Yaozhou Zhaojin Danxia Geopark, Shanxi

This geopark is located in southwestern Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province. It has an area of 60 km², and most of the geological features are concentrated in an area of 36 km². It became a national geopark in 2011. The Danxia landforms are made up of purplish-grey, reddish-brown and purplish-red thick conglomerates of the lower Cretaceous Yijun Group. Continual soil erosion, gravitational collapses and wind erosion have created mesas, stone walls, stone peaks, stalactites and stalagmites, drum-shaped stone blocks, peak valleys and caves, which are valuable for scientific research. The Danxia red cliffs and Yijun conglomerates are important for scientific research on the development and evolution of the Danxia landforms in the semiarid regions of northern China. The park also provides opportunities for studying the relationship between loess plateau landforms and the Danxia landform.