Zhangye Danxia: Most Magnificent View in Solar System

#chinatraveltips Zhangye Danxia Geopark is located in Linze County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province. It is one of the famous Danxia landforms in China and in the whole world. It attracts many tourists and scholars for its unique natural landscape and geological features.The geopark is located in the middle of the north slope of the main range of Qilian Mountain. The terrain is higher in the southwest and north, and lower in the middle. The terrain has large ups and downs, and the height difference is obvious. The main geomorphological units in the park include high- and middle-level mountains, low- and middle-level mountains, and river valley basins, forming a wealth of colorful hills and Danxia landforms. The formation of Danxia in Zhangye can be traced back to the “red layer” period of the Cretaceous Period from about 135 million to 65 million years ago. Under the action of tectonic movement, flowing water and wind erosion, these sedimentary rock layers such as red sandstone and conglomerates have gradually formed the unique landscape with distinct layers and colorful colors seen today. Danxia landform is known for its diversity of colors and peculiar forms. Common colors are red, yellow, green, white, purple, etc. These colors are mainly due to the differences in the composition of different minerals, especially the oxidation of iron. Zhangye Danxia Geopark not only has high tourist and entertainment importance, but also has significant scientific and research value. As a global geopark, it provides valuable physical data for the study of the earth's history and geological structure.There are multiple observation decks and characteristic attractions in the scenic area, such as Colorful Sea of Clouds, Colorful Fairy Land, colorful splendid scenery, etc., so visitors can enjoy the magnificent Danxia landscape in these places. In addition, the scenic area also provides a variety of tourism experience projects, such as helicopter and hot air balloon sightseeing, to meet the needs of different tourists.