Potted landscapes created in glacial stone pits developed from
ancient glacial action are distributed over the geological park of
the Qingshan Natural Reserve in the Keshiketeng Banner of Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Study of their formation in recent years has led scientists to
conclude that the stone pits were formed during the Quaternary
Glacial Period some 2.5 million years ago. Surging torrents within
the glaciers combined with stones to form deep whirlpool-shaped
pits.
According to scientists, the pits clearly demonstrate the
existence of glaciers here, important historical evidence in
understanding changes that took place in the local climate and
environment long ago. The large-scale pits in the Qingshan Natural
Reserve, unique in terms of characteristics and preservation, are
seldom seen both at home and abroad and can be rated as a unique
type of characteristic of the landscape.
The Qingshan Nature Reserve is located in the southeast part of
Daxinganling Mountains, 25 km south of Jingpeng Township of the
Keshiketeng Banner. The glacial stone pit groups and granite
forests stretch some 20 km. The pit forest, with all kinds of
shapes and positions, has its main peak at an elevation of 1,574
meters, with many cliffs and precipices, trees, grasslands and
springs. A path paved with stones, sometimes visible and sometimes
hidden, zigzags to the top of the mountain.
Walking along the path of 2,002 steps, people will find a flat and
wide top. Pits are distributed everywhere on granite slopes,
assuming various shapes such as a jar, bucket, spoon, and basin.
The diameter of the pits normally falls within a range from 50 cm
to three meters, with a depth of 30cm to 1.8 meters.
The stone jars or stone buckets, as local people call them, are
actually stone pits. There are more than 300 distributed in a two
square km area on the top of the mountain.
Earth and water have accumulated in the pits so that flowers,
grasses and plants grow like beautiful natural potted
landscapes.
(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong August 13, 2003)
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