As a part of the Bingjingding ductile-shear zone and structural migmatite park, the Zhuque scenic area of structural granite covers an area of 48.08 km2 and present with outcrops of granite. It consists of four scenic groups, that is, the ancient glaciers in Jingyunao area, the miracle peaks, waterfalls along the Longduanya escarpment and the forest along the Luhua River.
There are many geological heritages in the Zhuque scenic aret, including waterfalls on glacial erosion surface, escarpment waterfalls, residual peaks, periglacial landform, landscape formed by wind erosion and heritages of Bingjiu (ice acetabulum).
Peak and Ridge Landform
The Zhuque scenic area is situated in the upper reaches of the Donglaohe River of the north piedmont of Qinling Mountains, including six scenic spots of the Zhuque escarpment, the Qinling ridge, the Luhua River, the Qixiu Peak, Longtanzi, and Binghecui.
Tectonically, the scenic area is located in the north side of the Qinling orogenic zone where a thrusting-collision zone exists in between the North China’s Plate and the Yangtze Plate. Lithology in this area is mainly composed of the early Jurassic granite (about 200 million years), which was formed during the period of collision between the North China’s Plate and the Yangtze Plate. Foliations, cleavages, differential weathering and sheet joints on granite surface are visible to the visitors.
The itinerary selected for geotourism in this area is featured by periglacial landform that was developed in the flattish surface on the top of leveling plain and gentle slopes. Formed by swelling, freeze-and-thaw actions and snow erosion at cold climate in an area without glacial coverage, the Binjingding area is typical in periglacial landform that is featured in stone sea, stone river and stone rings.
Periglacial Landform at Bingjingding
A Teahouse in Pines
A Distant View to Peaks and Ridges in Zhuque Area
A Bodhi sits quietly
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Trees Growing up from Stones
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Roots are exposed to air by flowing water, which like a person sitting on floating granite. |
Trees grow up on a granite block shaped by three groups of joints, which look like a natural potted plant. |
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Intersected light-pink veins are visible in grey-white fine-grained granite block that rolled down from the hill nearby, which have illustrated the sequence of the two groups of joints developed in the granite. |
Cross-cutting Veins |
A Stone Buddha
Gneissosity granite was broken by joints and fallen down to the valley, and then shaped by weathering for a long time into a Buddha-like figure.
A stream of water falls down along the two groups of joints in granite, like a running dragon out of a cave. |
X-shaped joints in gneissic granite formed by shearing
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 The Tianzhu Peak
The Tianzhu Peak makes up of granite body that was shaped by two groups of faults, on both sides of which faults are vertical and smooth in surfaces. Because of exfoliation along joints, the top of the peak presents in spheroid shape.
Strike-slip Fault
Both the walls of the fault are characterized by horizontal movement, which is a compression and shearing fault with smooth surface.
Rhododendron
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Shuangtan (double ponds) Waterfall.
The waterfall is present in steplike, which is controlled by two groups of joints at perpendicular to one another. |
Talus and Free Surface
Longtan Waterfall
A Platform on the top of Longtan waterfall; Multiphase intrusive rock veins formed a figure showing a girl with long sleeves in dancing.
The Pingjing Pond
Three Sets of Joints
Guatian Waterfall
The Guatian (drop from the sky) waterfall is a pensile waterfall, running along a smooth joint surface caused by collapse. The major drop height of the waterfall is 120m and featured in three benches that were formed by glacial plucking, showing the splendid scenery.
Stone Surface Like a Washboard
Natural weathering on rocks occurred along close joints and shaped the surface of rock like a washboard by flaking off along the joint planes.
Yulong Chuanxi
Two faults join together in the valley and form a beautiful fault scarp.
Planes of Joints
Longyan Chuanzhu (Like a String of Beads)
A natural stream of water flows over small pits on broad joint faces in appearance of a string of beads.
A Stone Hump
Stone Monkey
Two turtles finding a path
Fractural cleavages of granite are superimposed by differential weathering, forming a double-turtle appearance.
Zuixian Peak
Fractural cleavages of granite are superimposed by differential weathering, forming ice mortar, ice cave and varieties of animal figures of stone.
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Ice Mortars |
Fault Valley
Erratic Boulder |
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Vertical Joints
Meadow Green
Natural Platform for Sightseeing
A Stone River
Bingjingding (Ice Top)
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