Large Danxia landform discovered in NW China

XI'AN - Geologists in Northwest China's Shaanxi province have found a new Danxia landform, characterized by reddish sandstone features, thought to be the largest such site in the country.

The S-shaped site, which features a rugged red landscape that emerged from river silt deposits dating back more than 99 million years, runs from Yulin city in the north of Shaanxi to the center of the province, the provincial land and resources department announced Saturday.

With an outcrop area of over 4,000 square kilometers, the landscape extends 750 kilometers from north to south and 10 to 70 kilometers from east to west.

The landform was found in September and October. Its bulk lies in several counties administered by Yan'an city.

Geologists said the newly discovered Danxia landform appears as groups of valleys and is different from those found in south China, which were inscribed collectively as a World Heritage Site in 2010.