Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark

Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark is located in the west of Guizhou Plateau, and in the Zhijin County and Qianxi County of Bijie City, Guizhou Province, whose mainbody (Zhijindong Cave Scenic Area, Qijiehe River Scenic Area and most parts of Dongfenghu Lake Scenic Area) lies in the territory of Zhijin County,with the geographic coordinates of 26°43′27″~26°52′25″ N latitudinally and 105°49′13″~106°10′21″ E longitudinally. It covers an area of 183.31 km², having an elevation of 900~1670m. In 2004, it won the qualification of “National Geopark” and was formally inaugurated in January, 2006. The Global Geoparks Bureau, at its meeting on 19 September 2015 in Toyooka, San’in Kaigan Geopark, Japan, has decided to include Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark into the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) supported by UNESCO and it has become a new member of the global geopark family.

Position of China Guizhou Zhijindong Cave Geopark in the map of China

 Zhijindong Cave is composed of three geomorphic units, Zhijindong Cave, Qijiehe River and Dongfenghu Lake which represent different karst development processes. It is one of the outstanding representative places to reflect the evolution of cave karst and cave chemical sediment, and it is also the most distinctive natural scenery and an important area with aesthetic value among cave karst. Zhijindong Cave Geopark has abundant geoheritages which can be generally classified into 11 categories: karst cave, karst gorge, karst natural bridge, karst tiankeng, karst high fengcong, karst hill, karst cuesta and pictographic mountain, karst hydrology, palaeontological fossil, stratal rock and structural geoheritage, etc. All geoheritages have been developed in the Lower Triassic Series marine carbonatite stratum and distributed intensively in such three karst geomorphic units as Zhijindong Cave, Qijiehe River and Dongfenghu Lake as well, which are relatively independent and integrated on one hand and  closely linked to each other on the other hand through Qijiehe River. These geoheritages constitute a comprehensive geopark integrating majestic, typical, beautiful and precious plateau karst landscape and colorful human landscape as well as biological landscape with caves, gorges, natural bridges and tiankengs as its core.

Position of China Guizhou Zhijindong Cave Geopark in the map of Guizhou province

Features of Zhijindong Cave-the most distinctive natural scenery and an important area with aesthetic value among cave karsts

(1)   The biggest show cave with the densest cave hall distribution in the world.

(2)   The show cave with densest distribution and richest types of stalactites in the world.

(3)   The show cave with the most of rare shape of stalactites in the world.

Therefore, Zhijindong Cave owns the systematicness and completeness of evolution of karst caves and is the most distinctive natural scenery and an important area with aesthetic value among cave karsts, which stands out from numerous caves listed in the World Geopark internet and World Natural Heritage Directory. It has been highly praised by Feng Mu in his poem, famous contemporary writer and literature critic. His poem goes as below: “Huangshan Mountain is the best mountain of the best mountains, Zhijindong Cave is the best cave of the best caves”. It has been ranking the first of “The most beautiful caves in China” selected by Chinese National Geography magazine.