Interesting facts about Zhangye Danxia Landform

zhangye danxia landform

The Zhangye Danxia landform area is known as “the eye candy of Zhangye”. Many artists admire this masterpiece as it is unbelievably colorful, like a n imaginative oil painting .

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is situated in the province of Gansu in Asia’s China, and the closest city is Zhangye.

Zhangye’s Danxia landscape has lots of precipitous red cliffs, most of which are several hundred meters high, and multicolored ridges of weathered strata, sometimes stretching to the horizon.These formations, sometimes smooth sometimes sharp, stand out against the greens or grays of the plains , looking grand and magnificent, vigorous and virile.

rainbow mountains

Zhangye ‘s Danxia was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, forming isolated peaks and steep stratified outcrops.Its special geological structure, combined with long-term desert conditions , freeze-thaw peeling, and wind and water erosion gave rise to its present appearance.

Geologists believe that Danxia topography is formed by folding of layered oceanic crust. Exposed slanting rock layers have different colors, textures, shapes, sizes, and patterns. The combination of differences in density and erosion create towering peaks, cave holes, and stone halls.

rainbow-mountains-1

The rockforms of Zhangye Danxia range in color from deep red to yellow and green, the highly contrasting bands of color glowing most intensely after rainfall.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park’ is also known as ‘Zhangye Danxia’, ‘Zhangye Danxia Geopark’, ‘Zhangye Danxia Landform’, ‘Landform of Zhangye’, ‘Rainbow Mountains’ and ‘Zhangye Danxia Wonders’.

rainbow-mountains

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park spreads across an area of 300 to 510 square kilometres
(116 to 197 square miles), and in November 2011, it was officially granted geopark status.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is a geologically significant area consisting of large formations of distinctly rainbow coloured rock.

rainbow-mountains-3

Due to the unique rock formations,this is also considered as the ‘ World Famous UNESCO Geopark of China’. This landform received protection from UNESCO Heritage Site in 2009.

Danxia means rosy cloud which suits the place with its red color surrounding the area.

rainbow mountains

There’s a similar formation in British Columbia called the Rainbow Range formed from a mixture of volcanic rock and various minerals.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is very popular among tourists, and it has been listed among the ‘most beautiful’ places in China and the world, numerous times.

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