Zhangye

Zhangye (张掖; Zhāngyè) is a city in Gansu Province with striking and beautiful mountain scenery nearby.

As for most Chinese cities, the name "Zhangye" is somewhat ambiguous since it can refer either to the city itself or to the prefecture with that city at its center. Wikivoyage has a separate article for Minle, a suburb which is in the prefecture but not in the city.

Understand
Zhangye became the garrison headquarters after General Huo established control of the Hexi Corridor. Formerly known as Ganzhou, the town was part of the Western Xia dynasty until it was conquered by Kublai Khan in 1227. Although the city is not a tourist destination as such, it serves as good place to make stop when passing through the Hexi Corridor. Zhangye has a population of around 1.2 million (2010), of whom 260,000 are urban residents. In addition to Han Chinese, the city is also home to members of the minority Yugu people, who live only in Gansu.

By plane


Zhangye has frequent high-speed rail connections from Lanzhou via Xining, both of which have much larger airports than Zhangye's. These airports are likely to be more convenient for many visitors.

By train




By bus
Take bus No.3 to the West bus station, take bus No. 1 to the train station Bus fares are ¥1 - correct change only.

By private car or bus
You can book a private car via a travel agency or at the reception of most hotels. A trip to Mati Si + Daxia Landscape cost ¥500.

Do

 * Swim in Hei river

Eat
During the day, give Qing Ming Street a try and during the night, give Xiaochichang (Little Eat Market) a try.

Go next

 * Minle, in Zhangye Prefecture
 * Mati Temple - in the Tibetan town of Mati, more caves carved into a cliff.
 * Qilian mountains
 * Zhangye Danxia Landscape - 1-1½ hr by bus from the West Station.