Day 3: Giant Buddha and colorful rocks

One of Zhangye's biggest attractions is the 900-year-old Giant Buddha Temple, within which resides the country's largest reclining Buddha.

It's 34.5 meters long and 7.5 meters wide between its shoulders and lies there with a calm look on its face. Looking at its 4-meter-long feet and 2-meter-long ears, I can feel its power and tranquility.

Entrance tickets cost 41 yuan ($6).

Zhangye Danxia Geology Park is also worth a visit. It is the country's largest and the most typical of Danxia's landforms.

It's almost noon when I arrive at the park. The scenery is magnificent in the strong sunlight. The colorful red hills are the result of millions of years of accumulated red sandstone and rock, while the colored stripes in the landforms are like huge waves.

It takes four hours to get to Jiayuguan, where the Jiayuguan Meteorology Tower, which looks like a dolphin, is a symbol of the city. Standing on the top of the 99-meter tower, I can see lush greenery on the edges of the sandy plain.

Day 4: The Great Wall

About 6 km from the downtown area, Jiayuguan Pass is at the western end of the Great Wall and was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

What impresses me most, however, is a story about one small brick that is part of the structure.

The craftsman in charge of the construction calculated that 99,999 bricks should be used in the project. His supervisor, who was jealous of his talent, told him that if there was one more or less brick, he would be sentenced to death.

When construction had finished, there was an extra brick that had not been used. The supervisor was about to execute the craftsman when he put the extra brick on the roof of the building, saying that it would "stabilize the pass".

The brick is still there and is easily identified by visitors.

It's already late at night when I get to the last stop of my trip, Dunhuang - just in time to pay a visit to Shazhou Night Market, a perfect place to feel the city's culture. Visitors can buy various kinds of handicrafts and snacks. Do remember to ask for at least 30 percent off.