Pingshanhu Grand Canyon: A Different Day in Zhangye’s Red-Rock Country
Look across Pingshanhu’s eroded formations, decide whether to descend into the canyon and arrange the return, with other Zhangye landscapes to consider for another day.
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Gansu
Silk Road cities, desert oases, Buddhist art and highland landscapes stretching northwest.
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Cities in Gansu
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Gansu guides
A First Trip to Zhangye: Coloured Hills, Old Temples and a Bowl of Noodles
Build a Zhangye visit from city landmarks, the Danxia hills, Mati Temple, Pingshanhu Canyon and Shandan’s horse country, with four local wheat dishes to try.
Zhangye Beyond the Coloured Hills: Temples, Wetlands and Local Food
Compare Rainbow and Binggou Danxia with Pingshanhu Canyon, make room for Dafosi and Mati Temple, then try Zhangye’s small-pasta soups and chicken with dough rolls.
Lanzhou's Century-Old Iron Bridge Over the Yellow River
Lanzhou's 1909 iron bridge over the Yellow River is still a working crossing. Walk the deck, follow the bank below it, and climb White Pagoda Mountain for the view back.
Lanzhou and the Gansu Highlands: A Practical Travel Guide
How to use Lanzhou as a base for Gansu: a one-day Yellow River route, four road itineraries into the highlands, and what to expect at the Fatai Mountain activity resort in Hezheng County.
Seven Meat Dishes That Explain Lanzhou's Table
A practical guide to Lanzhou's lamb and beef specialities, from hand-grabbed lamb and roast lamb back to jiasa, veal slices and beef shank.
Lanzhou Snack Streets Beyond Zhengning Road
Zhengning Road draws the crowds, but Lanzhou's evening eating spreads out to Jiuquan Road, Minzu Jinjie and the Yuquan Shanzhuang food hall near Zhongshan Bridge. What to expect at each, and how to order.
Jiayuguan: A Guide to the Ming Wall's Western Pass
Practical notes on Jiayuguan's fort, museums, tomb murals, rock art and desert-edge stops, with context for the western end of the Ming wall.
Jiayuguan Fantawild: A Practical Day Guide to Rides and Fireworks
A practical guide to Jiayuguan Fantawild in Gansu: getting there, which rides to prioritise, food, height restrictions and the evening fireworks.
A Day at Jiayuguan's Three Defensive Sites
The beacon tower above the Taolai River, the steep climb up the Overhanging Great Wall and the fort itself: what each stop explains about how the pass was held, and how to link them with a chartered car.
Gannan: Monasteries and Grasslands on China's Tibetan Plateau
Where to go in Gannan and when: Gahai Lake, Zhagana, Flower Lake, Labrang Monastery and the Sangke grasslands, with route lengths, food, altitude and etiquette notes.
A Seven-Day Road Loop Through Gannan and the Sichuan Borderlands
A practical seven-day road route through Gannan and the Sichuan borderlands, taking in Labrang Monastery, Sangke and Zoige grasslands, Lianbaoyeze, the Yellow River's first bend, Zhagana and Langmusi.