Overview

Zhangye is a town that has lost much of its former glory. Located in the west of Gansu, midway of Hexi Corridor, about 450km northwest of the capital Lanzhou, nowadays it's most famed as both a small station on the Lanzhou-Urumqi rail line, and for its production of lethal liquor, including Zhangye Rice Wine (Zhangye huangjiu), Zhangye Nan Wine (Zhangye nanjiu) and Siluchun Spirits (Siluchun baijiu).

Dated back 5,000 years, Zhangye was a popular dwelling place, a natural area of plain, surrounded by Qilianshan and Helishan. At this time the area was considered Tibetan, part of the large area of influence that the present day province struggles to remember. Even today the Tibetan influence is still here, especially a little to the south around the village of Mati.

In 111 BC, during the Western Han Dynasty, Zhengye was officially designated as an administrative town. The town grew to prominence along with the famed Silk Road, when virtually every merchant and traveler planning on going to Xinjiang and beyond, from central China (Zhongyuan), had to pass through Zhangye. By the Ming Dynasty (1364-1644 AD), the town had grown into a critical garrison for soldiers guarding the Great Wall. For a period in the Ming, the town even served as the capital of Gansu province.

The signs of this glory are now all but faded in the city itself. A few attractions remain to memorize this, most notably China's largest indoor reclining Buddha, a large minority population, including a scattering of Tibetans, and the crumbling Great Wall that runs to the south of the town. Most visitors here seem content with no more than a day here. Of more interest are the areas out of town, and while the tourism industry is happy to promote the famous Horse's Hoof Temple (Mati si) some 60km away, of better value are the villages and little, lesser known temples, of the Sunan Yugu (Tibetan) Autonomous Prefecture, around Mati.

Getting there and away

For centuries, Zhangye has retained its footing as an important military fortress along the Silk Road. In ancient times, merchants making a journey to the west from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province,used Zhangye as their first major stop on route. Nowadays camels are few here, but to extend its influence into Xinjiang, Communist China has made railway lines and paved a State-level Expressway, G312, which both pass through this city.

By train
Zhangye is a major stop along the Lanzhou-Urumqi Railway Line. Each day there are a few trains going to and beyond Zhangye. A blessing for travelers is that now there is a nightly express train that leaves Lanzhou at about 10pm and arrives in Zhangye 12 hours later. If you plan to travel further west to Jiayuguan, it is around 4 hours away.

Trains also leave to Jiayuan and take around 9 hours. Getting tickets at the station, however, can be a bit of a problem.

The railway station is 6km northeast of the city center, which costs around Y3 by minibus or Y10 by taxi.

By bus
The Eastern Bus Station, south down Donghuan Nanlu from the Hexi Hotel, dispatches buses in the evening to Lanzhou, 3 of which are with sleeper seats (Y90 /15 hours). There are also buses every morning to Jiayuguan (Y25 / 5 hours).

Buses departing from the Southern Station head to Jiayuguan in the morning and Lanzhou in the early evening.

Zhangye is also an easy way to get through to Qinghai. Xining, the capital, is just 347km from Zhangye on G227. Buses leave from the Xiguan Bus Station on Paoxuanlu for
Y32, twice daily.

Lodging

Among all the hotels in town, Zhangye Hotel and Ganzhou Hotel offer the most reasonable priced lodging. The Zhangye, a few minutes from the bus station on Xianfu nanjie, is the most attractive, with pretty gardens and decent rooms in the new wing. This hotel also houses a CITS office, good for information and maybe tours to the Mati Temple. Dorms here is around Y30. The Ganzhou, on the main north/south street, offers the cheapest rooms in town with sparse dorms for Y15.

Of the more expensive hotels, the Hexi Hotel and the Jindu Hotel are good, and all rooms in these have baths. The Hexi, on the corner of Dong dajie and Donghuancheng lu,
provides good service and has doubles for a cheap RMB85. The Jindu, on Dong dajie near to the Drum Tower, is one of the newest in town and offers doubles for around Y150.

Dining

Many of the hotels here serve plain, but fairly decent food. The Zhanye Hotel's restaurant is best for both price and good taste. Restaurants can also be found along the main north/south street, more in the south (Da nanjie).

For an even cheaper and more interesting experience, try the stalls along the Night Market (ye chang) at Dongdajie or Qingniandongjie.

Attractions