, , ,
At first glance, these are colored photographs. But, in fact, these places exist in reality.
Zhangye Danxia Landform is a colorful rock formation in the Geological Park in Gansu Province, China. These rock formations are a unique type of petrographic geomorphology that can only be found in China. The colored rocks are composed of red sandstones and conglomerates, mostly from the Cretaceous period.
The study shows that approximately 100 million years ago there was a huge inland basin. The water carried silt here from those around. As a result of global high temperatures, the basin dried out and under these arid conditions the sediment oxidized and took on a rust color. About 70 million years ago, a 3,700-meter-thick red layer formed in a basin known as the chalk bed. At the top there was a 1,300-meter-thick hard layer, a layer of the Cretaceous period system, from which the peaks of Danxia Mountain gradually formed.
Since 30 million years ago, mountain-building movements have reshaped the basin's landscape many times. Water flowing down through cracks in the cut and eroded sediment has worn away the slope, leaving behind red, fragmented rocks. What we see now is nothing more than the Danxia landmass.
According to experts, mountain formation is still ongoing in the region, with an average rise of 0.87 meters every 10,000 years over the past 500,000 years.
The area is quickly becoming a popular attraction for the sleepy town of Zhangye. A variety of boardwalks and roads have been built to encourage visitors to explore the amazing rock formations and colored rocks. The World Heritage Committee decided to include the Colored Cliffs of Zhangye on the List World Heritage UNESCO at its 34th meeting held in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, 1 August 2010.
Today there are a large number of interesting and fascinating places on the planet. One of these is located in China. Incredibly beautiful mountain ranges capable of bewitching and hypnotizing everyone who looks at this miracle of nature. You will probably never see mountains with a similar color anywhere else. They are located in the vicinity of Gansu province and are a dream for any photographer. And it’s not without reason that here you can see hundreds of tourists and people jumping through the mountains with their cameras, trying to capture the most unique photo.
Colored rocks of Zhangye Danxia and how they were formed
The colored rocks of Zhangye Danxia have a pleasant rainbow coloring. All these colors, like a colored blanket, enveloped the area. Mostly red and rusty copper colors can be seen here. However, there are also other, completely unexpected colors. We inherited all this from the Cretaceous period. According to scientists, there was a large pool here more than 10 million years ago, with silt from the entire local area in it. During times of global warming, the reservoir completely dried out, but the sediment remained. After some time it oxidized and became rusty in color.
Since then, a crust of various colors began to form. About 70 million years ago, mountains began to gradually form and grow. The growth of rocks does not stop even today. This cannot be seen just like that. Scientists carried out all kinds of measurements, studies, examinations and found out that over the past 10 thousand years the mountains rose 0.87 m. It was also revealed that during their formation the local landscape and the structure itself changed several times. The color, of course, also did not remain unchanged. New colors were regularly added to it, and old ones faded or took on a different appearance over time. If you look at these mountains from the outside, you might think that mother nature, like an artist, painted them for the amusement of people. And from the photos, you might think that they couldn’t do without a photo editor. However, it is not. Everything is quite real, and you can be convinced of this if you see this mountainous area with your own hands.
How to get to Zhangye Danxia Cliffs?
Getting here is quite easy. The mountains are almost immediately visible when you are in the city of Zhangye. The colored rocks of Zhangye Danxia in China are becoming increasingly popular every year. Crowds of tourists flock here to enjoy the extraordinary beauty of these places. You can stay here and wander for hours without getting tired. Mountains attract you like a magnet. The city of Zhangye itself, in turn, does everything possible to ensure that every person is satisfied with their stay here. They made an excellent road in the mountainous area, and also built many boardwalks so that people could move freely or simply sit on the boards and relax, admiring the most beautiful pictures created by nature. It is worth noting that the UNESCO World Heritage Organization also could not resist the beauty of these mountains. The consequence of this was the inclusion of Zhangye Danxia Rocks in its list.
This is truly something unimaginable. Just think where else you can find such beautiful colored cliffs of Zhangye Danxia, which China values and is very proud of. Probably the answer will be clear. Nowhere! There are many mountains and colored massifs on earth, but they are all different from each other. But these mountains especially stand out among all earthly objects. These wave-like colors that cover the rocks are very interesting. You can look at them for hours, admiring how this could even happen. Nature knows how to surprise people. She gives people many surprises.
Did you like the article? Share with your friends.
The geological phenomenon of Zhangye Danxia is the result of deposits of sandstone and other minerals over 24 million years, forming an amazing natural wonder that resembles a multi-colored layer cake. Under the influence of the movement of tectonic plates, erosion and time, local landscapes took on various forms - pillars, towers, hills, grottoes and ravines, varying in shade, texture and size. Rocky formations, as if painted by an invisible artist’s brush, are full of scarlet, orange, yellow, gray-blue and green colors.
In 2010, the colorful mountains of Zhangye Danxia became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2011, the entire scenic area received the status of a national geopark.
The popularity of the colorful rocks in Zhangye does not stop growing - endless streams of tourists flock to them every day, eager to see this unusual natural attraction with their own eyes. In order to avoid pollution and damage to the unique landscape, it is prohibited to independently explore the Danxia Hills. You can only take walks through the protected area as part of a bus excursion. Price entrance ticket to the park is 40 RMB ($6). There is an additional mandatory fee of 20 Chinese Yuan ($3) for the excursion program. During the tour, the bus makes stops at four of the most picturesque points of the reserve, where visitors are given the opportunity to quietly admire the surrounding landscapes. The total excursion time is 2-3 hours.
The best period to visit Zhangye Danxia Geopark is from June to September. Moreover, multi-colored landscapes acquire the most attractive appearance at dawn and before sunset - at this time the shades of the rocks continuously change.
Danxia Rocks lie an hour's drive west of the city of Zhangye, the best way to go is by taxi or own car. From major cities The most convenient way to reach Zhangye in China is by air via Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province. The cities of Zhangye and Lanzhou are connected by rail.
Danxia Landscape or Colored Rocks of Zhangye Danxia (Danxia) are colorful rock formations of the Geological Park in Gansu Province, China. These rock formations are a unique type of petrographic geomorphology that can only be found in China. The colored rocks are composed of red sandstones and conglomerates, mostly from the Cretaceous period.
This is not photoshop, this is Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park.
When you first see these places in photos and videos, you may think that the technology has applied similar effects and filters to the image, but this is not the case. Colorful, as if painted with a brush, the Zhangye Danxia Mountains were created so many years ago as a result of thousands of years of changes in the structure of the earth's rocks. Compound unique rocks– sandstone and sedimentary rocks originally from the Cretaceous period.
According to geological research, about 100 million years ago, there was a huge pool at the site of the Zhangye Danxia Mountains, which gradually dried up as a result of exposure to high temperatures. The sediment left at the bottom of the pool oxidized when exposed to oxygen and produced interesting red and copper shades of color. About 70 million years ago, the sediments hardened and formed the "chalk bed" - the new floor of the basin. The thickness of the layer was 3.7 km. After this, the movement of rocks and new rivers gradually washed out the bottom of the basin, forming a mountainous landscape. This is how Mount Danxia, in particular, was formed. According to experts, the Zhangye Danxia Mountains continue to change and grow to this day, becoming approximately 87 centimeters higher in 10,000 years.
Since 2010, the Zhangye Danxia Colored Cliffs have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which has increased their popularity among foreign tourists from all over the world many times over. Now there are wooden paths and safe observation decks, so that everyone can feel like a part of this unearthly beauty created by nature itself. The popularity of the colorful mountains of the Geological Park has forever changed the life of the quiet and peaceful town of Zhangye nearby. Now it is a tourist Mecca, where anyone who is interested in looking at some of the most unusual creations in this world comes.
The Zhangye Danxia Mountains may surprisingly remind you of a slightly more famous place - in the southwest of Mauritius. Only they are a million times larger than this 7-color sandbox.
This is a description of the attraction Colored Cliffs Zhangye 193 km northwest of Xining, Ganse (China (PRC)). As well as photos, reviews and a map of the surrounding area. Find out the history, coordinates, where it is and how to get there. Check out other places on our interactive map, get more detailed information. Get to know the world better.
Danxia landform - colorful rocks of China! Not a consequence of an environmental disaster, although this could well be assumed (we are talking about China, after all), but a real natural attraction, formed over thousands of years.
Zhangye Danxia Colored Cliffs are rock formations made up of many layers of reddish sandstone. They are located on the territory of the national geopark of the same name in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. This site is a unique example of petrographic geomorphology found only in China. The colored rocks of Zhangye Danxia include red sandstone and conglomerates (sedimentary rock) formed during the Cretaceous period.
Today, the Zhangye Danxia Colored Cliff Scenic Area is popular with travelers from all over the planet, who come here to enjoy scenic walks and boat rides through the area, which is also home to a number of temples.
The whole world learned about this natural attraction of the town of Zhangye after the World Heritage Committee, at its 34th meeting, decided to add the Colored Cliffs of Zhangye to the World Heritage List under the protection of UNESCO. The meeting took place on August 1, 2010 in the capital of Brazil, Brasilia. This event forced the local government to build boardwalks and roads that would make it easier for tourists to access the colored rocks.
Numerous studies have shown that about 100 million years ago there was a pool of impressive size in this place. Water flows gradually deposited silt into it. Under the influence of global high temperatures, the waters of the pool dried up, and the sediment began to oxidize, taking on the color of rust.
About 70 million years ago, a red layer formed in the basin, which is 3,700 meters thick and in geology is called a chalk bed. The summit was covered by a hard layer of rock about 1300 meters thick, from which the peaks of Mount Danxia began to form over time.
Over the past 30 million years, the landscape of the basin has changed several times appearance thanks to seismic processes during which mountains were formed. At this time, rapid water flows carved slopes into the sedimentary rock.
Thanks to experiments, it was possible to find out that the process of mountain formation in this area is still ongoing. Every 10 thousand years, the slopes become higher by 0.87 meters, and they have reached their current height over the past 500,000 years.
Recall that in Egypt on the Sinai Peninsula there is a similar interesting place- Colored Canyon, the total length of which is about 5 km.
