April 22, 2024 is the 55th World Earth Day, and the theme of this year's Earth Day is "Planet vs. Plastics". In order to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, publicize Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, guide the whole society to establish the concept of ecological civilization of "respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature", promote the construction of beautiful Qianshan, and jointly build an earth home where man and nature coexist in harmony, Tianzhushan Global Geopark, Anqing Qianshan Ecological Environment Branch and Qianshan Pailou Central Primary School jointly carried out the 55th "World Earth Day" and the 5th Asia-Pacific Geopark Week Science Popularization Campaign. In the form of museum-school cooperation and joint construction and common benefit, Tianzhushan Geopark will give full play to the social education function of the museum and jointly build a "second classroom" for popular science education.
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On May 19-20, 2025, a delegation of international geological experts, led by Academician Yang Jingsui of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted an in-depth scientific investigation of the Tianzhushan UNESCO Global Geopark. The team included renowned scholars such as Professors Ma Changqian and Zhang Jinyang from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Professors Liu Bin and Li Yanqing from Yangtze University, Professor Jose Molina from the University of Granada (Spain), and Professor Eizo Nakamura from Okayama University (Japan). Accompanied by Mr. Shu Hanbing, Member of the Standing Committee of the Qianshan Municipal Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Tianzhushan Administrative Committee, along with the geopark’s management team, the delegation focused on critical topics including the evolution of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic belts and the formation mechanisms of granite landforms, injecting new vitality into global geoscience collaboration.
Unraveling Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphic Belts: Tracing Milestone Discoveries
On May 19, the team explored three iconic UHP metamorphic rock sites within the geopark: Hanchangchong, Xindian, and Bixiling. At Hanchangchong, Academician Yang Jingsui and colleagues examined key outcrops documenting the Triassic-period collision between the Yangtze Plate and the North China Plate. As one of the most representative eclogite outcrops in the Dabie orogenic belt, this site provides crucial evidence for understanding continental subduction and exhumation processes. At Xindian, the delegation revisited the groundbreaking 1992 discovery by Professor Xu Shutong’s team of microdiamonds within eclogites—a pivotal academic breakthrough. In Bixiling, experts recalled Academician Xu Zhiqin’s 1987 discovery of coesite-bearing eclogites, Asia’s first such finding, which marked the dawn of UHP metamorphic belt research in the Dabie Mountains. Academician Yang inscribed praise for the site: “The Dabie Mountain UHP metamorphic belt is a treasure trove for Chinese geology and a sacred destination that global geologists aspire to explore.”
Decoding Granite Landscapes and Geo-Cultural Villages
On May 20, the team shifted focus to Tianzhushan’s granite landforms, renowned for their globally rare “collapse-piled” granite topography characterized by peaks, stone pillars, and boulder clusters. Scholars engaged in field discussions on the composition and genesis of post-collisional granitic bodies in continental subduction zones. The delegation later visited the Qiuzhi Geo-Cultural Village, nestled in a unique “two mountains flanking a valley” landform. The village preserves a Paleocene paleontological fossil assemblage, UHP metamorphic rock outcrops of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone, and living cultural heritage such as dragon kiln pottery-making techniques and the ancient Qiuzhi Temple. These elements form a symbiotic ecosystem blending geology and culture. The team investigated the village’s innovative model of leveraging geological resources for science tourism and traditional craft experiences, commending its efforts to harmonize geo-education with rural revitalization.
Building an International Research Hub:
Tianzhushan as a Global Geo-Science Beacon
Combining field exploration with academic retrospectives, the expedition systematically highlighted Tianzhushan’s global significance in UHP metamorphic belt and granite landform research. Shu Hanbing emphasized that Qianshan City and the Tianzhushan Administrative Committee will seize this collaboration to deepen international academic exchanges, enhance scientific conservation of geo-heritage, and boost public engagement. The goal is to establish a “natural laboratory” for global Earth science research, contributing a “Chinese model” for the sustainable development of UNESCO Global Geoparks.
