Geopark is a unique natural area composed of geological relics with special scientific significance and high aesthetic viewing value, combined with other natural and human landscapes.
On Nov 11, the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources and the Chongqing Geographic Information and Remote Sensing Application Center launched the "2022 Chongqing Geopark Map". Let us follow this map to appreciate the peculiar and magnificent Chongqing landscape.
Chongqing Wulong Karst National Geopark
The Chongqing Wulong Karst National Geopark. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Chongqing Wulong Karst National Geopark is located in the lower reaches of the Wujiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River. Its geological landscapes feature carbonate karst landforms. The main representatives are Furong Cave Karst Group, Wulong Three Natural Bridges, Wulong Zhongshiyuan Sinkholes, and Wulong Tianxing Shaft Group. The geopark is well-reserved and well-combined, with canyons, ground cracks, stone forests, underground currents, and hot springs widely distributed. So It enjoys the reputation of "Hometown of Geological Wonders in China."
The Three Gorges National Geopark of the Yangtze River (Chongqing) Fengjie Park
The Three Gorges National Geopark of the Yangtze River (Chongqing) Fengjie Park. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
The Three Gorges National Geopark of the Yangtze River (Chongqing) Fengjie Park is located east of Fengjie County, including Qutang Gorge Scenic Area, Heaven Pit, and Ground Seam Scenic Spot and Longqiao River Scenic Area.
The park features canyons, karst, and water landscapes, and integrates cultural attractions such as the culture of the Three Kingdoms and the Tujia minority. Its geological relics mainly include sinkholes, ground cracks, karst caves, natural bridges, and canyons, which can be seen as a textbook for learning the history of crustal evolution.
Chongqing Qijiang National Geopark
The Qijiang National Geopark. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Qijiang National Geopark is composed of three scenic spots, including Gujian Mountain, Laoying Mountain, and Cuiping Mountain. It integrates scientific research, popular science, tourism, leisure, and vacation. It is mainly composed of typical rare wood fossil landscapes, dinosaur footprint fossil landscapes, and Danxia landform landscapes.
It is a concentrated production area of national paleontological fossils. It is the only dinosaur trace fossil group preservation place in the world that retains all types of dinosaur footprints.
Chongqing Qianjiang Xiaonanhai National Geopark
The Chongqing Qianjiang Xiaonanhai National Geopark. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Chongqing Qianjiang Xiaonanhai National Geopark is divided into three parks, Xiaonanhai, Bamian Mountain, and Yangtou Mountain. It integrates seismic geological relics, karst canyon features, paleontological fossils, and ethnic customs.
The main natural landscapes are big collapsed rocks, small collapsed rocks, rockfill dams, dammed lakes, karst landscapes, wave marks in mudstone shale, glacier U-shaped valleys, etc. The Xiaonanhai earthquake site is the most complete ancient earthquake site in China so far.
Chongqing Yunyang Longgang National Geopark
The Chongqing Yunyang Longgang National Geopark. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Chongqing Yunyang Longgang National Geopark is located in Yunyang County. The main landscape types include karsts, such as Longgang Karst Tiankeng, flowing water landforms, represented by Stalagmite Gorge, South Three Gorges, and Huangling Gorge, as well as grassland landscape.
The Longgang Scenic Area is dominated by typical karst landforms. Numerous landforms, as well as odd summits and rocks, have developed as a result of karst, gravity collapse, and running water erosion.