1、1.长白之山Amazing China : Perpetually White MountainsLocated in the northeast of China, the Changbai Mountains is named after its iconic scenery of being perpetually white almost all year long.These mountains were formed around 2.77 million years ago, after volcano eruptions due to the movement of the e
2、arth crust.At the top of the main mountain there is a crater lake with an altitude of 2,100 meters. It is called “Tian-Chi” in Chinese, literally meaning heaven lake. Its latest eruption happened around 300 years ago.Tianchi is the largest crater lake in China, and it is the deepest mountain lake ar
3、ound the world as well. The average depth of water is 204 meters. It has stored over 2 billion tons of fresh water, which is able to supply the population in Beijing downtown for 22 months.The winter lasts for 9 months in the Changbai Mountains. Thus, the crest of the mountain is covered by snow mos
4、t of the time. The depth of the snow is 50 centimeters on average.It is extremely difficult to visit the mountain during the winter. Lake Tianchi only melts in Mid-July due to the cold weather and the water in the lake is flowing for only 30 days every year.It is always misty and cloudy. According t
5、o the locals, people could only see the most imposing scenery here if they have a special mysterious connection with this magical mountain.2.东方阿尔卑斯山四姑娘山Amazing China : Four Sisters Await for AdventurersMount Siguniang or Mount Four Sisters is located in southwestern Chinas Sichuan province. The moun
6、tain gets its name from its four peaks adjacent to each other.Local legend says that the mountain gods four beautiful daughters defeated the devil and turned into foursnow mountains to guard the local people. The snowy mountains offer one of the toughest challenges for those who would like to conque
7、r them.Out of the four sisters, the youngest one - the Yaomei Peak is the highest and the steepest of them all, with the altitude of 6250 meters.Only the bravest climbers around the world dare to take the challenge. There are glaciers hanging on the southern slope and extending to the foot of the mo
8、untain. The western and the northern slope are formed by the daunting steep rocks.So far, the summit record for the Yaomei Peak is only 11 times. The Japanese and the American made it twice each. the British, the French and the Russian teams made it once each, and the Chinese team reached the top fo
9、r four times.Besides the four remarkable peaks, Mount suguniang also has lots of other mountains and valleys that are ready for exploration. The 5484-meters high Camel Peak is formed by two connected peaks. Between them there is a glacial plain. But right behind these glaciers, is a vertical cliff.A
10、nd we have the Pomiu Peak that looks like a pyramid. Five Colours Mountain with an altitude of 5500 meters, and the Hunter Mountain with an altitude of 5182 meters.Thanks for its breath-taking and wide landscape, Mount Siguniang is also known as “The Oriental Alps”.For the bravest adventurers worldw
11、ide, the Four Sisters will continue to lure them and wait for the next one to stand on top of them.3.多彩之湖九寨沟Amazing China : Lakes with Amazing ColoursHidden deep in the mountains of western Chinas Sichuan province, there is a primitive and dreamy valley called Jiuzhaigou.It has preserved one of the
12、most stunning view of nature that it could be called Chinas Garden of Eden. Its signature landscape is the crystal lakes with turquoise and many other colors of white, blue, green, or emerald.The secrets of coloring the lake is the spirogyra, charophyte, and other kinds of ferns that grow in the wat
13、er. They contain chlorophyll, which helps create various colors. These colors vary according to the season, light and the viewing angle.There are 108 Lakes like this dotted around the three major valleys in Jiuzhaigou. Each of these valleys has an altitude higher than 2000 meters and altogether the
14、valleys are 49 kilometers long.Besides these magical lakes, Jiuzhaigou also has Chinas widest waterfall, Nuorilang Waterfall, with a width of 270 meters. If you visit Jiuzhaigou during the right time, you may even experience the rotation of four seasons in one day. From the colorful scene to the whi
15、te appearance, Jiuzhaigou could do it in very short time.It is perhaps the ultimate fairy land in China4. 吹来的大地 黄土高原Amazing China : A Land Formed by the Blowing Dust Loess PlateauThe Earth is a place of endless wonder. Where landscapes are often created from mere dust.The Loess Plateau is such a pla
16、ce.It is located in the north of central China, and contains 70% of the loess on the planet. It is hard to imagine a time when it did not exist. But this yellow land was created by particles carried by the wind.The entire mega landscape has a total of 62,000 square kilometers. Even seen from above,
17、its hard to comprehend the sheer size of it. The lowest dune is dozens of meters high, and 300 meters at its thickest.Eight million years ago, super strong winds blew sand and dust here. The entire process of dust carrying and stacking took more than 2.6 million years. Scientists can tell the wind d
18、irection by the thickness of the loess. Because tiny dust particles are carried the furthest, they came to rest in the southeastern most part of the plateau.The sand in the northwest part of the plateau is much rougher. Where the river crossed an alluvial plain was deposited. People gradually starte
19、d to settle around these fertile areas. Be farmed in the valley, and built roads between the ravines.Finally, they made this ancient land their home and prospered generation after generation.5.中国南海的奇绝秘境Amazing China : A Mysterious Place in the South China SeaStarting from Hainan Island, the southern
20、most province of China, you can reach Sansha City in the southern tip, by this transportation supply ship.Sansha is made up of more than 280 islands, sandbars, reefs and other sea areas.April to May are the most beautiful seasons in this part of China. The sea is colorful, with an average visibility
21、 of more than 30 meters.Looking down from a high altitude, the islands in front of us do not seem to be connected with each other, but they are known as the Seven Connected Islets.Thats because beneath the sea, there is a huge reef holding them together, forming a common foundation for the little is
22、lands.As the tide rises and falls, they display a variety of features. most of the islets here are made up of coral remains. Coral secretes limestone, which becomes their living shells. They gather together and grow and multiply from generation to generations.Layer upon layer of limestone is added a
23、nd then compacted to form the coral reef we see today.This reef is still growing, towards the sea, at a rate of about 2.5 centimeters per year.6.圣洁之山Amazing China : HolyMountainDaocheng Yading is a magical and mysterious land located in the southwest of Chinas Sichuan province.This is a kingdom surr
24、ounded by breath-taking views of snow-capped mountains, steep glaciers, crystalclear lakes, vast pastsures, as well as dense woods. It is called the last pure land on this blue planet.Every September, the scenery here is at its most fascinating. its like placing people into a colorful fairy tale wor
25、ld.The focal point is the three mountain peaks in Daocheng Yading. The most beautiful is called Yang Maiyong. It is about 6,000 meters in height, and has the shape of a perfect pyramid.Back in 1931, the American explorer Joseph Rock first introduced it to the world with photos taken for the National
26、 Geographic magazine. He wrote, “she is the most beautiful snow peak my eyes have ever seen”.Next to it, stand two other mountains: Xiannairi and Xianuoduoji. The crest of the mountains is covered by snow most of the time. No one has yet ever been able to reach the top. They are called the “Three Ho
27、ly Mountains”.It is an irreplaceably sacred place in the hearts of the local people. The locals say that if one could walk around the holy mountains three times, then your wishes for this life will be fulfilled.But it is such a great challenge to both ones physical ability and mind, because of its a
28、ltitude.What drives them to do that?Perhaps into simple faith.It is not only the last pure land but also earth that can purify the soul.7.冰川下的鲜红岩石Amazing China :Scarlet rocks Under GlaciersThere is a rare spectacle to be found at the end of the glaciers beneath the main peak of a mountain area in so
29、uthwestern China. The surface of the rocks here is an eye catching bright red.This is the heart of the Hengduan Mountains, a mountainous region in southwestern China. 145 snowy peaks over 5,000 meters above sea level are clustered here, forming an amazing group of mountains.The highest peak, Gongga
30、Mountain, is 7,556 meters above sea level. It is the highest point in the mountainous area of Southwest China.Its giant conical peak is the cradle of glacier formation, from which 74 mature glaciers extend in all directions.The Hailuogou Glacier in the east has a huge icy waterfall measuring 1,100 m
31、eters wide, with a drop of more than 1,000 meters. The strong thawing effect leads to frequent massive icy avalanches.Giant glaciers descend all the way into dense forests. With its step extending to 2,850 meters above sea level, it is the lowest maritime glacier in Asia.Bright red rocks can be seen
32、 almost everywhere in the valley at the end of the glacier. Scientists have found that the red blood color on the stone is not from a mineral, but a rare parasite, a rare lichen complex. Whenever the temperature and humidity are right they spread across the rock surface, dyeing the rocks bright red.
33、Taken away from the mountains however, they quickly change color and die. Even if they are left in peace, their lifespan is only four to five years, and then they will regenerate and begin coloring the rocks bright red again.8.三爿石的故事Amazing China : The Tectonic Story of Sanpan StoneIn Chinas southea
34、st coastal province of Zhejiang, on there is a group of giant rocks called the Sanpan Stone, literally meaning, the three pieces of stone.Once upon a time however they were one whole piece of rock.The story of the Sanpan Stone started 135 million years ago. Back then, during a violent tectonic event
35、, powerful forces formed a basin covering nearly 347 square miles. Imagine the basin as a cradle, in which the Sanpan Stone is nestling.In this huge bowl, sedimentary rocks gathered, dominated by conglomerates. These sediments were the origins of the Sanpan Stone. The process of mountain building co
36、ntinued. The sediments in the basin were forced up to form a sedimentary massif, which gradually grew into the Sanpan Stone.For tens of millions of years, wind and water eroded the massif along vertical fractures until most of the rock was weathered away. Eventually the three individual rocks with s
37、teep cliffs we see today were formed.The highest of them measures 324 meters. However, the steep cliffs pose a great challenge for those wishing to reach the top.About 500 years ago, in Chinas Ming Dynasty, a group of carpenters was hired to build a wooden ladder in order to reach the top of the San
38、pan Stone. They toiled for three long years, but failed in their task. Before the ladder could reach the summit, its foot had rotted away.The ambition of reaching the top was not achieved until the end of the 1980s. Over 3,500 stone steps were carved into the rock face. Now, we can finally climb the
39、se steep stairs and reached the top, to experience the power of tectonic movements from the remote past.9.水天之间的巨型盆景武夷山Amazing China : Huge Bonsa between Water and SkyWuyi Mountain, located in the southeastern part of China, has a total area of about 1,000 square kilometers. It has the largest nature
40、 reserve in Fujian Province, and the largest existing subtropical primary forest system in the same latitude zone in the world.Wuyi Mountain is deeply influenced by a fault zone, which controls the direction of the ridge line. The other faults divide the mountain into several fault blocks and form m
41、any deep valleys.Tongmuguan Fault Zone is the center of the faults, forming a spectacular “V”-shaped grand canyon. The intense tectonic movements of millions of years ago gifted Wuyi Mountain a magnificent Danxia landform, which differs from the Danxia landform in Northwest China.Many of the rock su
42、rfaces are covered with different shades of vegetation, creating a blush on the huge green mountains.The Goddess Peak, the symbol of Wuyi Mountain, is the typical residual Danxia landform left by the faults. Geological movement caused a red-rock massif to collapse under its enormous weight. The Godd
43、ess Peak is the last remaining pillar of the surrounding rocks after the collapse.There are many cracks in the cast rocks of Wuyi Mountain. After millions of years of scouring and cutting by water flowing through them, many streams have been formed around the mountain.Sitting on bamboo rafts and fol
44、lowing the stream, tourists can enjoy the scenery of Wuyi Mountain along the way.10.中国的彩虹山Amazing China: The Rainbow Hills of ChinaIn Northwestern China, there is a chain of undulating hills called Colorful Zhangye Danxia. Here you can find the colors of the rainbow.The terrain is so hostile that ev
45、en grass struggles to survive. So where did this palette of colors come from?Its hard to imagine, but this area was once a lake. The multi-colored hills are the result of the long geological evolution of the lakebed.Changes in temperature and humidity, as well as the existence of various mineral ele
46、ments, and the different iron content in lake sediments especially, gave rise to the spectrum of colors.Part of the ancient Silk Road it is said that Marco Polo once visited here over 700 years ago.However, compared to Marco Polo, today we can have much more fun.11.西湖Amazing China : West LakeThere a
47、re no less than 30 lakes named “West Lake” in China. But the West Lake in Hangzhou is the best known of them all.It is located in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhengjiang Province on the southeastern coast. And the city is known as the paradise of the world in China.Thousands of years ago, the West Lake
48、was connected to the sea. The Qiantang River not far away from the West Lake, enters the sea in the eastern part of the area. Sediment deposited by the river eventually blocked the connection between the West Lake and the sea, making it an inland water feature.Since the 9th century A.D., the beautiful scenery of the West Lake in all seasonshas appeared time and again in poems, stories and legends. Its roughly estimated there are about 630 legends of the West Lake alone.In 2011, West
