Gansu

甘肃 · Gānsù

Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake · Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0

2Cities

36Sights

Cities in Gansu

Crescent Lake among the Singing Sand Dunes, Dunhuang

2 daysDunhuang敦煌Mogao Caves murals and the singing sand dunes of the Silk Road.best May–Oct

Striped rainbow mountains of Zhangye Danxia

1–2 daysZhangye张掖The Danxia Rainbow Mountains on the Hexi Corridor.best May–Oct

Top sights

Nine-storey pavilion set against the cliff of the Mogao Caves

莫高窟Mogao CavesHundreds of Buddhist cave temples painted over a thousand years, one of the world’s great art sites.DunhuangBooking required

Crescent Lake and its pavilions seen from the Mingsha sand dunes

鸣沙山月牙泉Mingsha Mountain and Crescent LakeTall “singing” sand dunes right at the edge of town, wrapped around a crescent-shaped spring.DunhuangBooking required

Rammed-earth ruin of Yumen Pass in the Gobi desert

玉门关遗址Yumen Pass (Jade Gate)A lonely mud-brick fort on the Silk Road’s western frontier, with Han dynasty Great Wall ruins nearby.DunhuangBooking recommended

Striped red and orange hills of the Zhangye Rainbow Mountains

张掖七彩丹霞Zhangye Rainbow Mountains (Qicai Danxia)Hills striped red, orange, yellow and green by layered sandstone, seen from boardwalks and viewing platforms.ZhangyeBooking recommended

Castle-like sandstone cliffs at Binggou Danxia

冰沟丹霞Binggou DanxiaThe quieter Danxia area north of Qicai: sculpted cliffs, towers and canyons in paler colours, walked on long boardwalks.Zhangye

Great Buddha Hall of Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple

张掖大佛寺Giant Buddha TempleAn 11th-century wooden hall in the town centre holding a 35-metre reclining Buddha, one of the largest indoor Buddhas in China.Zhangye