World Natural Heritage: China Danxia (12)

Mount Jianglang is a typical representation of a Danxia landform in the late stages of its geological evolution among China’s Danxia landform nominations that applied for World Natural Heritage. The Xiakou Basin, where Mount Jianglang is located, is a tectonic basin developed on a fault zone. The red bed consists of hard Fangyan Formation tephra which is the material that safeguards the existing isolated stones on Mount Jianglang. Rocks with different resistances to erosion are prominent isolated peaks as etched by different elements. Most of the landform’s bottom areas are denudated surfaces in ancient times.

In addition to the isolated peaks, the geomorphic features on Mount Jinglang also include narrow alleys and valleys and big stone walls, which is close to being vertical. Mount Jianglang is in the late stages of its evolutionary development. The three isolated stones, which are located on the ancient denudated surface about 500 meters above sea level, tell of old age, and a scientific story about the high residual erosion and isolated Danxia landforms. Mount Jianglang is in line with the standards (VII) (VIII) for selecting world natural heritage.