Continuing west, the landscape becomes desolate. Driving through kilometres of seemingly endless barren desert, you’ll eventually be rewarded with the mesmerising landforms at Zhangye. The Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park is famed for its colourful 100-metretall rock formations. Depending on the hour of the day, the rocks can radiate any colour from orange to yellow and purple. They almost look to have been painted. So how did the rocks become so colourful? They’re the result of deposits of sandstone and other minerals that occurred over 24 million years ago. Wind, rain and time have sculpted the extraordinary shapes – including towers, pillars and ravines – with varying colours, patterns and sizes.
Travelling further into the Gansu province to Jiayuguan, you’ll come to meet one of China’s most iconic tourist attractions: the Great Wall. Unlike the stone Great Wall you’ve come to know from photos, however, this section of the Wall – known as the Overhanging Great Wall – is made primarily of clay, and is believed to have been first constructed in 1539. It’s an energetic hike up to excellent views of the desert and snow-capped peaks in the distance. What also sets this section apart from other parts of the Great Wall is that it ends in Jiayuguan Fort, a towering mud fortress that time hasn’t tarnished. The fort boasts a few touristy activities like archery and camel rides, but the real reason to come is for the sweeping views from its ramparts.