The Huangshan UNESCO Global Geopark covers an area of 160.6 square kilometers and is located in East China’s Anhui Province. It is a geopark characterized by landscapes shaped by Mesozoic granite.
Geological Heritage
Mount Huangshan is famous for its 1,000m high Mesozoic granite craggy peaks. Granites of the Yanshanian period are widely distributed along the western Pacific coast, but those with beautiful morphological scenery such as Mount Huangshan are very rare. Globally, Huangshan UNESCO Global Geopark is an ideal place to observe the formation mechanism of granite landforms. The remarkable granite columns have amazing shapes – domes, cones, pinnacles, columns and boxes – in the many valleys that start from the mountain.
Geological history dates back to 140 million years ago, in the Upper Jurassic, when hot magma seeped upward through the Earth’s crust and created the granites that make up the mountain. The granitic intrusive formations were uplifted during the convergence of tectonic plates, about 65 million years ago. The weathering and erosion of the overlying rocks resulted in the formation of the morphological landscape. The Huangshan Mountain, as we know it, was formed in its present state 1.75 million years ago. This long history is responsible for the varied mineralogical composition and crystallization of the rocks, their uneven resistance to weathering, and the combined forms that make up the beautiful landscape of Huangshan.
Mount Huangshan is characterized by the “3 wonders of nature”: strangely shaped pine trees, spectacular rocks and very dense clouds (ocean of clouds) as well as a dense hydrographic system. Limaqiao, Tiandu Peak, Beihai and other areas are famous for the possible appearance of Quaternary Glaciers. A source of controversy among geologists, the occurrence of glaciers on Huangshan Mountain has been debated for half a century, but no final conclusion has yet been reached. This adds to the charm of the Geopark.
“Stone, cloud and sculpted pine combine to form a unique landscape that has shaped art and culture”.
The ancient bridges, ancient hiking trails and rock carvings on the cliffs combined with the very old culture of the Geopark characterized by landscape painting are the prominent features of an amazing, fantastic and beautiful natural landscape. In this way, geology shapes art and culture.
Geological heritage and special granite landscape, Quaternary glacial landforms, hydrogeological formations, etc., cultural interest areas such as the Huangshan civilization and rich animal and plant resources form a comprehensive large-scale natural museum with mountains, water features, cultural interest, wild animals and plants.
Twinning
The Huangshan UNESCO Global Geopark of China and Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark of Greece, signed a cooperation agreement on December 1, 2008.
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