Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon in Zhangye, known as China's version of the Grand Canyon

Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is so far the closest natural wonder to a city in China, integrating canyon adventures, geological research, ethnic customs, and off-road driving into one comprehensive tourist attraction. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Zhangye's geomorphological garden! It has been praised by 'China Geographic Magazine', renowned geologists, and tourists from home and abroad as 'rivaling Zhangjiajie', 'comparable to the Colorado Grand Canyon', and a new discovery on the Silk Road! Billions of years of natural evolution have crafted this wonder. Here, the canyons are deep, and the peaks are uniquely shaped, with nature's incredible creativity carving the colorful mountains into unparalleled and captivating landscape paintings. Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon is about 25 kilometers away from the downtown area of Zhangye, with an altitude ranging from 1500 to 2550 meters. Its geological structure belongs to the red bed geomorphology, which refers to the red rock series formed during the sedimentation from the Middle Jurassic to the Tertiary period of the Mesozoic Era, commonly known as 'red sandstone', dating back 180 to 240 million years. The canyon is characterized by its water-eroded gullies, with low and gentle mountains and sandy hills as the backdrop. The main color tones are red, white, and reddish-brown, slightly dull in color. They are mostly conical or columnar, with unique shapes. The formations are highly irregular, generally extending from east to west, winding and meandering. The width varies from 2 to 15 kilometers, with the north side of the canyon higher than the south, showcasing a vast and awe-inspiring presence, with uniquely abrupt scenery unmatched in the world. This special geomorphological feature was formed over millions of years through crustal uplift and the erosive actions of wind, water, and chemical dissolution. During the erosion period, the harder rock layers in the plateau formed the protrusions between river valleys, while the valleys themselves were more actively eroded, resulting in plateau-like large mountains or fortress-like small hills. The rocks of the Grand Canyon are mostly red, with rock layers from the Cambrian to the Cenozoic era clearly distributed from the bottom to the top, varying in color and containing representative fossils from various geological periods, also known as a 'living geological history textbook'. In the southeastern part of the area, mountains overlap and ravines crisscross, with the highest elevation reaching 3633 meters, forming the unique Dongdashan natural landscape belt. It spans about 7 kilometers from north to south and about 9 kilometers from east to west, with a total area of 78,000 acres. Pingshan Lake Mongolian Township was an important passage for ancient ethnic minorities entering the Hexi Corridor and a vital barrier for the Han people to resist foreign invasions, located at the intersection of agricultural and nomadic cultures. The area is home to a mix of Mongolian, Han, Tu, and Yugur ethnic groups, creating a multi-ethnic and multicultural character, with the Mongolian population being the majority. Pingshan Lake Mongolian Township is an important gateway for trade between Zhangye and Inner Mongolia. It is part of the Longshou Mountain section of the Helishan range, overlooking the Qilian Mountains across the corridor plain. It serves as a transitional zone between the corridor plain and the Inner Mongolia plateau, a necessary route from Pingshan Lake to Inner Mongolia, and a convenient passage to the Ceke port in Mongolia through the northern route to Northeast China, North China, Northern Shanxi, Northern Shaanxi, and Mongolia. The area preserves traditional Mongolian customs in ethnic rituals, songs and dances, clothing, cuisine, crafts, and religious beliefs. Every year on the 26th day of the fourth lunar month, the unique Obo Festival is held, featuring competitions in the 'three skills' of Mongolian men—archery, horse racing, and wrestling.