World Geopark: Zhangjiajie

Author: Li Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The unique peaks of Zhangjiajie are enough to be a "Dream of the Red Chamber" filled with the history of geological changes. Through its reddish quartz sand, through its superimposed red and white textures, through the large and small stone caves where ancient organisms once lived, we can understand much about the "Middle Devonian" 3.8 billion years ago. At that time, Zhangjiajie was still in a near-sea area, with a vast ocean in front. Of course, there were no traces of humans, only some lower marine organisms dominating the ocean. Under the light of that ancient sun, they patiently and painstakingly evolved. As a formally open tourist area in Zhangjiajie City, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is renowned worldwide for its complex geology and concentrated landscapes. The weathering and erosion by nature have made its peak forest and canyon landforms prominent. The differently colored rock strata, the unevenly dense stone caves on the cliffs, are like textbooks, genuinely recording the geological changes of Zhangjiajie over millions of years. And those ever-changing stone peaks and pillars are also like wise old men, narrating the long journey of wind and rain.