Stunning Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, China
There is a place like from Arabian fairy-tale, the place I couldn't believe exists before I saw it with my own eyes. Welcome to the Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, where you can find beautiful rainbow mountains and hills in China.
Rainbow mountains are probably the most colorful and beautiful landforms in China. They are known for their striking hills and rock formations filled with different colors, which makes this tourist attraction wonderful for photographers. Zhangye Danxia National Geopark is placed northwest part of China (in the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains) and it occupies the area of 320 square kilometers.
The whole rainbow mountains and hills are naturally formed and filled with red, yellow, green, orange and emerald colors. It all looks like from a fairytale or like an impressionistic painting. In 2010 the Zhangye Danxia National Geopark was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It looks best after rainfalls, so if in the weather forecast they announce rains, it is worth to get here to see even better colors.
How Rainbow Mountains and Hills were created?
The Rainbow Hills in China were forming more than 20 million years from red conglomerates and sandstones, probably started in the Cretaceous age. Zhangye Danxia National Geopark was formed under many different geologic conditions, like tectonic plate activity, oxidation, wind and water erosion and freeze-thaw peeling.
All of this made the Rainbow Mountains the unique place filled with colors that you won't find anywhere in the World.
Zhangye Danxia National Geopark nowadays
Nowadays the Rainbow Mountains in China became one of the most popular tourist attractions and for me one of the most interesting places in the area. During last few years this place was highly developed and many new boardwalks and roads have been constructed to gain tourists even bigger access to the landscapes.
While being in Zhangye Danxia National Geopark remember, that the best views are from 4 viewing platforms. The first one is about 10 minutes walk from the entrance and the second one is after another 10 minutes of walking.
Third view platform in Rainbow Mountains is a bit closer (about 6-7 minutes walk) and this is the place where you can find Seven Color Fan. If you don't have a full day, it's better to get to the fourth platform by bus, otherwise, you will have to walk more than 40 minutes. The fourth viewpoint in Zhangye Danxia National Geopark in China is the most popular one, as you can see here Qicai Shan, called also the Seven Color Mountain.
The area is also restricted and limited only to specific areas. Also, don't forget to visit the mineral museum, which can be found near the park entrance.
Practical information
Here you will find some practical information on how to get to the Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, what are opening hours and how much is the ticket to the Rainbow Mountains.
Tickets cost
Tickets to the Zhangye Danxia National Geopark costs about 9,5 dollars, which includes 20 CNY for the bus (you have to buy this ticket) and 40 CNY fee for the entrance. Children to 1,2 meters high can get inside for free.
Opening hours
We cannot get to the Rainbow Hills any time we want, so it's better to check an opening times before our travel to this interesting place.
- October to April - from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
- May to October - from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
How to get here?
The rainbow mountains in Zhangye Danxia National Park in China are located about 50 minutes (33 kilometers) west by car from the city of Zhangye, in the northwestern portion of Gansu Province. We can also get here by bus or, if we have a lot of money, we can hire a taxi.
Conclusion
Zhangye Danxia National Park with its beautiful Rainbow Mountains and Hills in China is an awesome tourist attraction and definitely a hidden gem of China. It's a very interesting place for all photographers and nature-lovers. If you enjoyed my travel blog or have questions about the rainbow hills or China, feel free to leave me a comment in the section below.
