Best of the northwest

Ticket sales at Gansu's Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park surged 30 times during the National Day holiday, as compared with the May Day holiday from May 1 to 5.

People from Guangdong province and Shanghai began to plan their trips to the northwest in August. Flight searches for Lanzhou have increased the most.

The region hosts most of the country's distinctive natural features.

The biggest draws include deserts, camel riding, danxia landforms and historical sites along the ancient Silk Road.

Highway 66 in Ningxia's Zhongwei cuts through the Gobi Desert and leads to China's fourth-largest desert, the Tengger. Travelers who take the highway can walk along the Yellow River, visit ancient villages and view the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall.

Xinjiang's Kanas scenic area features a spectacular array of lakes, glaciers, forests and grasslands, and has become the most popular destination in the region, receiving over 568,000 visitors during the National Day holiday, up 8 percent compared with the same period of last year.

A significant number of travelers have opted to rent cars when traveling in the northwest, Trip.com reports.