The canyon stretches for about 154 kilometres, making it one of the longest canyons in Central Asia. The most famous section is the Valley of Castles — a stretch where the wind and rain have carved the rock into towers, spires and walls that look like the ruins of a giant fortress.
The rocks in Charyn Canyon are very old — some layers were laid down millions of years ago, long before humans existed. Scientists can read the colours like the pages of a history book: each stripe of red, brown or cream represents a different era of the Earth.
The canyon is home to a special survivor — the Sogdian ash tree. This tree grew here during the Ice Age and somehow managed to survive when most other trees of its kind disappeared. A small forest of these ancient trees grows right at the bottom of the canyon, near the river.
Visitors can walk along a path at the bottom of the Valley of Castles, with the towering red cliffs on either side. Eagles circle overhead, and in spring the canyon floor is dotted with wildflowers. At sunrise and sunset, the rock glows a deep, warm orange.