Pyramidal landscapes in China's Guizhou become new tourist magnet

An aerial photo taken on May 14, 2024 shows a view of pyramid-shaped hills in Anlong County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Several hills that resemble the pyramids of Egypt in a suburb of Anlong have recently become a popular tourist attraction. It appears that these hills are made of parallel layers of stones. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

GUIYANG, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Tourists seeking pyramid-like views now have an alternative to Egypt's deserts in the natural formations of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The pyramidal mountains in Anlong County have become a popular attraction among tourists from across China and around the globe in recent months.

During the May Day holiday in early May, Nemanja Bauk from Serbia, visited Anlong for the first time specifically to enjoy the scenic beauty. "What I can say about this place is that it's very beautiful. It has beautiful views, and people are so polite. I hope I can come here next time," Bauk said.

In March, an aerial photography enthusiast Su Zhengqiang took a video of the pyramidal mountains in the suburbs of Anlong and posted it on China's video-sharing platform Douyin.

Shortly after the video, capturing the mountains in the beautiful sunset light, was posted, it garnered over 4 million views and more than 1,000 comments. Many viewers contacted Su, inquiring about the specific location and expressing a desire to visit.

After a thorough investigation, local authorities identified a total of 15 such pyramidal spots which are just 2 kilometers away from the county seat.

With the natural wonder gaining online popularity, the local tourism department joined hands with several other departments to conduct patrols of the mountains to identify the best viewing spots.

Chen Qianpeng, director of the county's tourist service center, said that Anlong promptly swung into action to upgrade the infrastructure, building viewing platforms, parking lots and service centers to meet tourists' needs.

During the five-day May Day holiday, the new scenic attraction received a total of 61,000 visitors, most hailing from outside Guizhou, some as far as Beijing and Shanghai.

"I found the videos amazing and decided to visit this place," said He Jifeng, who hails from the provincial capital of Guiyang.

"The pyramids in Egypt were artificially built, allowing visitors to experience the history and civilization, while the 'pyramids' in Anlong reflect the unique charm of China's karst landscapes," Chen added.

According to Zhou Qiuwen, a professor at Guizhou Normal University, the pyramidal landscapes demonstrate a typical karst terrain, which started its geological evolution more than 200 million years ago when the county was still a shallow sea.

Minerals dissolved under the water and recrystallized to form dolomite, the main components of the pyramidal mountains, Zhou explained.

Due to periodic changes in climate, geological structure and other environmental factors, the rocks were piled up and abruptly interrupted from stacking, creating the appearance of artificial heaps, Zhou said.

As the only province without plains in China, Guizhou is home to numerous mountains and hills, where nature has created many wonders.

Mount Fanjingshan in Tongren City, a world natural heritage site, is the main peak of the Wuling mountain range. The vertical height difference of the mountain is more than 2,000 meters, and the continuous mountains and steep canyons form a magnificent scene. Tourists could appreciate views of four seasons just by taking a cable car trip to the mountain top.

In April, a team of nearly 50 French martial arts enthusiasts visited Mount Fanjingshan and practiced Chinese Qigong and Tai Chi during the trip. Yves Perrin, 62, was captivated by the pictures of Mount Fanjingshan and other scenic views in Guizhou, prompting him to join the team and return to China after his first visit in 2015. It was a peaceful and powerful trip to stay with nature, Perrin said.

Guizhou never lacks stunning mountain vistas. The "double breasts" mountains in Zhenfeng County, the "jade cabbage" mountain in Daozhen County, the "Buddha light" rock in Chishui, and the "mushroom" rock in Mount Fanjingshan, have also drawn tourists from afar.