Zhangye is truly a treasure trove for family trips!

Last year, I passed by Mati Temple in Zhangye on the Qinghai-Gansu loop and instantly fell in love. This year, I decisively took the kids for a second visit during the National Day holiday.

Can you believe it? Within just 1-3 hours' drive from the city, kids can see snow-capped mountains, grasslands, deserts, canyons, wetlands, and even visit historical sites all in one trip! I used to think the Duku Highway was already amazing, but Zhangye is even more kid-friendly and less tiring for parents~

Zhangye boasts beautiful scenery and diverse attractions with great value for money. Many itineraries just treat it as a quick stop, rushing to see the Danxia landform and leaving—what a big loss!

The Northwest is our urban family’s “spiritual sanctuary,” with endless wilderness and distant mountains. Beneath the snow mountains lie golden meadows and streams. Taking the kids to see these makes life feel full of hope again. If it weren’t for a few provinces I still need to visit, I’d want to come back next National Day!

Family trip itinerary reference:

9.30 Beijing - Xi’an, stay at Atour near the high-speed rail station (convenient for kids to rest)

10.1 Take high-speed train to Tianshui → Maijishan Grottoes → high-speed train to Wuwei, stay at Heyi Zhishang (convenient location)

10.2 Rent a car in Wuwei, visit Binggou River P5 (few people, beautiful scenery, kids can run freely)

10.3 Drive to Zhangye, visit the Rainbow Mountains P4 (kids say it looks like a rainbow!)

10.4 Self-drive to Daduma Village P1-2 (scenery like a painting all the way), switched to hot pot due to bad weather 🍲

10.5 Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon P3 (light hiking, kids can handle it) → high-speed train to Lanzhou

10.6 Gansu Provincial Museum → return to Beijing

Tips:

National Day is busy but manageable; fewer people deeper inside the Danxia; Pingshan Lake has staff guiding visitors, so no rush with kids.

The Mati Temple to Jinta Temple section is suitable for self-driving or chartered cars. Currently, there is no charge to visit Jinta Temple or Daduma Village (may change in the future).

Sunny days offer the best scenery, but cloudy days have their own charm~ When traveling with kids, everything is the best arrangement!