Zhangye Danxia National Geopark is a huge geological park in China the size of the principality of Andorra. The name "Danxia" means "red" or "pink clouds". It arose due to the fact that the local rocks resembled a red fog. There are at least 6 regions in China with similar rocks. Zhangye is the name of the area, translated as "the hand of the country, stretched out towards the western edge." The park is famous for its unusual reliefs, consisting of lonely standing cliff towers and striped multi-colored mountains.
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| Zhangye Danxia National Geopark China |
This relief was formed under the influence of several factors. 80 million years ago, there were lakes and rivers on this site, which caused layers of chalk and red sandstone. Later, the water here dried up, and the landscape experienced an uplift due to the collision of tectonic plates that formed the Himalayan mountains. Weathering for a long time destroyed and re-formed these rocks, as a result of which weathering towers appeared and various layers of rocks were exposed.
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| Zhangye Danxia National Geopark China |
Previously, the Great Silk Road passed through Zhangye Danxia Geopark, enriching the region. At one time, through this area, Marco Polo arrived in China. After diminishing the importance of the path, Zhangye became impoverished, and the local rocks were forgotten by travelers for a long time. Only in the 21st century, the world remembered these rocks, transformed by the Chinese government into a national park, which is now the main attraction of the region.