Colorful Sand Beach

The Colorful Sand Beach is located at the southern foot of Laohei Mountain. During past volcanic eruptions, lava spray shot hundreds of meters into the air. The lighter, granular volcanic cinders were ejected farther onto the lava plateau, forming the sandy beach; the heavier, blocky pumice and volcanic bombs landed closer to the crater, forming volcanic cones; and the lightest, dust-like eruptive materials were carried away by the wind, forming volcanic ash. The southern slope of the mountain is covered in black volcanic cinders, while the foothills are spread with large patches of earth-yellow and yellowish-brown volcanic cinders and sand—light as foam, with some patches red, purple, or white. Mixed among the volcanic cinders and sand are gray-black lava fragments and volcanic bombs. The thickness of the volcanic cinders and sand is about 5 meters, making it feel like walking on a carpet. Even more wonderful are the reddish, pink, purple, and white striped zones, created by high-temperature gases ejected from underground, roasting the surface. Their colors are so beautiful that no painter could ever replicate them—it’s truly a masterpiece of nature.