Yuntaishan UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) is located in the southern wing of the Taihang Mountain complex anticline in the Shanxi Platform of North China, in the northern mountainous area of Jiaozuo City, Henan Province. The strata within the Yuntaishan UGGp range from the Archean to the Quaternary, including the Neoarchean, the Jixian System of the Mesoproterozoic, the Cambrian and Ordovician of the Paleozoic, the Carboniferous and Permian of the Paleozoic, the Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous of the Mesozoic, and the Neogene and Quaternary of the Cenozoic. The total area of the Yuntaishan UGGp is 556 square kilometers. It is a comprehensive geopark with scientific and aesthetic values. The landscapes are mainly based on geology and geomorphology due to the valley structure and hydrodynamic force, and partially based on the natural ecosystem and human landscapes.
The Yuntaishan UGGp has undergone a long and complex geological evolution history. Its main geoheritages include stratigraphic sections, rock remains, structural remains, paleontological remains, geological and geomorphic landscapes, hydrogeological relics, and geological disaster relics. Yuntaishan UGGp has five typical geotourism routes, which are Yuntaishan geotourism route, Qingtianhe geotourism route, Shennongshan geotourism route, Qinglongxia geotourism route and Fenglinxia geotourism route, respectively. Hongshixia Valley has the landscape of clear water and red cliff. The valley in Qingtianhe is featured as twists and turns with the clear water. The cliff walls in Shennongshan look like dragon’s ridge in the cloud, which becomes a natural great wall. Qinglongxia is famous for its deep valleys and streams as well as the waterfalls. The valleys and peak forests in Fenglinxia compose together perfectly. All these landscapes formed splendid views with beautiful water and mountains in southern China styles. The Yuntaishan UGGp is the birthplace of Chinese civilization, with a profound accumulation of humanistic history. It boasts a complete natural ecosystem, featuring lush primeval secondary forests and herbaceous plants. The Yuntaishan Geopark is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, which coexist harmoniously with the mountains and waters, as well as with human beings, demonstrating a perfect integration of man and nature.
