When Geology Goes a Little Bonkers

Danxia geological park, an hour outside of Zhangye in the remote northern province of Gansu, became a destination on this trip because I liked the photos of it online. (A very reasonable Canadian couple I met a few weeks ago nodded in understanding, like this is the most practical motivation to go anywhere.)

The geopark is very proscribed in how you visit and what you can do there - namely, take a shuttles bus to a half-dozen stops and enjoy the scenery with hundreds of other people. The desire to melt away the crowds and walk in the mountains instead of look at them from the manicured fence railing was strong, but the seeing the place in the late afternoon and sunset light, and then again in the sunrise was a nice bit of wish-fulfillment.

[Click to scroll for photos.]

[Danxia geopark: Sptember 29, 2017]