Yesanpo National Park – a Geological Textbook
Located precisely at the intersection of the Yanshan Mountains and Taihang Mountains, Yesanpo National Park is famous for its spectacular natural landscape and ancient historical interest.
Yesanpo derives its name from its three topographical divisions: the easily recognizable upper, middle and lower sections, with the northwest slowly rising and the southeast slowly sinking. The reserve is tucked amidst layers of mountainous ranges marked with dramatic cliffs and karst caves. Some of the numerous sandalwood trees within are believed to be more than 1,000 years old. In addition to beautiful scenery, the valley is also home to a wide range of wildlife.
Numerous strong tectonic movements and magmatic activity have created a series of unique, magnificent, complete and rare geoheritage resources, which reliably record the 3-billion-year-long geological-tectonic history of northern China. Yesanpo doubles as a vivid geological textbook and a natural geological museum, now an ideal trove for geological research and geological knowledge popularization.
Covering over 600 square kilometers, Yesanpo is both a national forest park and a world geopark, comprising six main scenic areas and more than 200 natural sights. Comprising three gorges (namely, Shixuanxia, Haitangyu and Xiezigou) of respectively distinctive features, Baili Canyon extends as long as 105 li (1 li = 500 m), hence its name, Baili, which literally means in Chinese a hundred li. There are a great many streams, small waterfalls and wildflowers on the mountainside.
The Juma River flows as long as 35 km within this landscape, with varied beautiful hilltops, waters and pastoral sceneries, presenting lifesize paintings. Around the unusually clear river, the environment is quiet and beautiful. On hot summer days, people take boats downstream and appreciate the beautiful scenery along the riverbanks. The many resorts built on the Juma River are ideal for tourists to escape the summer heat.
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