On September 23, the unveiling ceremony of the China Xiangxi Global Geopark was grandly held in the ancient town of Furong, which has a history of a thousand years. This marks the official inclusion of the Xiangxi Geopark into the family of global geoparks, adding a world-class tourism card for Xiangxi, enriching the connotation of tourism in Xiangxi, increasing high-quality tourism routes, and expanding the influence and reputation of Xiangxi tourism.
Unveiling Ceremony Scene Photo by Zhao Hongshan
Xiangxi Prefecture is located at the junction of Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Guizhou provinces, covering a total area of 15,500 square kilometers, with a total population of 3 million. In recent years, Xiangxi Prefecture has achieved historic achievements in economic and social development, with tremendous changes in urban and rural landscapes. It has been awarded the title of National Model Prefecture for Ethnic Unity and Progress, National Demonstration Zone for Industrial Transfer, National Forest City, National Traditional Village Concentrated Protection and Utilization Demonstration City, and the Cultural Ecological Protection Area for the Tujia and Miao Nationalities in the Wuling Mountain Area (Xiangxi).
Xiangxi has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with 1,517 historical and cultural sites, 26 items on the national intangible cultural heritage protection list, the 800-year-old Old Sicheng selected as a World Cultural Heritage site, and Fenghuang Ancient Town rated as 'China's Most Beautiful Small Town'. The Qin bamboo slips from the ancient city of Liye are known as the 'Double Marvels of the North and South' alongside the Terracotta Army in Xi'an. Xiangxi's natural scenery is magical, featuring the 'World Cave Museum' Wulong Mountain Grand Canyon, the world's largest gorge-spanning bridge Aizhai Bridge, the 'No. 1 Drift in the World' on the Mengdong River, and the 'Legend of the Seabed 450 Million Years Ago' at the Red Stone Forest. The ecological environment in Xiangxi is beautiful, with over 300 national ecological cultural tourism brands, a forest coverage rate of 70.24%, lush greenery everywhere, vibrant life, and the best air and water quality in the province, making it a dream destination for domestic and international tourists.
Since 2017, the Xiangxi Prefectural Committee and the Prefectural Government have earnestly implemented the development concept of 'Green Water and Green Mountains are Gold and Silver Mountains', focusing on the overall strategy and vision of building a well-known ecological cultural park at home and abroad, and fully promoting ecological civilization construction, all-region tourism, and the creation of global geoparks. The China Xiangxi Geopark passed the on-site assessment by UNESCO experts in 2019 and was officially included in the Global Geopark Network in July this year, becoming China's 40th Global Geopark.
It is understood that the China Xiangxi Global Geopark spans seven counties and cities in Xiangxi Prefecture, covering a total area of 2,710 square kilometers. The park is primarily characterized by karst landforms and is one of the regions with the most scientific, geological, and aesthetic value in global karst. It fully records the geological history and evolution of Xiangxi, presenting four major features: the global Cambrian standard stratotype - the Guzhang and Paibi stages 'golden nails'; the world's largest red carbonate rock forest; the spectacular plateau-cutting mesa-gorge group; and a model of the integration of karst geological ecology and ethnic minority culture.
Leaders attending the unveiling ceremony included Hunan Province Vice Governor Chen Wenhao, Liu Yuan, Level 1 Inspector of the Natural Protected Areas Management Department of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qian Junfei, UNESCO Representative in China, and Zhang Jianping, Vice Chairman of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council.
Website Editor: Gong Li