A Visit to Pingshan Lake: Danxia Mountains Paired with Lake Water, This Trip Amazed Me!

Last week, I finally made it to Pingshan Lake! I had always heard people call it the "close sibling of Zhangye Danxia," but with fewer crowds and a lake to enjoy, I thought I’d avoid the crowds and take a look. As soon as I arrived, I was completely amazed — this isn’t just a "close sibling," it’s clearly a Danxia secret realm with a gentle filter built in!

We drove from downtown Zhangye. At first, the road was flanked by ordinary farmland, but the farther we went, the more interesting it became: the earth-colored mountains gradually took on red, orange, and yellow hues, as if someone had splashed paint on them. By the time we reached the scenic area entrance, the continuous Danxia mountains stretched all the way to the horizon. My friend in the passenger seat kept shouting, "Stop quickly and take photos!" The photos on my phone couldn’t capture the breathtaking view as well as the naked eye!

We stayed at a herdsman’s guesthouse near the scenic area. The courtyard of the adobe house had sea buckthorn plants, and the owner said you could pick them in summer to brew tea. Lying in the courtyard at night, the sky was full of stars with no city lights to interfere, and the Milky Way was clearly visible. My friend and I held up our phones to take pictures for a long time, our hands freezing but we didn’t want to go inside.

The next morning, we got up at 6 a.m. just to watch the Danxia sunrise. It was quite cold waiting on the viewing platform, but as soon as the sun peeked out, the whole mountain came alive — the originally dark purple mountain body was first dyed orange-red, then bright yellow, and finally red as if it were on fire. Pingshan Lake at the foot of the mountain shimmered, reflecting the colors from the mountain in the water, making it hard to tell where the mountain ended and the lake began. I even forgot to eat the bun in my hand, just staring wide-eyed.

During the day, we rented shared bikes in the scenic area, which is definitely the right way to explore Pingshan Lake! Riding along the lakeside road, colorful Danxia was on the left and emerald green lake water on the right. Occasionally, you could see the patterns on the mountain walls, like layered pancakes or marbled pork. I couldn’t help but stop and touch the smooth, slightly warm stones. Halfway through, we found a little-known viewing platform with hardly anyone there. From there, you could see the entire Danxia canyon, with layers of mountains like waves. The breeze carried the fresh lake scent, making it especially pleasant.

At noon, we had lamb noodles in the scenic area. The soup was made from lamb bones and sprinkled with local sand chives. It was so delicious I drank two bowls. In the afternoon, we hiked a section of the canyon trail. Seeing the Danxia up close made me realize how magical it is: some mountains looked like camels, others like castles. The rainwater-carved ravines divided the mountains into pieces with varying shades of color. Every photo was wallpaper-worthy.

When we left at dusk, I looked back at Pingshan Lake under the sunset. The Danxia turned a dark rose color, and the lake water softened accordingly. Suddenly, I felt all the tiredness was worth it — no crowded crowds, just mountains, lake, and endless colors. Next time, I want to come in summer. I heard wildflowers bloom by the lake then, which must be even more beautiful!

Oh, and a reminder for friends planning to go: be sure to wear comfortable sneakers. The UV rays in the scenic area are strong, so don’t forget your hat and sunglasses, or you’ll get sunburned and feel sorry for yourself!

Post by ZELDA BALL | Oct 23, 2025