On 24 Aug 2026, my family took a day trip from Lanzhou to Zhaxixiulong Grassland, Mayaxue Mountain(Maya Snow Mountain), Wushaoling, and Kushui Danxia. I'd like to share our experience here.

We booked a seat-in-coach tour and shared the minibus with two other families.In the morning, it took us about 1.5 hours to reach Kushui Danxia.Kushui Danxia is a lesserknown, undeveloped colourful hilly danxia landscape on the outskirts of Lanzhou. Upon arrival, access deeper into the site was closed due to flood prevention construction, and it was foggy.

We stopped there in the afternoon on our return trip to Lanzhou, yet we were again advised not to go further.

From our view, this site is skippable: access is unreliable, and comparable scenery can be seen along the roadside.

If you have extra time, another recommended site close to Lanzhou is Shuimo Danxia.Shuimo Danxia showcases expansive colourful rolling hills that look like Chinese ink wash landscapes.

It was roughly a 2‑hour drive from Kushui Danxia to Zhaxixiulong Grassland.

From here you get views of Mayaxue Mountain, though there is barely any snow at this time of year.

Yurt settlements are scattered across the grassland, offering accommodation and local food & beverages.

Then we climbed the steps up to the hilltop, and the view was rewarding.

After 1.5 hours exploring Zhaxixiulong Grassland, we continued our drive to Wushaoling, just a 15minute ride away.

Wushaoling is a historic Silk Road mountain pass, sitting at the junction of the Loess Plateau, QinghaiTibet Plateau and Inner Mongolia Plateau, with rolling grassy mountain ridges and sweeping panoramic views.

Standing at Wushaoling, the ancient gateway to the Hexi Corridor, I could not help but imagine camel caravans and travellers crossing this mountain pass centuries ago along the Silk Road. You can feel the weight of history across the rolling hills.

We headed back to Lanzhou late in the afternoon. The drive back to the city took about 2.5 hours. It was a wonderful day trip full of wide‑open plateau views.

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel