马蹄寺藏裕快餐厅

The roasted lamb and lamb chops are both good, especially the lamb noodles and wild mushroom noodles. They are worth recommending, but the quantity is a bit small. It is much better than the embarrassment of having nowhere to eat before. If you are in a group, there are folk songs to welcome you, so it is worth a visit.

The taste of Mati Temple Zangyu Fast Food Restaurant is good, the environment is pretty good, and the service is warm and thoughtful!

There aren't many restaurants nearby, so it's great to be able to find this fast food restaurant.

The taste here is ok and the service is good.

A 5-day, 4-night trip to Zhangye and Dunhuang: a relaxing and less crowded off-season trip (a belated travelogue) I finally used my annual leave this year and visited Zhangye and Dunhuang. I went at the end of May, just in time for the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. The trip was pretty quiet, making it a truly off-season trip, and I had a wonderful time. I've compiled this itinerary for your reference. First, let's talk about how to get to Zhangye. On my departure day, I transferred from Chengdu to Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, which has a direct high-speed rail connection to Lanzhou West Railway Station. In the afternoon, I took the bullet train from Lanzhou West to Zhangye. I arrived at Zhangye West Station around 8 PM and took a Didi to the hotel. Zhangye isn't a big place, so taxis are very cheap, and I got there without spending much. We stayed at an unmanned hotel called Nuanju, which was decent value for money. There was no elevator, but the floors were low, so the climb wasn't tiring. Most importantly, it was affordable, and the area was convenient for dining and shopping. After dropping off my luggage, I felt hungry, so I went to a nearby night market for some stir-fried bola and apricot tea. Honestly, it wasn't as delicious as I'd imagined, but the portion was truly generous. One serving of chao balala was enough for two people. Day 1: Horse-Tibet Temple, Golden Pagoda Temple, and Colorful Danxia. Chartering a car was convenient. In the morning, I had a local beef rice bowl—small pieces of noodles soaked in beef broth. It was warm and delicious. Then I contacted the taxi driver—I'd booked him a month in advance, and it turned out to be a wise move. He took us to Horse-Tibet Temple and Golden Pagoda Temple. I bought the tickets with him, and it seemed to be over ten yuan cheaper than if I had bought them myself. Every penny saved is a penny earned. Horstie Temple: Climbing the caves is fun, but dressing appropriately is crucial. Horstie Temple is truly fascinating. The snow had mostly melted when I went, but climbing around in the Thousand Buddha Caves and the Thirty-three Heavens Caves was incredibly fascinating. The rock faces are covered in knife marks, and you can imagine the ancients chiseling them bit by bit. A word of caution: dress lightly if you go there, and don't wear skirts for girls. Some of the caves require a 90-degree climb, and some of the stone steps are incredibly high, almost a meter high. The narrow entrances make it difficult to wear skirts and expose your body. While the climb was a bit tiring, looking at the caves made me realize the ancient people's true faith and perseverance in creating these structures on the cliffs. Golden Pagoda Temple: Not a particularly recommended option, but optional. I'm not a big fan of Golden Pagoda Temple. Perhaps I went at the wrong time, as there wasn't much snow on the snowy mountain. I'd heard the scenery along this stretch was breathtaking, but it was just average. The two caves at Golden Pagoda Temple are definitely worth visiting if you're interested in historical relics and research. If not, it's better to visit the replica caves at the Zhangye City Museum. It's free, and you can get a closer look, saving you the hassle of making the trip. If you skip Golden Pagoda Temple, you can spend your time at Linsong Xiegu Waterfall, located within the Mati Temple scenic area. You can ride a horse to the waterfall, and I heard the scenery is beautiful. I'd definitely give it a try next time. Colorful Danxia: No filter needed, just before sunset. In the afternoon, our chartered driver drove directly from Jinta Temple to Colorful Danxia. If we hadn't hired a car, we probably wouldn't have made it in time for the scenic area's opening hours. That's when I felt really proud of my advance planning. A basic tour of Colorful Danxia is enough; the driver said there's no need for an in-depth tour, which is fine. Sunset in Zhangye falls between 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM, which is plenty of time to explore. We arrived around 5:00 PM. The weather was perfect, no sandstorms, a bit overcast, and comfortable for a stroll. The colors of Colorful Danxia are especially vibrant in natural light; no filters needed; photos look great straight out of the box. The expanse of red, yellow, and orange resembles a palette of earth. To me, it looks like dyed pork belly, with distinct layers and a rather "delicious" quality. A little fact: Colorful Danxia is actually called Caiqiu (Colored Hills) in geography, and isn't strictly Danxia. Some people say it's a combination of Danxia and Caiqiu. Whatever it's called, it's truly beautiful. I randomly found a restaurant that evening and ordered big plate chicken and scrambled eggs with sand scallions. The taste was quite good, and I was once again impressed by the generous portions in Northwest China; one dish was enough for two or three people. We also went to Dunhuang a few days later; I'll talk more about that next time. Which attractions do you think are the most worthwhile to visit in Zhangye? Do you have any off-the-beaten-path recommendations? Let us know in the comments! #ZhangyeTravel #NorthwestTravel #Off-SeasonTravel #TravelStrategy