World Natural Heritage: China Danxia (6)

Brief introduction to China’s Danxia sites

The six sites of China’s Danxia landforms are all distributed in China’s subtropical humid zone and the main reasons for their selection are as follows:

(1) China’s Danxia landforms in the humid zone (especially the peak cluster Danxia landforms in southeastern China) closely combine mountains, forests and water together to form China’s even the world’s most spectacular, most attractive, and most colorful Danxia landscapes. Although Chishui is located in southwestern China, it is also located in the Northern Guizhou-Southern Sichuan Danxia landform, the largest continuous distribution area of China’s Danxia landforms. It can also well represent the combination of plateau, canyons, waterfalls and forests into Danxia landscapes.

(2) The nominations represent the different stages of Danxia landform evolution. Every nomination site has typical and distinct landforms from different evolutionary phases. These nomination sites jointly show a comprehensive, complete and logical Danxia landscape and landscape series in southeastern China.

(3) The nomination sites are all located in conservation areas where the most in-depth research of China’s Danxia landforms were launched. These nomination sites have a well protected traditional and solid academic foundation, and have become ideal regions for promoting the development of the science, education and tourism industries, as well as the sustainable conservation and utilization of natural resources.