In the 1990s, four concentrated deposit points were found by cavers in the branch cavity of the second level of the Zhijingdong Cave. The deposits consisted of animal waste, hard spines and animal bodies, with an area of about 100m2 and a thickness of 12-100cm. They were left by Atherurus macrourus of the order Rodentia in late Holocene proved by later research. The results from the pollen analysis and carbon-14 dating for the waste layer of Atherurus macrourus in this cave indicated that during the middle and late Holocene (6710士130a), the vegetation in the Zhijngdong Cave area increased, which provided plenty of food source for the Atherurus macrourus to survive and reproduce, while in the late Holocene this area was constantly attacked by natural hazards such as earthquake, collapse and flood, which led to a severe deterioration of the vegetation, the cave entrances and exits being blocked by the breakdowns, and a great change of the atmospheric conditions inside the cave. Since the living environments of the Atherurus macrourus deteriorated, it perished in the cave ultimately.
Atherurus Macrourus
The Atherurus macrourus of the Zhijingdong Cave, is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family. It is a gregarious mammal, and a nocturnal, fossorial and viviparous species, with a littler size of 3-5. Its longest longevity is 13 years and 8 months. It moves slowly and is a plant eater, having a main food source of the root, stem and fruit of plants. The internal and external energy-exchange zone of the cave is its habitat, where there is a distance from the cave entrance of less than 200m. A cool and dry climate with the temperature of 13℃ and the humidity of 85% can be most suitable for its survival.
Introduction of Triassic Landscape in Guizhou
About 220 million years ago during the middle and late Triassic, the area in Guizhou (such as Guanling and Xingyi) was a crystal clear gulf. The southwestern entrance of the gulf connected the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and the Nanpanjiang River. With highly enriched nutrients, the gulf became a paradise for a large variety of vertebrates (such as ichthyosaurus, plesiosaurus and fish) and invertebrates, creating a typical ecologically diversified Triassic marine landscape.
Paradise of caves
Zhijindong Cave-With the highest distribution density and richest type of stalactites in the world at present.
The secondary chemical sediments in Zhijindong Cave developed well.There are two kinds of chemical type and mineral composition :carbonate and sulfate,among which, carbonate including calcite, aragonite, hydromagnesite,etc. and sulfate including gypsum,etc. Stalactites such as soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, curtains, stone waterfalls, cave flags, cave shields, flowstone dams, palm slices, helictites, fusiform stone, spherical stalactites, calcite flowers, anthodites ,etc.could be found in this cave. Stalagmites in helmet shape, hill shape, tower shape, mushroom shape, deodar shape, fusiform and crutch shape,etc.are the most characteristic by their own odd shapes.
The beautiful and rare shapes, large dimensions, perfect and various mineral crystals, abundant quantities, complete types and dense distribution, all of them make Zhijindong Cave unique all over the world.
Flower Dance Festival of Miao Nationality
Flower Dance Festival is the most ceremonious festival with the longest history for Miao Nationality. The festival is reportedly come in by Yang Luxing, a hero of Miao. Till now, the Flower Dance Mountain located in the north entrance of Anshun city has been named after it. “Flower Dance” is a phrase of Han nationality. There are trees and flowers planted on slopes, hence comes the name. It is not the same as the expression in Hmong language (Miao language), which is “Ou Dao”, with the meaning of “dates on slope”.
In this geopark, the Flower Dance Festival hold in March every year, during which, Miao people, especially the youth, wearing festival costumes to join different cultural or sporting activities, like bull fighting and cockfighting.
