Zhangye City The Rainbow Danxia Scenic Area

The Rainbow Danxia Scenic Area is located within the boundaries of Linze and Sunan counties in Zhangye City, Gansu Province. The total area of the scenic region is 50 square kilometers, and it possesses high tourism and geological research value. The Danxia landform group of the Qilian Mountains in Zhangye ranges in altitude from 2000 to 3800 meters, stretching about 40 kilometers from east to west and 5 to 10 kilometers from north to south, covering an area of more than 300 square kilometers. Thousands of cliffs and mountain ridges all exhibit bright vermillion and reddish-brown colors, each displaying their unique splendor. Danxia refers to red sandstone that has been shaped by long-term weathering, stripping, and water erosion, resulting in isolated peaks and steep, peculiar rocks. The Danxia landforms here developed during the period from the early Jurassic to the Tertiary, about 2 million years ago.