How Many Spectacular Landscapes Does Zhangye, Gansu Offer?
Planet Research Institute & OPPO Photography Academy
Documenting the unseen world through imagery
A relatively lesser-known city in northwest China
Many people don’t even know its name
(Zhangye Danxia Scenic Area. The "Colorful Danxia" is actually not Danxia landform but colorful hills. Image source: @VCG)
Far from the bustling economic heartland of the east
Nor the distant frontier many yearn for
(Geographical location map of Zhangye, designed by @Chen Siqi & Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
(Snow-capped peaks of the Qilian Mountains, photographer: @Zeng Jianjun)
(Zhangye Desert, photographer: @Zeng Jianjun)
(Morning light at Lushui Bay Wetland Park in Zhangye, photographer: @Shi Yaochen)
(Maying River Grand Canyon, photographer: @Wu Wei)
Plains sandwiched between mountains on both sides
(Zhangye’s location and surrounding terrain/mountains, designed by @Chen Siqi & Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
72% of Zhangye’s area is mountainous
Mazong Mountain, Heli Mountain, Longshou Mountain
(Longshou Mountain, photographer: @Li Chen)
Covering 59% of the city’s total area
It also marks the edge of the Tibetan Plateau
With an elevation drop of over 3,000 meters to the plains below
(The Qilian Mountains can be broadly or narrowly defined. Broadly, they refer to a group of roughly parallel mountain ranges running northwest-southeast along the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Narrowly, they refer only to the northernmost range of the Qilian Mountains. Photographer: Chang Li)
Blocking the moisture-laden southeast monsoon
Making precipitation in the mountainous area three times that of the plains
Transforming into a vast "wet island" in the arid northwest
Snow-capped peaks above 4,000 meters stretch endlessly
(Please view horizontally. The continuous snow peaks of the Qilian Mountains. Photographer: Zheng Feiyuan)
Forming sharp horn peaks and knife-edge ridges
(Peaks of the Qilian Mountains, showcasing typical glacial landforms. Photographer: Sun Zhijun)
Led by glaciologist Shi Yafeng
China's first glacier expedition team
Ascended a glacier in Sunan County, Zhangye City
Later named the "July 1st Glacier"
Marking the beginning of systematic modern glacier research in China
(The ice tongue of the July 1st Glacier in the Qilian Mountains, only 110 kilometers from Jiayuguan City, is one of Asia's rare visitable glaciers near an urban area. Photographer: Fu Ding)
Carrying fewer impurities like gravel and sand particles
Among them, the representative "August 1st Glacier"
(Please view horizontally. The August 1st Glacier. Photographer: Wu Wei)
Lies in the rivers formed by meltwater from snow and ice
The three major river systems: Shiyang River, Heihe River, and Shule River
(Please view horizontally. The Heihe River flowing out of the Qilian Mountains. Photographer: Wu Wei)
As early as the Cretaceous period over 100 million years ago
and formed thick red strata
giving birth to a unique type of landform
(Planet Research Institute, following OPPO Imaging Academy, visited the colorful hilly landform area of Zhangye Danxia Scenic Area. Through the lenses of various photographers, unique light, shadow, and colors were captured. Photographer: Shi Yaochen, using OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
are relatively soft siltstone and mudstone
(Sedimentary process of the colorful hills, illustration by Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
(The strata forming the colorful hills were compressed, deformed, and uplifted, illustration by Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
collapsed under the erosion of flowing water
(The colorful hill strata were eroded by flowing water and heavy rain, illustration by Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
eventually forming undulating low hills
also making the colorful hills more vibrant than the Danxia landform
(Different mineral compositions in the layers of the colorful hills appear as varied colors after weathering, illustration by Zhao Bang/Planet Research Institute)
while the harder red sandstone and conglomerate
left behind steep-walled peaks after weathering
forming the typical Danxia landform
(Danxia landform in Zhangye, image source: VCG)
(Please view horizontally, Yangtaishan in Zhangye, photographer: Wu Wei)
to the fiery Danxia and colorful hills below
leaving frozen traces on the land
will add even richer colors on this basis
On mountain slopes at an altitude of 2500-3200 meters
Qinghai spruce forms a forest belt
(Qilian Mountains forest, photographer: Yu Kuan, shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom)
Creating 25,000 square kilometers of grassland
Covering 52% of Zhangye City's land area
High-quality pastures have been home to nomadic peoples since ancient times
(Please view horizontally, Xiamutala Grassland, photographer: Wu Wei)
It still hosts Asia's largest military horse breeding base today
(Please view horizontally, Shandan Horse Ranch, photographer: Ye Changchun)
And serves as a habitat for over 1,200 animal species
Including rare species like snow leopards and red deer
(Tibetan fox in the Qilian Mountains, photographer: Wu Wei)
The Heihe River is the largest inland river in the Hexi region
(Water systems and oasis distribution in the Hexi Corridor, map by Zhao Bang & Chen Siqi/Institute of Planet)
This soil is nutrient-rich and resistant to salinization
Nurturing the largest oasis in the Hexi Corridor
(Zhangye Oasis, photographer: Li Hanjun)
Forming a cold, moist air mass near the surface
Making Zhangye a "cold, moist island"
With temperatures 1°C to 5°C lower than the surrounding deserts and Gobi
(Please view horizontally, lush oasis vegetation in Zhangye, photographer @ Kong Lingsheng)
also significantly reduces the evaporation of surface water
(Wafangcheng Reservoir, photographer @ Li Chun)
Every year, flocks of migratory birds soar through the skies
(Birds at Heihe River in Gaotai, Zhangye, photographer @ Wu Wei)
making Zhangye a pearl on the Hexi Corridor
and also a focal point of contention among various civilizations
Its mountains and rivers will unleash immense power
becoming a springboard for the Central Plains people to advance into the Western Regions
ushering Zhangye's history into a new phase
Rong, Qiang, Wusun, Yuezhi, Xiongnu
These nomadic peoples who moved like the wind on horseback
but they relied on Zhangye's lush pastures as their stronghold
posing a significant threat to the Central Plains dynasties
The Han Dynasty Great Wall remnants in Shandan County to this day
narrate the initial encounters between these two civilizations
(Great Wall ruins in the Zhangye desert, likely from the Ming Dynasty, shown for illustration, photographer @ Zeng Jianjun)
In the second year of Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanshou era (121 BCE)
one advance was from the south along the northern slopes of the Qilian Mountains
the other was from Juyan Lake southward along the Heihe River
(Route map of Huo Qubing's two expeditions against the Xiongnu in the Hexi Corridor, mapped by Zheng Borong & Chen Siqi/Planet Research Institute)
Meaning "to extend the nation's arm and connect with the Western Regions"
"Zhangye" officially entered the historical stage
The population sent here for garrison farming reached 89,000
Central Plains people here "dug canals and grew grains"
Superior environment coupled with advanced agricultural techniques
Rapidly transformed Zhangye from a pastoral area to an agricultural one
(Please view horizontally, farmland at Biandukou in Minle County, Zhangye, photographer Li Chen)
Zhangye was not only an agricultural and military stronghold
A mountain pass in the southern Qilian Mountains
A vital passage connecting Qinghai and the Hexi Corridor
(Biandukou, likely the pass where Zhang Qian crossed the Qilian Mountains, also traversed by monk Faxian during the Western Jin Dynasty on his westward pilgrimage, Emperor Yang of Sui crossed here during his western inspection, and Tang poets like Li Bai, Wang Wei, and Gao Shi also passed through this pass, photographer He Jinghua)
A north-south corridor directly leading to the Tibetan Plateau
It also connected westward to the Western Regions and eastward to Chang'an
Zhangye became a golden crossroads of routes from all directions
(The Xi'an to Dunhuang section of the Silk Road had three routes from ancient Chang'an: one directly through the Hexi Corridor as the Central Route, one through northern grasslands and deserts as the Northern Route or Grassland Silk Road, and one crossing the Qilian Mountains as the Southern Route or Qiangzhong Route. All three converged in Zhangye before heading west to Dunhuang, mapped by Zhao Bang & Chen Siqi/Planet Research Institute)
Envoys and merchants traveled incessantly along the Silk Road
While crops like grapes, pomegranates, watermelons
Sesame, wheat, and carrots from the Western Regions
Also transformed Chinese dietary habits
(Farmland in the Shandan Horse Ranch of Zhangye, Gansu, in late autumn, image source @VCG)
The Matisi Grottoes were left in Zhangye
These grottoes were carved inside the mountain
With pavilion-style windows exposed on the mountain's surface
(Matisi Grottoes, unlike the Hanging Temple that "hangs" wooden structures on cliffs, the "hanging" appearance of Matisi is an "illusion"—it is a grotto carved inside the mountain, with only a few pavilion-style windows visible on the surface, making it seem "suspended," photographer @Yu Kuan & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom)
Enough for an adult to lie horizontally on it
(Please view horizontally, the reclining Buddha in the Giant Buddha Temple, photographer @Wu Wei)
Causing the regimes controlling Zhangye to change repeatedly
But its important status never faded
Whether as the political center ruling the Hexi Corridor
(Zhangye Bell and Drum Tower, the largest and best-preserved among the bell and drum towers in the Hexi Corridor, photographer @Wu Wei)
Or as a strategic frontier fortress against foreign enemies
(The Ming Great Wall in Shandan County, Zhangye, photographer @Zeng Jianjun)
Zhangye gradually fell behind coastal cities
But with its favorable environment and connectivity in all directions
It remains one of the most important cities on the Hexi Corridor
Today, it is called "Golden Zhangye"
The gold symbolizes its economic development
(Harvesting grain in Zhangye, the largest commercial grain production base on the Hexi Corridor, photographer @Zeng Jianjun)
(Zhangye corn, also the largest corn seed production base in China, image source @VCG)
Through rapidly developing facility agriculture
(Dried fruits at the Zhangye Ganzhou market, photographed by Yu Kuan using OPPO Reno 10x Zoom)
It not only brings unique flavors to melons and fruits
(Photovoltaic power station in Ganzhou District, Zhangye. In recent years, Ganzhou District has leveraged its resource advantages to vigorously develop photovoltaic projects. Image source @VCG)
The iron ore discovered in Jingtieshan, Sunan County
(Jingtieshan, Jiajing Railway, photographed by Wu Jiaxu)
On the once galloping warhorses of Shandan Grassland
(A train on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, photographed by Jin Xi)
The Biandukou Pass, once crossed by countless ancients
Now traversed by National Highway 227
The snow-capped peaks of the Qilian Mountains accompany the Danxia landforms
(Scenery along National Highway 227, map by Zhang Jing/Planet Research Institute)
(Please view horizontally. Zhangye Binhe New District, where wetlands, the city, and the distant Qilian Mountains blend together, photographed by Wu Wei)
On the Qilian Mountain grasslands in Sunan County, Zhangye
(Planet Research Institute joined OPPO Imaging Academy at the summer pasture of the Yugur herder Anping family in Xiaritala Grassland, documenting the traditional life upheld by the last generation of Yugur herders, photographed by Ge Yuejin using OPPO Reno 10x Zoom)
Many remain hidden beyond sight
How to discover an unseen world
Is precisely the theme of this OPPO Imaging Academy
The imaging spirit OPPO has always upheld
See Beyond | IT’S MY VIEW
Express the world beyond your vision through imagery
The OPPO Imaging Academy journey arrived in Zhangye
Under the guidance of Lua Ribeira and Jonas Bendiksen
Embarking on this journey of self-exploration
(Two photographer mentors interacting with students, using the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition for shooting)
An environment slightly unfamiliar to the photographers on this trip
The mentors asked each student to imagine themselves as "aliens"
Some started from the contrast in the landscape
Creating special scenes resembling an "alien base"
("Alien base," the architectural canopy of the scenic area's visitor hall forms a striking contrast with the colorful hills, yet blends seamlessly under the photographers' lenses, photographer @Sun Yibing & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
Constructing a unique moment
("Eyes," a paraglider in the sky, at a certain moment and from a special angle, forms a pair of eyebrows and eyes, echoing the sunglasses-covered eyes of the subject in front of the lens, photographer @Zhang Kuanglong & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
(A hidden world of wonder, photographer @Jia Shusen & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
(The reflection of Mati Temple, photographer @Zhang Kuanglong & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
The students interviewed young people of the Yugur ethnic group
And captured distinctive portraits for them
Some appeared shy and conflicted
(This young Yugur man was very shy, unsure of what pose to strike, feeling conflicted with his hands on his head, so the photographer quickly pressed the shutter to capture this moment, photographer @Zhang Kuanglong & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
Also showcasing their attachment to their homeland and traditions
(Yugur women, during the interview, expressed that despite the allure of the outside world, they still cherish the tranquility of their homeland, photographer @Nina Zimolong & shot with OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition)
OPPO hopes to encourage more creators
and record and share from their own unique perspectives
(Full Record of OPPO Imaging Academy's "Unseen World" Exploration Journey)
How many extremes remain beyond our sight
Mapping: Zhao Bang & Zhang Jing & Zheng Borong
1. Data released by the Zhangye Municipal People's Government website, http://www.zhangye.gov.cn/sjfb/
2. Editorial Committee of "Zhangye City Annals", "Zhangye City Annals", Gansu People's Publishing House, 1995
3. Editorial Committee of "Zhangye Comprehensive Yearbook", "Zhangye Comprehensive Yearbook 2011-2012", Gansu Culture Publishing House, 2014
4. Li Shuanke, "Colorful Zhangye: A Grand View of China's Geomorphic Landscapes", Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, 2012
5. Li Bingcheng, "Historical Geography of the Hexi Corridor", Gansu People's Publishing House, 1995
6. Wei Mingkong, Wang Kaitang, "Pearl of the Oasis: A Survey of Socio-Economic Development in 'Golden Zhangye', a Key Town on the Silk Road", Science Press, 2018
7. Ding Hongwei, Wang Shiyu et al., Geological Genesis of Zhangye Danxia and Colorful Hills and Comparison with Southern Danxia Landforms, Arid Land Geography, 2014
8. Peng Hua, Research Progress on Danxia Landforms in China, Geographical Science, 2000