World Heritage Identification Number: 1335
World Heritage since: 2010
Category: Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇳 China
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Exploring the Spectacular Landscapes of China Danxia: A Unique Geological Wonder
The China Danxia landscape, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, offers a breathtaking display of nature's grandeur and geological complexity. Comprising six distinct areas scattered across southwestern China, these regions are characterized by their striking red cliffs, towering pillars, deep ravines, and cascading waterfalls. This article delves into the unique geological features, formation processes, and biodiversity of this remarkable landform.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
China Danxia is the name given in China to landscapes developed on continental red terrigenous sedimentary beds influenced by endogenous forces (including uplift) and exogenous forces (including weathering and erosion). The inscribed site comprises six areas found in the sub-tropical zone of south-west China. They are characterized by spectacular red cliffs and a range of erosional landforms, including dramatic natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls. These rugged landscapes have helped to conserve sub-tropical broad-leaved evergreen forests, and host many species of flora and fauna, about 400 of which are considered rare or threatened.
Encyclopedia Record: Danxia landform
The Danxia landform is a set of landscapes found in southeast, southwest and northwest China that "consist of a red bed characterized by steep cliffs". It is a unique type of petrographic geomorphology found in China. Danxia landform is formed from red-coloured sandstones and conglomerates of largely Cretaceous age. The landforms look very much like karst topography that forms in areas underlain by limestones, but since the rocks that form danxia are sandstones and conglomerates, they have been called "pseudo-karst" landforms. They were formed by endogenous forces and exogenous forces.Additional Site Details
Area: 82,151 hectares
(viii) — Outstanding example representing major earth stages
Coordinates: 28.4219444444 , 106.0425
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© Sino Yu, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
