Yunlong Ice Mortar Cluster

Yunlong Ice Mortar Cluster

Near the Qili Tan Power Station in Yunlong Town, southern Liangping County, there lies a Quaternary glacial relic — the Ice Mortar Cluster. Located in the southwestern part of Chongqing, Liangping spans longitude 107°24′–108°05′ and latitude 30°–30°53′. The distribution is dense, the preservation is excellent, and the scale and degree of formation are truly a world wonder. The riverbank features countless beehive-like stone holes — numbering in the thousands, ranging from large to small. The larger ones are about three to four meters in diameter, while the smaller ones are just a few centimeters across.

Their depths also vary: some are as shallow as one finger deep, others reach seventy to eighty centimeters. Visitors can feel them with their hands. Regardless of size, depth, or density, these holes are all characterized by small openings, wide bellies, and flat bottoms, mostly situated on the same bedrock surface, and predominantly circular or oval in shape. You’ll also notice that they come in various forms — some like mortars or jars, others resembling pots, bowls, teacups, or spoons. Even more intriguingly, some holes contain interconnected perforations, creating a truly unique sight. In the summer of 2004, Mr. Guo Dongbin, a teacher at Renxian Middle School in Liangping County, discovered these peculiar stone cavities during a field trip with his students to study petrified wood. Intrigued by their novelty, he took several photos. Since then, his interest only grew. How were these cavities formed? Were they carved out by the force of the river? Why aren’t they found in other sections of the river? After consulting numerous texts and studying extensive imagery, he turned his research focus to the phenomenon of “ice mortars.” To verify his theory...

Mr. Guo quickly contacted the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. On December 3, 2004, Qili Tan finally witnessed the day when the mystery was unveiled. On that day, an investigation team consisting of over ten members — including Researcher Han Tonglin and Associate Researcher Chen Shangping from the Institute of Geology at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, as well as reporters from Chongqing TV and Chongqing Daily — conducted a survey of the Ice Mortar Cluster at Qili Tan on the Longxi River in Yunlong Town. The investigation confirmed that this Ice Mortar Cluster is a Quaternary glacial relic. It was also verified as the largest and most densely packed ice mortar site in China to date, as well as the first such Quaternary glacial relic discovered in the Sichuan Basin. Professor Han Tonglin stated that these ice mortars belong to a valley-type formation, dating back 2 to 3 million years. In terms of both preservation quality and density, the Qili Tan Ice Mortar Cluster stands out as one of the finest examples in Asia and even the world. Moreover, such an expansive, continuous cluster of valley ice mortars is exceptionally rare. The Yunlong Ice Mortar Cluster stretches over several kilometers but was buried underground following the construction of a dam for a power station in 1964. Therefore, what we see today is only a portion of the entire cluster.

How were these ice mortars formed? They are an extremely rare natural phenomenon and heritage.

These stone cavities on Qili Tan, dating back 2 to 3 million years, are the result of Quaternary glacial movement. Formed under the coverage of thick ice sheets in a "sealed" or "semi-sealed" state, glacial meltwater (including sub-zero pressure meltwater and meltwater above 0°C) flowed downward through glacial fissures, creating powerful water jets that eroded the rock. Due to the confined conditions, these jets had two distinctive traits: immense pressure at the base and a “cylindrical drilling” effect — similar to oil well drilling — which intensely impacted, rotated, and ground down the underlying bedrock and glacial erratics. This process gave rise to the stone cavities we see today. The Qili Tan Ice Mortar Cluster holds significant scientific value for the study of ancient climates, paleoenvironments, global warming, as well as human origins and the development of human skin pigmentation. So, visitors are in for a rewarding experience. Through these mysterious stone holes, we uncover yet another layer of nature’s hidden secrets — a true close encounter with the wonders of the natural world.

Yunlong Town: Located at the end of Xiaonan Road in Liangping County, Yunlong Town is 24 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Tiemen Township to the east, Pushun Town of Dianjiang County to the south, Yinping Town to the west, and Helin Town to the north. The terrain is higher in the east and lower in the west, mainly consisting of plains and shallow hills, with an average elevation of 450 meters. The Longxi River, the largest river in Liangping, runs through the entire town. The river is clear and broad, stretching for eight kilometers.

Yunlong Town has a typical Sichuan Basin climate, with an annual average temperature of 17°C, maximum temperatures not exceeding 40°C, and minimum temperatures above 0°C. The area enjoys abundant rainfall, with an annual precipitation of 1000–15... Yunlong Town detailed information++