The pictures show the Danxia landscape in Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu Province. [Photo/Chinaplusnews]

Zhangye & Jiayuguan

The two cities are located in Hexi Corridor in northwest China's Gansu Province, which was the frontier for much of China's history as it formed a natural passage to the Central Asian and the Middle East. Zhangye literally means "extend the arm", suggesting Ancient China's intentions to communicate with foreign countries.

The city is now known for the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park. Danxia is a landform with unusual colours of rocks, which are smooth, sharp and several hundred meters tall. They are the result of deposits of sandstone and minerals over 24 million years, with shapes sculpted by wind, rain, and time.