[2025 Zhangye Stay] Travel Guide for Runhu Holiday Hotel (Updated Mar)

Words can't describe how good this hotel is! The service is truly exceptional. They offer a complimentary airport shuttle service, which you can book one day in advance. Every staff member greets you warmly. Upon check-in, the front desk provides hot towels and apricot juice, while the lobby offers red date tea and coffee. In the evening, they provide complimentary hot milk, prepare a foot bath for you, and even offer homemade facial masks. The environment is excellent. The lobby is clean and bright, and the elevators are quite fast. Bottled mineral water and direct drinking water are available in public areas. Spotlessly clean, with daily housekeeping. The facilities are top-notch. The kids absolutely loved the family room. It's spacious and well-designed, with details like themed children's phones, cartoon tissue boxes, and toiletries. We ended up extending our stay for two more days. The breakfast buffet offers a wide variety of options, including many freshly prepared dishes like beef ramen, cornbread, and pancakes. There's something for everyone! The hotel's Chinese restaurant is also quite good, with reliable quality, reasonable prices, and excellent service.

✅ I really want to praise Zhangye Runhu Holiday Hotel! Especially compared with Dunhuang Manor in Dunhuang, it is really cost-effective, with spacious rooms and excellent service! ✅ From the pick-up driver, to the front desk, to the room service staff, they are all very enthusiastic and considerate. ✅ Snacks and fruits are delivered every day, and a foot bath bucket is prepared. Milk and juice are delivered to the room every night! ✅ The location is not in the downtown area, and it seems to be less than 3 kilometers away from the Giant Buddha Temple. There are some small supermarkets and restaurants around the hotel. You can also order food in the guest room, and the delicious food is irresistible. It is so enjoyable to eat.

Day 3: From Dunhuang to Zhangye via Jiayuguan, the westernmost end of the Great Wall On one side is the snow-capped Qilian Mountains, and on the other is the indestructible Black Mountain. Jiayuguan is located at the throat of the Hexi Corridor. Bad weather made Jiayuguan feel even more towering, lonely, and heavy. Seeing Jiayuguan, you can feel the lonely courage of the soldiers in the frontier poems of the past! We didn't choose to enter the scenic area because it is a joint ticket for four key scenic spots. Time is limited, and standing on high ground, you can feel the unique scenery of Jiayuguan! From 30°C in Dunhuang to 6°C in Zhangye, we had to warm up with some copper pot hot pot and Sanpao tea. Hotel: Zhangye Runhu Holiday Hotel The room was clean and tidy, and the service was excellent! Exceeded expectations! Very suitable for families with elderly and children. Day 4 Zhangye Mati Temple In the documentary Hexi Corridor, Guo Yu and his disciples taught in seclusion in "Linsong Xiegu", where the ideals of a generation of Hexi scholars to help the world in times of war are buried. The weather was bad, and when we arrived, the clouds were still in the distant mountains. When we climbed to the 33rd cave, we were already in the clouds. How devout must one be to carve so many deep caves to support the faith in their hearts! Indeed, the best way to preserve information is to carve it on stone! Jinta Temple was not open, but we still walked the most beautiful section of the Qilian Mountains from Mati Temple to Jinta Temple. The clouds were low, and we couldn't see the distant snow-capped mountains. Jinta Temple and this road will be left for next time! After a tiring day, we chose to have dinner at the hotel. The local food was delicious, and the spicy hot pot is a must-try. 👍 🌟🌟🌟 Historically, Emperor Wu of Han established four counties in the Hexi Corridor: Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang. Wuwei: Meaning military power, to show that the military power of the Han Empire reached the Hexi Corridor. Zhangye: To cut off the arm of the Xiongnu and extend the arm of the Han Dynasty. Jiuquan: Guarding the northwest of the Hexi Corridor, named after a spring under the city, whose water is like wine. Dunhuang: Meaning grand and glorious.

1. For traveling within the Zhangye area, it's best to drive or rent a car. Whether you're visiting the Danxia landforms or heading to the grasslands, just follow the navigation. Joining a tour group is only suitable for small private charters, as the scenery here is ideal for self-driving tours. 2. Within Zhangye city, for short walking tours: the Giant Buddha Temple. Worth it. A thousand-year-old colossal relic. Right across from the Giant Buddha Temple is the museum, where you can see artifacts from the Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties. In the evening, it's nice to visit the Water Sky Convergence and the Wetland Park (super large and deep). 3. If you don't want to self-drive, you can follow a local short-distance travel agency, and chartering a car is also convenient and well-established. Stay in a downtown hotel, and the chartered car can make a round trip from early morning to late evening. The driver will pick you up and drop you off right at the hotel entrance. One scenic spot per day. Destinations like: Matisi Scenic Area, Danxia and the Grand Canyon, Shandan Army Horse Farm, etc. (But self-driving offers the most freedom in terms of experience). 4. If you're self-driving, it's recommended to definitely take this route: a. Drive from Zhangye on National Highway 227, setting your destination to: Zhuo'er Mountain in Qinghai, or Arou in Qinghai. You'll be amazed along the way. b. Drive from Matisi Scenic Area towards Jinta Temple! Winding mountain roads, traveling through the Qilian Mountains, with snow-capped mountains, grasslands, pine forests, herds of cattle and sheep... The scenery is stunning. This is the main highlight of the tour, highly recommended. 5. Very niche, exceptionally good tourist spots with few people: (1) Wangshi Village in Xintian Town, Minle County, Zhangye City, drive along a road inside the village, keep going deep inside, to a place called 'Huangcaogou'. The mountain scenery is dreamlike and fantastic, suitable for hiking (last picture). But don't stay at night, as there are bears around 🐻. (2) Anywhere near E'bao Ridge on National Highway 227, close to Qinghai direction, you can stop the car, climb mountains, pick wild mushrooms, watch pikas or marmots. Set up a canopy and outdoor tables and chairs (pictures 1, 2, 3). (3) Sudu in Sunan (picture 6), uninhabited mountain forests, grasslands, and streams, only known to locals, not to outsiders. On the way from Matisi to Jinta Temple, suitable for small groups to hike. Northern forest, no mosquitoes or snakes. Finally, a reminder: Zhangye is a city with distinct seasons, and the best months to visit are June, July, and August. Do not come in March or April, as those are the least suitable months for tourism due to strong winds that will make you question life. Regarding booking hotels: Zhangye is small, so with a car, you can book any hotel. If you want to enjoy the scenery, stay at Zhangye Hotel, next to the big lake. If you want a nice environment, the Runquan Lake Holiday Hotel is good.