Gansu · China
Zhangye travel guide
Zhangye is a city in Gansu, China, home to about 1,131,000 people.
- Best months
- June to August
- Nearest airport
- YZY24 km · Zhangye Ganzhou Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Urumqi
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Zhangye
Zhangye (simplified Chinese: 张掖; traditional Chinese: 張掖; pinyin: Zhāngyè), formerly romanized as Changyeh and also formerly known as Kanchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Gansu Province in the People's Republic of China. It borders Inner Mongolia on the north and Qinghai on the south.
Zhangye became the garrison headquarters after General Huo established control of the Hexi Corridor. Formerly known as Ganzhou, the town was part of the Western Xia dynasty until it was conquered by Kublai Khan in 1227. Zhangye has a population of around 1.1 million (2025), of whom 630,000 are urban residents. In addition to Han Chinese, the city is also home to members of the minority Yugu people, who live only in Gansu.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Zhangye
See
- Dafo Temple
- Zhangye Drum Tower
- Zhangye Shanxi Guild Hall
- Zhangye Museum
- Muto-ji Temple
- Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park (Qicai Danxia)
- Blackwater National site
- Nanhu Park
- Mati Si Temple
- Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park (Binggou Danxia)
- Pingshanhu Grand Canyon
Do
- Heihe Wetland Park
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Zhangye
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Zhangye are June to August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; July is the wettest, with about 52 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Zhangye: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zhangye Ganzhou Airport (YZY), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Bus fares are ¥1 - correct change only. As of 2026, you need a Chinese ID number to register a city bus card in Alipay, so foreigners are limited to cash payments. Both DiDi and taxis are readily available. Taxis will likely be somewhat cheaper than DiDi. You can book a private car via a travel agency or at the reception of most hotels, which is especially useful for touring the sites outside the city.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
YZY · Zhangye Ganzhou Airport
Questions
Zhangye: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Zhangye?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Zhangye are June to August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; July is the wettest, with about 52 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Zhangye?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zhangye Ganzhou Airport (YZY), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Zhangye?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Zhangye
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.