Day 165: Zhangye – Day 2
Our taxi driver met us outside our hotel punctually at 8AM, and drove us to our first park of the day: the Binggou Scenic Area which is a less-visited section of the Zhangye Danxia Geopark. While we were among the first ones at the ticket counter, we did not have to wait long before tour buses loaded with Chinese tourists overflowed into the park. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that this park practically empties out around lunchtime. Our DIY itinerary for the day was, after all, based on a standard photography tour that Igor found online, and most groups seem to leave at 11AM sharp to have lunch at the next location. Since we brought our own snacks, we got to enjoy an alfresco lunch in peace!
Once we have our tickets to the Binggou Scenic Area of the Danxia Geopark, we enter and hop on the shuttle trolly into the park
After a 20min ride, we are dropped off inside the park where there are several trails to explore
The park was very Utah-ish, with beautiful sandstone formations
All of the formations had names, based on what the Chinese parks department thought they looked like. Not sure we see the “turtle and snake face each other across a river” in this one, but we’ll take their word for it
Walking trail in the Binggou Scenic Area
The trail had plenty of ups and downs, which helped thin the crowd of other tourists
The stunning landscape of the Binggou Scenic Area
A huge line of tourists for the shuttle – we’d walk to the next stop if we could, but the road is too narrow and the shuttle drivers take the corners at breakneck speed
Stunning scenery at the Binggou Scenic Area
Clouds roll in just before lunchtime and bring a brief, unexpected shower. Luckily, we had our dry bag, so once our cameras were safe, we just continued our walk. The timing turned out to be perfect, as most Chinese tour groups seem to leave the park for lunch, the rain cleared them out a bit early and we had the place practically to ourselves after 11:30AM!
Empty pathway after a passing rain shower
We take advantage of the solitude to have an early lunch before heading back to meet our taxi
Chinese Big Brother – Wifi in the park for the many security cameras (we tried to log on to the Wifi as well, to see if we could post pics from the park, but the network didn’t show up), and cheeky signs in the toilet
Right next to the Binggou Scenic Area is another oft-overlooked attraction: The Kangle Grasslands. (Lindsay’s Lonely Planet didn’t even list it) After driving through winding, rocky mountain roads for about 45min, the landscape opened dramatically revealing a beautiful, lush high-altitude grassland. A range of snowcapped mountains sparkled in the distance. And best of all, the place was practically deserted! We must have just missed the lunch crowd – great timing!
Igor tells our taxi driver when/where we will meet him before we head out to explore the Kangle Grasslands
Vast green pastures in the Kangle Grasslands, with snow-capped mountains far in the distance
When we notice random Chinese tourists surreptitiously taking pictures of us, we start to pose, which makes them bold enough to come and pose with us!
The Kangle Grasslands seems to be off the radar for most tourists, as we have the place to ourselves! Never did we expect to find “New Zealand” in China!
Strolling the boardwalk in the peaceful Kangle Grasslands
Artsy photo ops in the Kangle Grasslands
Colorful prayer flags adorn a stupa at the top of the hill
As we walk around the “Holy Lake” we notice some ominous clouds rolling in
That is definitely rain heading towards us! We hastily snap a final few pics before storing the camera and running back to the taxi
We escape the rain as we leave the Kangle Grasslands, with only a minor sheep-induced traffic jam slowing us down
Our final attraction for the day was the biggest and the best – the “rainbow rocks” of the Zhangye Danxia Geopark. This is the main attraction in Zhangye, as every taxi driver and hotel has immediately asked us if we were planning to visit. Indeed, this rock formation is the whole reason we planned a trip to Zhangye in the first place! We had allocated a good 4 hours to visit the park, which ended up being exactly enough time, as clouds rolled in almost immediately after our arrival, ruining the light for our pictures. We almost gave up and left, but thankfully we persevered as the clouds parted just before sunset, giving us some glorious shots.
We had a bit of a delay exiting the park as we jumped on the wrong bus and ended up at the East entrance instead of the West entrance, where our taxi driver was waiting. It took us a good 15min to explain to the off-duty bus drivers that we needed to get back into the park to return to the other exit, and for them to tell us in return which bus was still running. Funny enough, after we were reunited with our driver, he actually drove us to the East entrance anyway, asking us if he could pick up an additional fare.
A helicopter passes over the Danxia Geopark as we get our first view of the rainbow rocks
The “rainbow rocks” of the Danxia Land Formation
Checking out all the viewpoints for the Danxia “rainbow rocks”
A nice touch – the park used red gravel for the road which made it blend into the background. Another similarity to Utah – the only other park we’ve seen do this is Zion!
Flaming monkeys?!? Once again, we don’t really see the images the Chinese name the formations after.
Brilliant white and yellow streaks create a “layer-cake” effect in the mountains
The viewing platform is bursting with people, but we muscle our way to the fence to take our own selfie
Poor camels – no one seemed interested in a ride this afternoon, so they looked really bored
Luckily for us, the sun comes out from behind the clouds for a few minutes before setting behind the mountains. The light is spectacular, making the Danxia rocks warm and vibrant for our final shots
Sunset at the Danxia Land Formation
We don’t get back to Zhangye city until 8:30PM, by which time we are starving. Before we can head out in search of food, however, we spend a good 15min in the taxi, negotiating the next day’s itinerary and price. While we didn’t plan to visit the Mati Temples (we had just been to the Mogao Grotto a few days prior, and figured it would be more of the same), our taxi driver insisted via Baidu, “If you don’t go, you will regret it.” We finally caved and agreed, planning to meet him at 7:30AM the next day.
By the time we dropped off our bags in the hotel, it was after 9PM. We were too tired and hungry to try and find “authentic” Chinese food or even search for a grocery store – call us lazy Americans, but we stumbled over to the nearest KFC and ordered fast-food chicken and fries. You know what? IT WAS DELICIOUS. And our poop wasn’t runny the next day, so there.
We pass by an exercise dance group on the corner opposite our hotel as we run out for dinner. God bless the Colonel, this hits the spot