Geological Grandeur

 

 

Text by Wang Lei and Chen Ningzhang

Photographs by Wang Lei

 

After an investigatory tour, Patrick McKeever explained that of all the sites he has examined in the course of his work as a UNESCO geopark expert, Taining holds the most enchanting scenery. “In terms of its geological and ecological characteristics, Taining is the most amazing place I have ever surveyed,” he said. “All my past geological tours were quick and businesslike, but here I could not help but linger. This place is so beautiful – like a paradise on Earth.”

 

The formation of Danxia Landform began in Himalayan orogeny during the late Tertiary Period. In the course of that crustal movement, some red strata inclined and folded, and the basins were lifted. Rocks were cut and eroded by fowing water and mountain slopes collapsed. As a result, the retained rock formations were transformed into red mountains. by Liu Xianjian

In Mandarin, the term “Danxia” literally means rosy clouds. It is a romantic name, originally conceived to due justice to a remarkable landform of south China, where flaming red cliffs tower over green mountain valleys, appearing like rose-hued clouds. To date, some 650 Dan-xia landform sites have been discovered in China. Among those situated along the nation’s

southeast coastal areas, the formation in Taining, Fujian Province, is the largest.

In 1928, in Guangdong Province, Chinese geologist Feng Jinglan discovered a significant geomorphologic contrast between the red sandy conglomerates of Mt. Danxia and the surrounding red beds. He designated this type of geological form as a “Danxia Bed.” In 1939, geologist Chen Guoda for the first time put forth the concept of “Danxia Landform.” Based on the long years of research and study that followed, Chinese scholars finally established Danxia Geomorphology as a new scientific discipline.

A typical Danxia landform is made up of non-marine red clastic rocks, further characterized by red cliffs. Vegetation and water is plentiful and the red rocks are typically surrounded by a network of water. This composite formation is well represented by mountainous topographic landscapes in Hunan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guizhou and Guangdong provinces.