Enjoy winter in the northwest

If you failed to experience the temperate summer or romantic autumn seasons of Zhangye, in Northwest China's Gansu province, be sure not to miss the city's splendid winter.

Taste the thrill of skiing in Qilian Mountains

Zhangye has three international skiing resorts - the Qilian Mountain Ski Area, Wenshu Mountain Ski Area and Biandukou Ski Area. You can enjoy the superb winter sports and view the snow-covered scenery at the same time.

See the breathtaking Danxia landform after snow

The Danxia scenic area in Zhangye is a popular destination known as "Rainbow Mountains" for its multicolored cliffs and special rock formations. Its beauty is enhanced after snow, as the colorful stone and white snow form a strong contrast, which is hard to express in words.

Take your cameras to record this stunning and magical scenery.

Exploring valleys crafted by nature

Pingshanhu Grand Canyon is one of the most beautiful geomorphologic landscapes in Zhangye, and is rare worldwide in terms of size and scenery. It is favored by photographers, tourists and directors of films and television series.

Visit temples of the ancient Silk Road

Zhangye has many nationally famous temples including Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple, Mati Temple, Manjushree Temple and Shandan Great Buddha Temple.

Watch wetland birds

Zhangye National Wetland Park, as a natural ecological park, plays the role of a "humidifier" for the city. It has 195 kinds of plants and 116 species of commonly seen animals. Dahuwan Cultural Tourism Scenic Area is an important migration stop for birds in Northeast Asia, with about 300,000 migratory birds of over 20 species. In late winter and early spring, visitors can see a vast number of swans, black storks, wild ducks and egrets.

City routes

Danxia National Geological Park - Binggou Danxia Geological Park - Qilian Mountains Ski Area

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple - Mati Temple-Biandukou Ski Area

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple - Zhangye National Wetland Park - Memorial Hall of the West Road Army of Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army - Dahuwan Cultural Tourism Scenic Area

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple - Mati Temple - Pingshanhu Grand Canyon

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple - Zhangye National Wetland Park - Shandan Great Buddha Temple

Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple - Mati Temple - Pingshanhu Grand Canyon - Danxia National Geological Park - Binggou Danxia Geological Park - Qilian Mountains Ski Area

Preferential policies

From Dec 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, tourism websites, e-commerce platforms and travel agencies can enjoy discounts on tickets and accommodation if they book more than 10 tickets to a tourist spot through the Internet, or organize a group of more than 10 people who book more than five rooms in a hotel. For more information, please visit http:tour.zhangye.gov.cn and www.zylvyou.cn

China Daily

(China Daily 12/18/2015 page12)