Shell Ridge

Shell Ridge

Shell Ridge is located at the former site of the Qaidam Prison, Team 4, Zongjia Township, Dulan County, Qinghai Province. Formed 70 million years ago, the ridge is about 50 meters wide, 10 meters high, and 5 kilometers long, and the entire structure is composed of fossilized soil and shells.

It bears witness to the dramatic geological changes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The shell mountain is not very high — a poetic exaggeration by the desert dwellers. Stretching from east to west, it is about 70 meters wide and roughly 2 kilometers long. With shells ranging in size from roughly that of a copper coin to as small as a thumb, hundreds of millions of them are cemented together with saline and alkaline silt, forming layer upon layer in a myriad of shapes.

This area was once an ancient sea with vast, shimmering waters. Today, the ancient sea has receded and the land has risen. Shell Ridge is a remnant of that ancient sea and serves as one of the best testimonies to the profound geological transformations over time. It provides strong evidence for studying the geological evolution of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and holds significant value for geotourism.