2026 Minle Travel Guide: must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transport & travel experiences (updated in February)

Hey, travel buddies! Did you know? In western Gansu, there’s a city full of mystery and charm—Dingxi! It’s not as noisy as big cities, but it boasts rich natural scenery, profound historical heritage, and genuine local warmth. Today, I’ll take you on the most practical and fun “discovery journey”! Ready? Let’s go! 🔥 1. The Big Attraction: Why must you visit Dingxi? 🤔✨ Some say Dingxi is an “underrated” treasure city, but actually, it hides surprises beyond your imagination! Here you’ll find the magnificent Qilian Mountains, simple pastoral life, rich cultural heritage, and mouthwatering food that will keep you coming back! Most importantly—the “slow life” here will help you regain inner peace and strength! 🌿💪 2. Practical Guide: How to explore Dingxi? The most complete route guide! 🗺️ 1. Top 5 Must-Visit Spots Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve: Hiking, snow viewing, wildlife watching—experience nature’s masterpiece! 🏔️ Tongyuan Fort Ruins: Explore the historical relics of the ancient Silk Road, traveling through millennia! ⏳ Min County Great Buddha Temple: Feel the tranquility and solemnity of Buddhist culture, cleansing your soul! 🕊️ Longshou Mountain in Longxi County: A stunning landscape painting, perfect for photos and check-ins! 📸 Xiba Wetland Park: A model of ecological protection, filled with birdsong and flowers, a great place to relax! 🌸🦜 2. Food Map: A must-see for foodies Hand-grabbed Lamb: Authentic grassland flavor, tender and juicy meat! 🐑 Niangpi (Cold Skin Noodles): Cool and appetizing, a perfect choice for summer! 🌞 Yougao (Fried Glutinous Rice Cake): Sweet, crispy, and soft, sweet but not greasy! 🍬 Yangchang Noodles: Unique noodles, chewy and delicious! 🍜 3. Transportation Tips Transport: It’s recommended to charter a car or rent one for flexible freedom to explore deeper scenic spots! 🚗 Travel Advice: Download navigation apps in advance, avoid peak hours, and save time! ⏱️ 3. Fun Tips: Make your Dingxi trip more interesting! 🎉 “Qilian Mountain Snow Scenery”: Come in winter to experience a snowy fairy tale world! ❄️ “Pastoral Life Experience”: Join the herders’ bonfire party and feel the purest grassland culture! 🔥 “Photo Check-ins”: Don’t forget to capture your “influencer” moments at the Great Buddha Temple and Wetland Park! 📷 “Interactive Play”: Tell me in the comments which Dingxi food or attraction you most want to try, and I’ll help you “plan” it! 😉 4. A Positive and Uplifting Conclusion 🌈 Life is like a journey, it’s not about the destination but the scenery and people you meet along the way. Dingxi, this treasure city hidden in western Gansu, warms every visitor with its mountains, waters, and local kindness. Pack your bags and start your own “spiritual cleansing” journey! Trust me, this will be an unforgettable experience full of rewards! 💖 Friends, are you ready with your luggage? 📦✨ **Tell me in the comments, which corner of Dingxi do you most want to visit? Or do you have any little secrets about Dingxi? Come and interact!**👇

Spontaneous western adventure is here! 8 days to explore the beautiful scenery of Gansu and Qinghai + ten-city tour✨ 🚗【Itinerary Overview】 Day 1️⃣ Depart from Beijing → First experience in Lanzhou 🚄 Recommended train: G91 🏨 Stay: Lanzhou Feitian Hotel (near Lanzhou University Metro Station) 📸 Must-visit spots: ✅ Baita Mountain Park overlooking the Yellow River ✅ Century-old Zhongshan Iron Bridge night view Day 2️⃣ Flower sea overload mode 🍜 Lunch: Ersa Noodles (a time-honored classic!) 🚗 4.5-hour self-drive to Menyuan 💛 Golden ocean: Hundred-mile rapeseed flower sea 🌄 Secret spot check-in: Biandukou Ecological Area (continuous Qilian grassland) Day 3️⃣ Danxia geological wonder 🌈 Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park (recommended to enter in the afternoon) 🏡 Overnight: Wangshan Xiaozhu Hotel (Danxia view from the window!) Day 4️⃣ Free day to explore 🛣️ Scenic views along National Highway 213 are super healing 👒 Visit Kangle Grassland Day 5️⃣ Sacred lake pilgrimage ⛰️ Explore Zhuoer Mountain for 3 hours 🚗 5-hour drive on the ring road to Qinghai Lake 🌌 Stay: Plateau Sapphire Hotel (lake view room secured) Day 6️⃣ Mirror of the sky ☁️ Chaka Salt Lake (remember to wear bright colors!) 🏨 Hidden gem hotel by the salt lake: Tianyu Holiday Hotel Day 7️⃣ Choose one canyon 🌊 Longyang Gorge (earth crack wonder) or 💎 In-depth Qinghai Lake ring tour Day 8️⃣ Cultural journey 🕌 Ta'er Monastery (sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism) 🏨 Return stay: Lanzhou Center Suite Hotel Day 9️⃣ Museum wonder day 🦕 Gansu Provincial Museum (home of the original Flying Horse of Gansu!) 🚄 Recommended return train: G92 (15:39-22:42 arrival in Beijing) 🌟【Top 5 Must-Visit】 1️⃣ Zhangye Danxia: God’s spilled palette 2️⃣ Chaka Salt Lake: a must-visit sky mirror in a lifetime 3️⃣ Longqing Gorge: the Yellow River is actually green here 4️⃣ Menyuan Flower Sea: golden romance exclusive to midsummer 5️⃣ Gansu Museum: comprehensive Silk Road relics 📌【Practical Tips】 🔸 Plateau sun protection trio: sunglasses + sunscreen + sun hat 🔸 Rent an SUV (some roads are rugged) 🔸 Bring a windbreaker for big temperature differences at Qinghai Lake mornings and evenings 🔸 August is rainy season, remember to bring umbrella or raincoat 💬 Feel free to ask any questions in the comments~

Zhangye, a dreamlike colorful world 🌈✨ In Zhangye, every step is a beautiful painting 🎨. Walking into the Danxia landform, the colorful mountains are like a natural palette, which is amazing 🌄. The morning sun shines on the hillside, as if it has put a golden coat on this land ☀️. In the colorful Danxia, a random shot is a beautiful postcard 📸. At night, the starry sky is bright, as if you can hear the whispers of the universe 🌌. Zhangye, this dreamlike place, fills my heart with awe and love for nature ❤️.

Minle County, Gansu Province, is under the jurisdiction of Zhangye City, Gansu Province. It is located in the southeast of Zhangye City, bordering Shandan County and Yongchang County to the east, Qilian County and Menyuan Hui Autonomous County, Qinghai Province to the south, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County to the southwest, and Ganzhou District, Zhangye City to the west and northwest. The county covers an area of 3,687.32 square kilometers. Minle County is a "key point" connecting Gansu Province and Qinghai Province, and has been the "throat" of the southern route of the eastern section of the Silk Road since ancient times. I stopped in Minle to experience the life of this quiet county. The county is very clean and not crowded. I went to the local museum. Minle County Museum is located on Dongjie, Minle County, Gansu Province. The museum was built in September 1989 and currently has two exhibition halls for Minle historical relics and water and land paintings. The museum has a collection of 8,815 cultural relics, including 154 precious cultural relics. The more than 8,000 cultural relics currently in the collection range from the Neolithic Age to modern times, and include a wide range of categories, including ceramics, calligraphy and painting, bronzes, jade and stone tools, bamboo, wood, ivory, and horn, etc. Among them, the Siba culture and Han Dynasty pottery are the most spectacular. The museum has a collection of 116 water and land paintings.

"After a cold night in Qilian, I wake from dreams at dawn, the stars and constellations cast an illusory light upon the horse's hooves." If you come to Zhangye, be sure to set aside a day for Matisi, one of the three great Buddhist art treasures under the Qilian Mountains. Only after seeing it can one marvel at the difficulty of carving the grottoes and the wisdom of the ancients! Matisi is named after the legend of a celestial horse leaving its hoof prints here while drinking water, which are still preserved in the Mati Hall of Puguang Temple, becoming the treasure of the temple. Address: Within the territory of Mati Tibetan Township, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Gansu Province, about 65 kilometers from Zhangye city center Transportation: Self-driving is recommended If hiring a car, the round trip costs about 400-600 yuan/day Public transport: Take a bus to Mati Tibetan Township, but you need to walk 3-4 kilometers to enter the scenic area Ticket prices: Qianfodong 39 yuan, Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes 35 yuan, four special caves are 80 yuan. ◆ Main structures: Qianfodong, Ge'erwang Palace, Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes, Zangfo Hall, Mati Hall, etc. The most recommended is the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes However, it can only accommodate a few dozen visitors at a time. If you visit during holidays, queuing can be very painful, often requiring four hours (as said by the souvenir-selling auntie). If you go on a workday, then you're in luck. AA (You can buy tickets separately, just get the main ticket + Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes! It's advised to buy on-site.) Worth seeing is the "Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes" Carved into a hundred-meter-high red sandstone wall, they are stacked from bottom to top in a pagoda shape, with a total of 7 layers Here you can not only climb and crawl through caves but also see exquisite murals However, inside the caves, you can still see the scribbles of "been here" as a reminder that we must protect our cultural heritage ◆ Next is Qianfodong Also built by carving caves, the passage leading to the Medicine Buddha Hall is the hardest to climb, at a 90-degree angle, requiring the use of hands and feet to ascend. This part feels very much like rock climbing and is definitely worth the challenge. ◆ Newly opened special caves Matisi has recently opened 4 special caves, mainly to see the structure of the caves. The remaining Buddha statues are severely damaged, and the murals inside the caves are almost gone. So personally, I don't think it's very necessary to see them. If you like ancient architecture, you can visit. Touring suggestions: First visit the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes, where you can park a little lower at the activity center (with many windmills here), which is slightly closer to the entrance! Then go to Qianfodong If time allows, after browsing the main scenic area, be sure to navigate to Dadu Maji Village (towards Jinta Temple) within the scenic area! You will delve into the secret realm at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, driving leisurely for 1 hour on a township road within the Qilian Mountains Nature Reserve. (You can self-drive without buying a ticket for Jinta Temple!)

This is a grotto you can't find on a map. Even official records of it are scarce, and the specific time when the grottoes were carved can no longer be determined. However, the earliest murals can be traced back to the Western Wei period's 'Chart of Holding Precepts as Virtue for Rebirth in Buddha's Land' (Figures 8-9), which indicates that the carving of the grottoes would not be later than the Western Wei. Only Grotto No. 1 is accessible for visitors, which features the story of Journey to the West. The prevailing view is that it was painted in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, with as many as 41 scenes. The most spectacular aspect of Grotto No. 1 is that it has the most layers of murals seen to date, with records mentioning five layers of murals, and four layers can be identified on-site (Figure 7), which is truly breathtaking. There are also some individual grottoes located on sheer cliffs, inaccessible without tools, where the murals are better preserved, including images of Bodhisattvas in the Northern Liang style and Tibetan Buddhist Tantric murals, among others. Unfortunately, I was not able to see them this time, which I consider part of my 'bucket list'.

Yuantong Temple Pagoda, also known as Yuantong Temple Pagoda, is located within the castle of Liuba Town, 35 kilometers north of the county seat of Minle County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province; Yuantong Temple was originally built during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (1101-1125), and now only the pagoda tower remains. Yuantong Temple Pagoda faces east and is a brick, earth, and wood mixed-structure bowl-shaped Vajrayana Buddhist pagoda of Tibetan Buddhism. The total height of the pagoda is 23.37 meters, with the height from the base to the top of the pagoda being 21.9 meters. It is composed of the pagoda base, pagoda body, Xianglun (decorative wheels), and the pagoda spire from bottom to top. The construction of Yuantong Temple Pagoda is the result of the coexistence of multiple ethnic groups, a product of multi-ethnic economic and cultural exchanges, and a symbol of multi-ethnic integration, unity, national unity, stability, and prosperity. Yuantong Temple Pagoda faces east and is slightly south by 30 degrees. It is a brick, earth, and wood mixed-structure bowl-shaped Vajrayana Buddhist pagoda of Tibetan Buddhism. The total height of the pagoda is 23.37 meters, with the height from the base to the top of the pagoda being 21.9 meters. It is composed of the pagoda base, pagoda body, Xianglun (decorative wheels), and the pagoda spire from bottom to top. Around the pagoda body, there is a brick railing at about 3.31 meters; around the pagoda, there are several main halls and side rooms to the north and south, with Buddha statues inside for worship. Pagoda Base: The pagoda base of Yuantong Temple Pagoda is a two-tiered square Sumeru base, with each side measuring 8.7 meters and the base height ranging from 20 to 40 centimeters. Above the base is Mount Sumeru, with small pagodas at each of the four corners on the upper and lower levels, totaling eight pagodas, which are rare among similar pagodas; the central largest pagoda represents the Buddha Vairocana, with the small pagodas on the east representing Amitabha, on the south representing Ratnasambhava, on the west representing Amitabha, and on the north representing Amoghasiddhi. The four small pagodas above have no spires, except for the southwest corner pagoda which only has a spire base remaining, and the southwest corner pagoda below is damaged, with all small pagodas having varying degrees of damage. Xianglun: Above the neck of Yuantong Temple Pagoda, there are 13 layers of Xianglun, commonly known as 'Thirteen Heavens,' indicating the high status of the pagoda. A large column is built inside starting from the eighth layer, and the Xianglun gradually tilts northward, with the central axis of the pagoda top deviating by 15 centimeters. The twelfth and thirteenth layers have 11 cracks of varying degrees around them. Pagoda Spire: Above the Xianglun of Yuantong Temple Pagoda, there is a round canopy surrounded by iron tassels and evenly spaced iron wind bells hanging. Above the canopy is a porcelain dark green glazed treasure vase, 1.5 meters high; the canopy, tiles, and treasure vase form the entire pagoda spire. Historical Culture: According to the records in the 'Ganzhou Prefecture Annals, Volume Five' compiled during the Qing Dynasty: 'Yuantong Temple is located in Liuba Fort, commissioned by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, and was rebuilt in the fourth year of Tianqi of the Ming Dynasty. It was repaired twice in the seventh year of Shunzhi and the thirty-sixth year of Kangxi of our dynasty, the pagoda was repaired in the seventh year of Yongzheng, and a stone-wrapped pagoda was added in the forty-third year of Qianlong, originally over seven zhang high, now increased to over eight zhang, with a circumference of eleven zhang, and the halls and corridors were all expanded according to the original.' 'Old Pagoda Bell Sounds' Yuantong Temple Pagoda has formed the landscape of 'Old Pagoda Bell Sounds,' which is one of the old seven sceneries of Minle County. Cultural Value: Yuantong Temple Pagoda is beautifully shaped and has a long history, ranking first among the ancient buildings of Minle. It is an important Lama pagoda in the Hexi Corridor; its construction is the result of the coexistence of multiple ethnic groups, a product of multi-ethnic economic and cultural exchanges, and a symbol of multi-ethnic integration, unity, national unity, stability, and prosperity.

The Tongzi Temple Grottoes are located about ten kilometers east of Minle County in the middle reaches of the Tongzi Dam River. Features of the grottoes: The grottoes are carved into a gravel cliff that has been eroded by river water, with dozens of large and small grottoes, and there are dark holes connecting between the grottoes. The murals inside the cave are clearly visible, mostly influenced by Lamaism. The most vivid and realistic is the story of 'Journey to the West' painted in the southernmost cave 1. The scenes include the birth of the monkey, Wukong's apprenticeship, Bajie's ordination, drinking horses by the stream, asking for directions at the wooden door, crossing the desert, etc., all are lifelike. And the sharp mouth and thin cheeks of Wukong, and the long mouth and big belly of Bajie, are more like natural monkeys and pigs, which are similar and dissimilar to the images in the TV series 'Journey to the West', giving people a refreshing feeling, and people can't help but exclaim the rich imagination and superb painting skills of ancient Chinese painting masters. The murals in Cave 3 are composed of five layers, with paintings of Tantric Buddhas, Thousand-Handed Guanyin, Happy Buddha, Bodhisattva, etc., which are precious materials for studying murals of all ages. Climbing to the top of the cave, you can see a wide view, the long river setting sun, the distant village with smoke, which makes people feel open-minded. The Tongzi Temple Grottoes were built in the Wei and Jin dynasties, and were destroyed many times afterwards. In recent years, a large number of monks and laymen have raised funds and invested in labor to build a main hall and several side rooms. There is a jade Buddha in the main hall, which is very beautiful and attracts many pilgrims.

Discovering this temple was completely unexpected, but it's the biggest surprise of the day! After leaving the military horse field, several consecutive gas stations had no gas, so I had to leave the highway and turn into Minle County. On the way to find a gas station, I saw a towering pagoda standing in the county from a distance. During the idle chat while refueling, I learned that this is actually a hundred-year-old famous temple. Shengtian Temple was built during the Yongle period and has been more than six hundred years to date. It is said that Emperor Jiajing dreamed of lotus growing under his feet at night, sent people to search in the west and finally found this temple, so he took the meaning of 'Chongsheng Tiandao', and bestowed the name 'Shengtian Temple' to the Bodhisattva. The temple was destroyed during the Tongzhi period and the Cultural Revolution, and later the temple was rebuilt on the remaining three halls. There are more than 20 monks and nuns in the temple now, and the rest of the practitioners are all women, making it the largest nunnery in the northwest region. Shengtian Temple is very deep, with each hall arranged in a straight line. Behind the statue of the King of Ksitigarbha at the deepest point is the eye-catching pagoda I saw from a distance in the county, which is still under renovation. Because I arrived at the temple late, it was almost closing time, so I hurriedly walked around and left. Back at the central Great Compassion Building, I met a nun. After nodding and telling her where I came from, she surprisingly suggested going into the hall to worship the statue of Guanyin, and then turned back to the room to get the key to the hall. The moment I pushed the door open, I took a deep breath, feeling my heart pounding, and couldn't help but let out a 'wow...' sound: Inside the hall is a 9.9-meter-high gilded statue of the Great Compassion Guanyin, which can only be seen in its entirety when you enter the door. The whole statue is shining with golden light, almost as high as the three-story hall, and people are only up to the height of the calf in front of it. The light outside the window refracts on the body into a golden color projected at the foot, and Guanyin is looking down at the people under her feet with her eyebrows down, I feel my hair standing up. The bhikkhuni on the side smiled and watched me being shocked, and didn't urge me who was still lingering and looking back, until I walked out of the hall, she locked the door again, and told us to leave from the side door. Today is full!

The Biandukou Ecological Leisure Tourism Zone is located at the foot of the Qilian Mountain. The climate is cool, the rapeseeds in the mountains and the wild, the clear blue sky and the bright white clouds are good places for summer heat. The rape blossoms are blooming, and it is like a sea that falls into the flowers. The scenic area is not big, because the neighboring Qilian Mountain, the rape blossoms spread to the waist of the hill, the scenery is especially beautiful. when the rape blossoms are in full bloom, while the blue sky and white clouds are refreshing The air is even more comfortable. golden background, wind and sun. With the flower sea to a circle of friends "everyday". Far from the mountains, the blue sky, the wide view, the snow mountains can be seen in winter. The white clouds are decorated with a green sky, and the rapeseed and the distant mountain loess are distinct. Straight 217 National Road divides the rapeseed into two. When you are used to seeing the loess in the northwest, suddenly entering such a treasure will make you feel good. It is a kind of enjoyment.

Catch up with the Lihua Festival in Liuba Town, Minle County, Zhangye. The large pear forest is so white. It is really the first time I saw it. I enjoyed the show with the villagers. The local features top bowl dance, Qin chamber, song and dance performances... .

Crossing Daban Mountain and Biandukou. Walk through the grasslands. Just like breaking into a fairyland, clear blue sky, smart white clouds, warm sunshine, snowy mountains, and Qilian Mountain greet me with the most beautiful winter snow scene. Even if the road is tired, I am not willing to rest, eager Keep everything in your heart. This land is always easy to touch me.

Another hard morning, the day is still not bright, 5

The above are the original pictures! The wind blows grass and sees cattle and sheep, not going to Inner Mongolia, you can see it in the flat mouth of Qinghai. In the middle of the rolling Qilian Mountains, there is a 30-kilometer mountain gorge passage, which cuts off the Qilian Mountains and runs through the Gansu and Qinghai provinces. It is the danger that the ancients called the big bucket. Dukou. "Bian Dukou" is the sound change of Tibetan "flat and numb", meaning Jin Lumei. Biandukou has a lot of cattle and sheep, I suggest you watch it from a distance, don't bother.

Looking at rapeseed in summer, it is inevitable to go to Qinghai Lake and Menyuan in the northwest. In recent years, it has become a popular tourist attraction because of the famous reputation of rapeseed in July and August. From the door source to the north, after the Qilian Mountain, it was in Gansu, and the Pingdukou of Zhangye Minle County was the first stop. Biandukou is 30 kilometers away from Minle County and about 90 kilometers from downtown Zhangye. Compared with Qinghai Lake and Menyuan, the reputation here is not so big, many tourists do not know, the scenery is not bad at all. This road from Qinghai to Gansu has been very famous since it was more than 2,000 years ago. It is a strategic location. In the history of the Biandu Gorge, it was called Dadou Baugu. In the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, Zhang Wei sent the Western Region from here, and Huo went to the disease to lead the Han family to expel the Huns from here. Huo went to the disease and built a military horse farm in Shandan, not far from the Pingdukou. It has existed for more than 2,000 years. The terrain of Biandukou is not flat. It is a hilly hill with high and low undulations. There are several viewing platforms on the hill. It is free to open. The middle and late July is the most beautiful season of rape, and large rapeseeds are mixed with green grass. Together, the flock is free to stock. The G227 national road connects the Gansu and Qinghai provinces and crosses the Qilian Mountains. The rapeseed flowers are opened on the hills on both sides of the road. It is most convenient to drive to the flat mouth.