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Rainbow-colored Danxia Travel Guide

Zhangye Danxia · Colorful Hills · Viewpoint No. 4

The Zhangye Danxia is the result of layers of sandstone and mudstone being compressed and uplifted, and then carved into strips by wind and rain, with bands of red, yellow, white, and gray. It is not a dazzling 'riot of colors,' but rather a sense of order so clear in its layering that it looks like an illustration from a geology textbook.

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Destination Details

Key facts

Best time periodTwo hours after sunrise / Two hours before sunset

Suggested stay3–4 hours

Key highlightsObservation decks 1 to 5, number 4 has the best sunset

Admission ticketIncludes shuttle buses within scenic areas, and transportation between observation decks via ferry.

RemindThe colors at noon are the most flat, be sure to choose the time of angled light.

The colorful Danxia landform is located at the junction of Linze County and Sunan County in Zhangye City, and it belongs to the arid region's colored hills. When the strata were deposited, the climate alternated between wet and dry, causing varying degrees of iron oxidation, resulting in stripes of red, purple, yellow, and gray-white; later structural uplift and water erosion carved these stripes into countless small hills.

Main Highlights

Viewing Platform No. 4

Widely recognized as the best, it has a broad view and the most layered stripes, making it the main spot for sunset photography. Under the slanting light in the evening, the red color deepens significantly, appearing completely different from noon.

Platforms No. 1 and No. 2

Platform No. 1 is large with a long boardwalk, suitable for capturing the proportion between people and the landform; Platform No. 2 features a window-frame-style palace-like landscape most recognizable, resembling rows of sliced rock walls.

Platform No. 5

Relatively quiet, suitable for shooting long-distance views and backlit silhouettes.

Suggested Stay

3 hours: Use the shuttle bus to visit all main viewing platforms.
More than 4 hours: Spend the time at Platform No. 4 waiting for the sunset.

Local Reminders

You must take the shuttle bus between viewing platforms, and pay attention to the last bus time.
Colors look dull at noon; choose morning or evening light if possible.
Stepping outside the boardwalk is strictly prohibited; violators will be fined.