Zhangye National Wetland Park
张掖国家湿地公园
A national wetland park on the Heihe River north of the city, with reed marshes, boardwalks and a wetland museum. A “Jiangnan on the frontier”.
Zhangye National Wetland Park lies on the northern outskirts of Ganzhou District and forms part of the Heihe River basin wetlands. It covers over 40,000 mu (about 27 square km). Reed beds, ponds and boardwalks interweave here, and the Zhangye saying “half reeds, half pagodas” comes from this scene. The park has the Zhangye Wetland Museum, which covers the ecology of the Heihe basin and the oases of the Hexi Corridor. In summer, lotus and reeds are lush; in autumn, the reed flowers turn golden. Egrets and wild ducks are common. The park is free to enter. The museum requires a booking, and a visit takes about 1.5–2 hours. It lies about 4 km from the city centre, roughly a 10-minute taxi ride, making it suitable for the day you arrive or an evening stroll after the Danxia. Mosquitoes are plentiful in summer, so take precautions.
Opening hours
Park open all day; museum approx. 09:00–17:30 (closed Mon)
Nearby sights
- Zhangye Drum Tower (Zhenyuan Tower)
- Ganzhou Market (Night Food Market)
- Muta Temple (Wooden Pagoda Temple)
- Zhangye Shanxi Guild Hall
- Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple
- Heishuiguo Ruins
- Pingshanhu Grand Canyon
- Zhangye Danxia Landform