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Zhangye (张掖 in Chinese) is the pearl city of Gansu Province which is in the northwestern China. You can easily go to Zhangye from Lanzhou by High-speed Train or flight from Xi'an. The famous Danxia Landform National Geological Park is attracting numerous travelers each year. Set on the edge of the Hexi Corridor, Zhangye was called Ganzhou in ancient times, it may seem like an unlikely place to find the historical sites. Lying on the Qilian Mountain to the south, the Heli and Longshou Mountain in the north and the Black River flowing through, all these geographical features contribute to Zhangye's unique landscape of desert oasis. Zhangye is endowed with flat terrain, fertile soil, luxuriant forests and crops, fragrant fruits and melons. The snow-capped mountains, the grasslands, and the deserts coexist side by side, featuring sceneries both in southern China and in the northern frontier. As praised by some poet: "If one does not see the snow-capped Qilian Mountain, one may think that Ganzhou is in southern China." Same as many other cities in the Hexi Corridor, Zhangye was also born against the backdrop when the Han general Huo Qubing led the army to conquer the Huns. In the 6th year of the Yuanding Period during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (121 B.C.), Zhangye was set up as a county and the connotation of the name means "open one's arms to link up with the Western Regions" Since then, the imperial court initiated a large immigration and land reclamation program in Zhangye, stationed troops and developed agriculture. This has further promoted the economic and cultural prosperity of both the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Zhangye, therefore, became an important city on the Silk Road.
Zhangye is one of the must-visit cities along the silk road.
If you are a fan of the rainbow mountain view, you can go to Zhangye Danxia Landform.
If you would like to admire the popular temples along the silk road, go to the Big Buddha Temple and Matisi Temple.
Zhangye City is a major transportation hub of the new Eurasian Continental Bridge to connect the East and west traffic in China. Transportation options within the city are likewise plentiful, tourists can get there by train, car or aeroplane. Buying tickets to other places during the holidays can be difficult, so make sure you are planed. Zhangye Transportation.
Zhangye cuisine prefers wheat over rice in terms of its staple foods and it is more likely to be added with mutton, chicken and beef. When it comes to noodles, Gansu flavours are more complex and strong.
Zhangye Souvenirs and Local Products
Plan your holiday and there is something you should pay attention to avoid unnecessary problems when you travel to Zhangye. Here we prepare Zhangye Travel Tips for you.
Zhangye lies in the centre of the Hexi Corridor. The area is on the frontier of China Proper, protecting it from the nomads of the northwest and permitting its armies access to the Tarim Basin. During the Han Dynasty, Chinese armies were often engaged against the Xiongnu in this area. It was also an important outpost on the Silk Road. Before being overrun by the Mongols, it was dominated by the Western Xia, and before by the Uyghurs from at least the early 10th century. Its relation to the larger Uyghur state of Qocho is obscure, but it may have been a vassal. The Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan is said to have been born in the Dafo Temple, Zhangye, now the site of the longest wooden reclining Buddha in China. Marco Polo's journal states that he spent a year in the town during his journey to China.
The pine forests of the Babao Mountains (part of the Qilian range) formerly regulated the flow of the Ruo or Hei Shui, Ganzhou's primary river. By ensuring that the melt-waters lasted throughout the summer, they avoided both early flood and later drought for the valley's farmers. Despite recommendations that they should thus be protected in perpetuity, an imperial official in charge of erecting the poles for China's telegraph network ordered them cleared in the 1880s. Almost immediately, the region became prone to flooding in the summer and draught in the autumn, arousing local resentment.
Zhangye is located in central Gansu along the Hexi Corridor, occupying 42,000 square kilometres. It takes up the entire breadth of the province, running from Inner Mongolia on the north to Qinghai on the south, but its urban core is at Ganzhou in the oasis formed by the Ruo or Hei River. Its streams, sunlight, and fertile soil make it an important regional agricultural centre, although it was seriously damaged by over-foresting in the 19th century.
Zhangye has a cold desert climate with very warm summers and cold and very dry winters. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −9.2 °C in January to 21.5 °C in July. The mean annual temperature is 7.31 °C, while annual rainfall is 130 mm, almost all of which falls from May to September. The winters are so dry that snow is extremely rare. Read More
Accommodation is an important part of travel, we will provide a comfortable and warm hotel during your Zhangye trip. Here, we listed three hotels for reference.
