Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon

Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is so far the closest natural wonder to a city in China, integrating canyon adventures, geological research, ethnic customs, and off-road driving into one comprehensive tourist attraction. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Zhangye's geomorphological garden! It has been praised by 'China Geographic Magazine', renowned geologists, and tourists from home and abroad as 'rivaling Zhangjiajie', 'comparable to the Colorado Grand Canyon', and a new discovery on the Silk Road! Billions of years of natural evolution have crafted this wonder. Here, the canyons are deep, and the peaks are uniquely shaped, with nature's incredible creativity carving the colorful mountains into unparalleled and captivating landscape paintings. Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is about 25 kilometers away from the downtown area of Zhangye, with an altitude ranging from 1500 to 2550 meters. Its geological structure belongs to the red bed geomorphology, which refers to the red rock series formed during the sedimentation from the Middle Jurassic to the Tertiary period of the Mesozoic Era, commonly known as 'red sandstone', dating back 180 to 240 million years. The canyon is characterized by its water-eroded gullies, with low and gentle mountains and sandy hills as the backdrop. The main color tones are red, white, and reddish-brown, slightly dull in color. They are mostly conical or columnar, with unique shapes. The formations are highly irregular, generally extending from east to west, winding and meandering. The width varies from 2 to 15 kilometers, with the north side of the canyon higher than the south, showcasing a vast and awe-inspiring presence, with uniquely abrupt scenery unmatched in the world. This special geomorphological feature was formed over millions of years through crustal uplift and the erosive actions of wind, water, and chemical dissolution. During the erosion period, the harder rock layers in the plateau formed the protrusions between river valleys, while the valleys themselves were more actively eroded, resulting in plateau-like large mountains or fortress-like small hills. The rocks of the Grand Canyon are mostly red, with rock layers from the Cambrian to the Cenozoic era clearly distributed from the bottom to the top, varying in color and containing representative fossils from various geological periods, also known as a 'living geological history textbook'. In the southeastern part of the area, mountains overlap and ravines crisscross, with the highest elevation reaching 3633 meters, forming the unique Dongdashan natural landscape belt. It spans about 7 kilometers from north to south and about 9 kilometers from east to west, with a total area of 78,000 acres. Pingshan Lake Mongolian Township was an important passage for ancient ethnic minorities entering the Hexi Corridor and a vital barrier for the Han people to resist foreign invasions, located at the intersection of agricultural and nomadic cultures. The area is home to a mix of Mongolian, Han, Tu, and Yugur ethnic groups, creating a multi-ethnic and multicultural character, with the Mongolian population being the majority. Pingshan Lake Mongolian Township is an important gateway for trade between Zhangye and Inner Mongolia. It is part of the Longshou Mountain section of the Helishan range, overlooking the Qilian Mountains across the corridor plain. It serves as a transitional zone between the corridor plain and the Inner Mongolia plateau, a necessary route from Pingshan Lake to Inner Mongolia, and a convenient passage to the Ceke port in Mongolia through the northern route to Northeast China, North China, Northern Shanxi, Northern Shaanxi, and Mongolia. The area preserves traditional Mongolian customs in ethnic rituals, songs and dances, clothing, cuisine, crafts, and religious beliefs. Every year on the 26th day of the fourth lunar month, the unique Obo Festival is held, featuring competitions in the 'three skills' of Mongolian men—archery, horse racing, and wrestling.

⛰【Travel Guide】 📍Detailed address: Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, Pingshan Lake Mongolian Township, Ganzhou District, Zhangye City, Gansu Province 🚗Transportation Guide: 1⃣️Self-driving 2⃣️Buy a direct bus ticket from Zhangye West Bus Station, ticket price: round trip 60 yuan (usually only one bus per day) 3⃣️Charter: round trip 300 yuan 🕙Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:00-17:30 💰Ticket price: full price ticket 100/person, half price ticket 50/person, scenic spot bus 30/person Deep tour package: 1⃣️Grand Canyon Extreme Deep Tour Wild West Package 1 328 yuan/person (with free tickets and scenic spot bus) Includes: canyon adventure car + camel cart + camel riding + deep tour scene experience 2⃣️Grand Canyon Extreme Deep Tour Wild West Package 2 318 yuan/person (with free tickets and scenic spot bus) Includes: canyon adventure car + camel cart + deep tour scene experience 3⃣️Grand Canyon Extreme Deep Tour Wild West Package 3 228 yuan/person (excluding scenic spot tickets and scenic spot bus) Includes: canyon adventure car + camel cart 4⃣️Camel riding ticket 100 yuan/person (excluding scenic spot tickets and scenic spot bus) Includes: camel riding 5⃣️Grand Canyon Extreme Deep Tour Wild West Luxury Package (with free scenic spot tickets and luxury off-road car) 1980 yuan/car Includes: luxury off-road car + camel cart + camel riding + deep tour scene experience 🌟Highlights: ✅First-line sky cloud ladder—The cloud ladder is nearly 90° vertical, 60 meters high, equivalent to 20 floors, divided into two sections (note❗There is no protective equipment when climbing, you can try it, do as you can) ✅Lingzhi Valley—The shape of the rock is like a large lingzhi, with a hundred-meter spiral staircase, very spectacular. ✅Single camel🐫 riding—The camels here are very gentle, their getting up and lying down are the most impressive. 📌Small Tips: 1⃣️The Rainbow Danxia and Pingshan Lake are respectively in the south and north of Zhangye, they are not on the way, if you want to go to Pingshan Lake, you need to leave a separate day 2⃣️After parking at the entrance of the scenic spot, you still need to take a bus for about 40 minutes to get to the scenic spot viewing point. The round trip time is about 1 and a half hours, so the whole tour takes at least 4 hours. There are beautiful views everywhere here, you can take pictures as you walk.

Soaring peaks press narrowly like swords, their tips pointing to the sky as if reaching for the heavens. The canyon's scenery shines with red layers. In the silent corridors, the sound of camel bells echoes. Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon Scenic Area is 56 kilometers away from the downtown area of Zhangye. Here, the canyons are deep and the peaks are uniquely shaped. Nature, with its divine craftsmanship, has carved the colorful mountains into unparalleled and captivating landscape paintings. A bottomless canyon displays an incomparable majestic beauty. It has been acclaimed by 'China Geographic Magazine' as well as renowned domestic and foreign geologists and tourists as 'rivaling Zhangjiajie' and 'comparable to the Grand Canyon of Colorado'—a new discovery on the Silk Road! Stepping into the labyrinth-like canyon, surrounded by crisscrossing ravines and forests of peaks, is like witnessing the ingenious work of a world-class architect, offering a feast for the eyes: towering buildings, majestic palaces, loyal generals, sea-bound tortoises, and sailing ships... The area is vast, the spectacle is strong, and such grandeur is rare in the world.

During this trip to the Hexi Corridor, apart from Dunhuang, what I looked forward to the most was Zhangye. As it turned out, Zhangye really is an underestimated travel city. I chose different tourist routes in the three days I spent in Zhangye, leaning towards natural scenery, and left with very good memories. Day1: Giant Buddha Temple - Zhangye Museum - Half-day tour of Rainbow Danxia : It has the largest clay reclining Buddha in the country. It's quite shocking to see it up close. The temple architecture of the Giant Buddha Temple is also worth a careful look, with beautifully carved beams and painted rafters. : Generally speaking, it's recommended to go in the summer. The colors of the Danxia are not very obvious in winter. Viewing platforms 2 and 4 are the best. Day2: Matisi Temple and Jinta Temple day tour I highly recommend everyone to go. You can see the Qilian Snow Mountain. mainly climbed the Thirty-three Days Grottoes; was not open before, so those who like grotto culture must come. It has a high-relief Feitian that is 300 years earlier than Mogao Grottoes, and the guide's explanation is very interesting. Day3: Half-day tour of Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon : People with stamina must go! I chose the ordinary tour. The route is Viewing Platform 1 - Viewing Platform 2 - Viewing Platform 3 - Grand Canyon Entrance Hiking - Enter One Line Sky (but did not climb, watch and return the same way) - Lingzhi Valley - Viewing Platform 4. The geological features at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are particularly spectacular, like a flat version of the Colorado Grand Canyon. About accommodation: I stayed at the Silk Road Traveler Youth Hostel this time, and the experience was super good. The boss lady is very, very enthusiastic. She even makes breakfast for us who are in the group in the morning. I have never recommended where I stayed before, but the accommodation in Zhangye is really surprising, and you can directly join the group in the youth hostel, which is very convenient. About food: : Stir-fry restaurant, if you've had enough of Northwestern beef and mutton, come here to revisit the taste of stir-fry, the price is not expensive. : A relatively famous local specialty restaurant. : Zhangye's unique breakfast, the small bowl for seven yuan has a lot of beef. : There are many local snacks gathered here, not the stereotyped snack street type, you can taste Gansu spicy hot pot, roll chicken, apricot skin tea, milk rice wine skewers and so on. I have eaten dinner here several times.

A geographical wonder in the Hexi Corridor that should not be missed This is the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon in Zhangye, Gansu, which has been formed by red sand and gravel rocks for 180 million to 240 million years. The canyon is characterized by water erosion, with low and gentle mountains, and sandstone mountains as the background. The main colors are red, white and ochre, slightly gray. They are mostly conical or columnar, with peculiar shapes. It has been praised by 'Chinese Geographic Magazine' and well-known geological experts and tourists at home and abroad as 'comparable to Zhangjiajie', 'as beautiful as the Colorado Grand Canyon', and a new discovery on the Silk Road! Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is the closest composite tourist area to the city in China, integrating natural wonders, canyon exploration, geological scientific research, ethnic customs, self-driving off-road and so on. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Zhangye's geomorphological garden. The rocks in the Grand Canyon are mostly red, and the rock layers from the Cambrian to the Cenozoic are distributed from the bottom to the top of the valley. The layers are clear, the colors are different, and they contain representative biological fossils from various geological ages. It is also known as the 'living geological history textbook'. ⚠️Note⚠️ There are two ways to play: ordinary tour and deep tour. The ordinary tour is to walk and watch 4 scenic spots. The deep tour is a large loop with various means of transportation. It takes a long time, has good scenery, and is difficult. Deep tour: At the tourist service center, when buying tickets, there will be a special person to explain the gameplay and process to you, and give suggestions based on your age and body shape. If you buy a deep tour ticket, like me, first take a land off-road truck, like a battlefield vehicle, it's very enjoyable, and then change to a shuttle bus, then change to a camel, then change to a camel-pulled cart, then walk, climb, cross, the Grand Canyon is too deep and too beautiful, these means of transportation are worth the ticket price! It's really a beautiful experience that is delayed by the name! When you come to Zhangye, don't just focus on the Danxia landform, don't miss it here! Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon

👀 If someone asks me about the top 3 must-visit attractions in the Qinghai-Gansu loop, Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon definitely makes the list! Especially for hiking enthusiasts, this place will surely fill you with ecstatic joy! 💪👣 🏔️ From the viewing platform, you can see the snow-capped mountains, vast Gobi, expansive desert, and deep canyons, all in one magnificent Western panorama. 🌍🏜️ The stark contrast between the snow-covered peaks and the crimson canyons is a testament to nature's incredible craftsmanship, leaving one in awe. Venture deep into the canyon, gaze at the patterns on the stone walls, and it's as if you can touch the imprints of the wind from thousands of years ago, with a profound sense of history hitting you in the face. 🍃 The charm of the wind-eroded landscape is fully showcased here. 📍 Here's a guide to exploring Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon: Backpackers, Attention! 🎒 1️⃣ Regular tour — 🌳🐦 For hiking lovers and those with plenty of time, this is undoubtedly the first choice! The whole journey is on foot, taking about 4 hours. Take your time, let your thoughts wander with your steps. Immerse yourself in the tranquility of the canyon, listen to the birds, and let your soul converse with nature. 2️⃣ In-depth tour — 🌟🐫 If you have mobility issues or are short on time but still want to experience the joy of camel riding, then the in-depth tour is for you! The leisurely pace of the camel will take you through the canyon for a different kind of experience. 💡 Regular tour routes revealed: The regular tour has three routes, all following the 'down first, up last' principle, entering from viewing platform 3 and exiting from viewing platform 4. Each has its own characteristics, so how to choose? • Route 1 😱: Short distance, the highlight is the thrilling 'One Line Sky'. For the brave-hearted, how can you miss this vertical narrow passage that only allows one person to pass sideways? Walking along the chiseled walls, your heart races, and the joy of pushing your limits is indescribable! • Route 2: A pure hiking journey, with relatively calm scenery along the way, suitable for those who enjoy a peaceful hike. • Route 3 💡: A bit longer, but features the stunning Lingzhi Valley, unfortunately, it doesn't pass through the 'One Line Sky'. 💥 Exclusive recommendation 🤩: Since you're here, why not experience it all? The correct way to open up Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is to go directly from Route 1 to Route 3! Burst out of 'One Line Sky', descend the steps at the fork, and enter the embrace of Lingzhi Valley. Climbing the spiral staircase may be tiring, but the magnificent view of the snowy mountains and canyons at the top is definitely worth the effort! 🏔️ 🌡️ Practical Tips: • For 'One Line Sky' challengers, make sure you're not afraid of heights before proceeding. The narrow space is thrilling, but it's a rare adventure experience. 💪 • The final spiral staircase is a test of stamina, and its open design adds to the thrill, but the panoramic view from the top will amaze you! The stairs are steep, but the view is priceless. 👣 • The canyon terrain is complex, with stairs and rugged paths everywhere, so it's recommended to wear durable and dirt-resistant pants to avoid getting your white clothes dirty. 👖 • The strong sunlight contrasts sharply with the coolness at the bottom of the canyon, so both sunscreen and warm clothing are essential. Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a light jacket are all must-haves! 🌞 Take this guide with you, step bravely into Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, and start your hiking adventure! May you find your own meaning of travel in the tranquility and grandeur of the canyon. 🌍👣

Far out in remote Gansu Province is the Ping Shan Lake National Geopark, aka China’s Grand Canyon. If you’ve ever been to the Southwest United States, you’ll know how beautiful this type of landscape can be. Your best bet is to get a hotel in Zhangye, which is about an hour away by car. There are tours that go to the several national parks in the region. Give yourself maybe 3-5 hours to explore Ping Shan Lake so you can take your time. We went in mid-May, which was great because it’s still the low season so there was hardly anyone there and the weather was totally fine. Just needed a light jacket. Recommended for anyone who likes natural landscapes. #unforgettableexperiences#couplestrip#awesomepic#nationalpark#roadtrip#urbanexplorer

Zhangye Pingshan Lake, here is known as 'the new world for photographers, the arena for cool car enthusiasts, the Shambhala for tourists, and the Hollywood for filmmakers', praised by 'China Geographic Magazine' and well-known geological experts and tourists at home and abroad as 'comparable to Zhangjiajie', 'as beautiful as the Grand Canyon of Colorado', a new discovery on the Silk Road! You can reach our beautiful and stunning Pingshan Lake scenic area by driving through the most beautiful wetland park, the Ancestor Mountain Tunnel, and the Cailongling Pass from Zhangye city. The soil in the scenic area is mostly brown, but when bathed in the sun, the color of the rocks changes endlessly, showing the colorful and mysterious nature. It's like a fairyland, colorful and vast, fascinating, and makes people linger.

#pingshanhu Grand Canyon is located in #zhangye #silkroad, one's of the world’s five canyons, is equally famous as the Giant Canyon of the Colorado and the Great Rift Valley of the East African. #unforgetabletrip #happynewyear