Why visit Zhangye
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 6 places to eat and 19 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include People's Square.
Weather in Zhangye
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
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. Its central district is Ganzhou, formerly a city of the Western Xia and one of the most important outposts of western China.
From the Wikipedia article Zhangye (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Zhangye on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Museums and landmarks12
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes6
Where to stay19
7 more on the map.
History
Zhangye lies in the centre of the Hexi Corridor. The area is on the frontier of China proper, protecting it from the nomads of the northwest and permitting its armies access to the Tarim Basin. During the Western Han dynasty, Han armies were often engaged against the Xiongnu in this area. It was also an important outpost on the Silk Road. Before being over-run by the Mongols, it was dominated by the Western Xia dynasty, and before by the Uyghurs from at least the early 10th century. Its relation to the larger Uyghur state of Qocho is obscure, but it may have been a vassal.
The Yuan dynasty founding emperor Kublai is said to have been born in the Dafo Temple, Zhangye, now the site of the longest wooden reclining Buddha in China. Marco Polo's journal states that he spent a year in the town during his journey to China.
From the History section of Zhangye on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries29
Healthcare6
Map of Zhangye
92 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Zhangye Southeast Air Base (YZY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 km away.
- Qilian 86 km south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Zhamashi 90 km southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Aviko-china, Elmschrat, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zhangye Dafo Si 2014.01.02 15-26-54, Zhangzhugang, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zhangye Dafo Si 2014.01.02 15-14-08, Zhangzhugang, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.