38 Places Where Nature Looks Straight Out of a Sci-Fi Movie

21. The Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye Danxia – A Psychedelic Dreamscape

If someone painted a mountain range in brilliant reds, oranges, yellows, and purples, you’d probably think it was from a CGI-heavy sci-fi film—but in China’s Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, it’s completely real. These dazzling rainbow mountains were formed by millions of years of mineral deposits and tectonic activity, creating an unreal, swirling landscape that looks like something out of a fantasy world. When the sunlight hits these hills at the right angle, the colors become even more vibrant, creating a breathtaking, almost hallucinogenic experience. It’s a natural masterpiece that defies logic, proving that Earth can be just as colorful and wild as any alien planet.