Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark (), officially Dunhuang UNESCO National Geopark (China), is a 2015 approved UNESCO national
geopark
A geopark is a protected area with internationally significant geology within which Sustainability, sustainable development is sought and which includes tourism, conservation, education and research concerning not just geology but other relevant s ...
in
Dunhuang
Dunhuang () is a county-level city in northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Sachu (Dunhuang) was ...
,
Gansu Province
Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, that shows the
Yardang geological feature of the area. Fully certified, the park must also be a member of the regional network, in this case the
Asia Pacific Geoparks Network and the Global Geopark Network. Yardangs, the chief feature of geologic interest, were created over time by the soft part of the earth's surface being eroded by wind and rain, with the hard part of the rocks remaining in the desert.
The geopark is located about 180 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang's town center and covers an area of 398 square kilometers. Some of the uniquely shaped rocks in the geopark are named "
Mongolian Bao", "
Camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
", "Stone
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
", "
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
", "The Golden
Lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
Welcoming His Guests" (), etc.
The unique rock formations in the park developed over a period of 700,000 years. The Yardang geomorphic formations found in the Dunhuang Yadan National Geopark are the largest in China.
One of the most remarkable sites in the Dunhuang Yadan National Geopark is the Yardang Ghost Town. Located within the Ghost Town is the Aisikexiaer Castle. The word 'Aisikexiaer' means 'old city' in the
Uyghur language
Uyghur or Uighur (; , , or , , ), formerly known as Turki or Eastern Turki, is a Turkic languages, Turkic language with 8 to 13 million speakers (), spoken primarily by the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of Western ...
.
Due to increase of tourism a research project evaluated impact of tourism and the tourists cognition of the geopark. The researches suggested, that the administration of Dunhuang UGGp change the schedule of tour routes, highlight geotourism, and foster the popularization of science and technology (PST) through activities within the geopark that support inquiry-based learning and facilitate geointerpretation and lively learning.
Gallery
File:Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark 1.JPG, The entrance to Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark
File:Dunhuangyadan.jpg, Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
File:Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark 3.JPG, "The Golden Lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
Welcoming His Guests"
See also
*
National Geoparks of China
References
External links
Official Homepage of Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark(Chinese)
*
National parks of China
Dunhuang
{{Gansu-geo-stub