Zhangye Danxia Geopark
| Zhangye National Geopark 张掖 国家 地质 公园 |
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| Location: | Gansu , People's Republic of China | ||
| Surface: | 322 km² | ||
| Founding: | December 27, 2005 (provisional) June 16, 2016 (final) |
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The Zhangye Danxia Geopark is a geopark not far from the city of Zhangye in the northwest of the Chinese province of Gansu . It is a rocky landscape that is known nationwide for its special variety of colors. In November 2011 the area was granted national park status .
The 510 square kilometer area is located about 40 kilometers west of Zhangye on the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains . It is located in the districts of Linze and Sunan and reaches heights between 2000 and 3800 meters above sea level .
The landscape originated in the Tertiary : older sediments , mainly sandstone from different minerals , were reshaped and unfolded by the same plate tectonic processes that led to the formation of the Himalayas . Over the course of 24 million years, the erosion then shaped the red sandstone through wind and rain into a landscape with diverse shapes, patterns and striking colors.
The Zhangye Danxia landscape, along with some other sandstone formations that were created in the same way in China, is called Danxia landscapes ( 丹霞 地貌 , dānxiá dìmào ), but the richness of color in this national park is unique. The Chinese word danxia (丹霞) means "red clouds".
Web links
- Rainbow Mountains: Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park. ChinaHighlights.com (English)
- The most beautiful Danxia landscapes in China. Chinareise.com