China has added two new names to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network—Changshan in Quzhou, Zhejiang, and Mount Siguniang in Sichuan.
UNESCO announced 12 new Global Geoparks on April 22, bringing the global network to 241 sites across 51 countries.
With Changshan and Mount Siguniang among the new additions, China now has 51 UNESCO Global Geoparks.
The two Chinese sites bring very different landscapes to the list.
Changshan tells a story of fossils, ancient rock layers, and deep geological time, while Mount Siguniang is all about high peaks, glaciers, river valleys, and the rise of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Image of Changshan via Changshan Fabu
Located in Quzhou, Changshan UNESCO Global Geopark is often described as a natural geological museum.
Its rock formations preserve more than a billion years of Earth history.
Image of Changshan via Changshan Fabu
It is home to China’s first ‘Golden Spike,’ a globally recognized geological marker, and preserves one of East Asia’s most continuous stratigraphic sequences, tracing nearly one billion years of geological evolution from the Neoproterozoic to the Cenozoic.
Image of Changshan via Changshan Fabu
Changshan also has a strong local character.
The area has more than 1,800 years of history, cultural links to the Maritime Silk Road, and well-known local produce including Changshan hayou citrus and tea oil camellia.
This gives the geopark a wider appeal beyond science, connecting geology with local heritage, agriculture, and everyday life.
Image via Pexels
Mount Siguniang UNESCO Global Geopark, located in Xiaojin County in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, sits on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Its granite peaks, glacier landforms, folds, river systems, and high-altitude ecosystems help record the uplift of the plateau and the region’s dramatic tectonic history.
Image via Pexels
For travelers, Mount Siguniang is the more instantly striking of the two.
The geopark is home to numerous peaks above 5,000 meters, and Chinese reports describe it as the UNESCO Global Geopark with the world’s largest number of extremely high mountains.
The area is also shaped by Jiarong Tibetan culture, from pastoral traditions and village architecture to food, dance, and pilgrimage festivals.
Placed on the same UNESCO list, Changshan and Mount Siguniang also point to a broader idea behind Global Geoparks—protecting geological heritage while turning it into something people can learn from, visit, and share through local culture.
[Cover image via Pexels]
