Lanzhou Shuimo Danxia National Park gives the city a vivid geological day trip: red, yellow, orange, and brown sedimentary hills folded into cliffs, narrow valleys, and wind-shaped forms. China Daily describes the park around the Hongshan Bay landform as a rare example of Danxia scenery in arid northwest China.
It is less famous internationally than Zhangye's rainbow mountains, but much closer to Lanzhou and easier to fit into a city stay. The experience is mostly viewpoint-based, with shuttle routes and platforms rather than wilderness hiking, so it works for travellers who want big landform scenery without a multi-day Gansu detour.