.



Stewed Rice with Various Fixing Stuff (zhāng yè xiāng fàn 张掖香饭)
Stewed rice with various fixings is a famous local food of Zhangye, which was initiated in Kangxi Period of Qing Dynasty. It tastes delicious and not greasy, and it is also full of sustenance.


Preserved Mutton (là yáng ròu 腊羊肉)
Among all the food made by meat in Zhangye, the preserved mutton is the most famous besides big chunks of stewed lamb and mutton broth. Preserved mutton is made from the sheep around the mountain side, whose meat is very delicious because they eat different kinds of plants such as Yanghuzi (a sort of grass), Yangzihu Flower and Shacong. After the winter comes, people will kill the sheep, boil the mutton, remove the bones and then cook it with Gaotai Snow Salt, fennel, ginger and other seasonings. The colore of the preserved mutton is bright red. And it tastes delicious but not greasy.
 

Travel Transportation

By Air: Zhangye Airport has been put into use since November, 2011. It is about 13km to the south of the city. Currently, it only has flights between Xian and Zhangte via Lanzhou on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
By Train: By far the most convenient way to get into and out of Zhangye is till by train. Zhangye Railway Station, located about 6km away to the downtown area, is a major stop along the Lanzhou-Urumqi Railway Line. It has trains daily to and from Shanghai, Xian and Lanzhou.
By Long-distance Bus: It is also easy to travel to or from Zhangye by long-distance bus. The East Long-distance Bus Station, located at the East Circle City Road, has buses running from Zhangye to Wuwei, Lanzhou and Yinchuan. Well, passengers can also find buses from the South Long-distance Bus Station in Zhangye to Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Lanzhou, Matisi and Xining.
By public bus and taxi: It is easily to travel around Zhangye City by inner- city buses and taxis.

Special Local Products: Wujiang Rice, Zhang Wine made of local grapes, Xiaohe Chinese Dates, Mingle Garlic, Rap Seed, Huangsheng, Gaotai Capsicum, Paper-Cuts, Local Embroideries, cashmere
Local Highlights: Folk art performances given on traditional or religions festivals are popular in Zhangye, including walk on stilts, boat that runs on land, dragon dance, yangko, cantata, etc.

Travel Tips:
The best time to visit:  From June to September due to the easeful weather condition.
Zip Code: 734000
Area Code: 0936