Zengcheng Geological Park Museum

Zengcheng Geological Park Museum

Guangzhou Zengcheng Provincial Geological Park is located within the Baishuizhai Scenic Area in Zengcheng and features an ancient volcano dating back 150 million years; it has a "four generations under one roof" geological stratum, the most complete Yanshanian suite, a full range of rock types, and a highly intact crustal evolution sequence. All this knowledge can be discovered in the museum, making it a great place for locals to explore the geological and biological evolution history of this treasured land in Guangzhou.

In 2013, Guangzhou’s first geological park — Guangzhou Zengcheng Provincial Geological Park — was established, filling the gap as the world city that previously lacked a geological park. According to planning, the park spans 116 square kilometers in Paitan Town, Zengcheng District, and consists of three scenic areas: Baishuizhai, Dafengmen, and Niuguzhang. However, due to its vast area and lack of outdoor geological science facilities, many of the park’s "treasures" remain hidden in the mountains unknown to the public.

After the opening of the Guangzhou Zengcheng Geological Park Museum to the public, in addition to showcasing the geological evolution history of the local park, it also displays the Earth’s geological evolution, as well as mineral and jade specimens and rare paleontological fossils collected from across the country, including Guangzhou.

Guangzhou Zengcheng Provincial Geological Park has many notable features: First, the volcanoes are ancient — Guangzhou is home to the world’s oldest volcanoes, namely the "Jurassic volcanoes." For example, Dajianshan and Huangluzhang still clearly display volcanic cones, and they are currently the highest-altitude ancient volcanoes in the world. According to expert research, Dajianshan and Shirénling volcanoes, which date back 150 million years, are rare examples of volcanic conduits globally. Visitors to the museum can see related introductions and specimens from the Dajianshan volcano.

Second, the crustal structural evolution is highly complete — the park showcases the three stages of crustal evolution: geosyncline, platform, and geodepression — in an exceptionally well-preserved state. While the public may find such theories abstract, being there allows them to understand the mysteries through texts and images, and appreciate what the near-perfect geological evolution in Guangzhou means for humanity's understanding of geological processes.

Third, the strata development is comprehensive — the park includes formations from the Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras, truly representing a "four generations under one roof" scenario. Inside the museum, visitors can learn in detail about the representative flora and fauna of these four eras through specimens and exhibition panels.

Fourth, the Yanshanian suites are the most complete — Zengcheng Geological Park is one of the areas in China where the most and most complete Yanshanian tectonic events have been discovered. Guangzhou experienced seven Yanshanian movements, whereas finding 3–4 such events elsewhere in the world is already extremely rare.

Fifth, the rock types are comprehensive — the park contains a particularly rich variety of sedimentary, metamorphic, and magmatic rocks and their subtypes. Specimens of all types have been collected here. Among them, the Dragon Scale Stone is especially unique. The presence of magma-formed Dragon Scale Stone in Guangzhou is very rare and precious.

In addition, visitors to the museum can get an up-close look at fossils of ancient plants and animals, including algae fossils, Shanxi beast fossils, and vertebrate fossils.

Zengcheng Geological Park Museum is open to the public free of charge.

Paitan Town: Overview: Located at the northern end of the Pearl River Delta region, Paitan Town is the largest mountainous town in northern Zengcheng. It lies 28 km south of Zengcheng’s city center, 60 km from Dongguan, 22 km west of Conghua’s city center, and 70 km from Guangzhou. To the northeast, it borders Longmen County. The town covers a total area of 289.5 square kilometers, with a population of 76,799 at the end of 2004. It governs 34 administrative villages and one neighborhood committee. The town area spans 1.5 square kilometers (with a planned area of 14.38 square kilometers), has an urban resident population of over 8,820, and a total of 2,210 households. Transportation... More detailed information on Paitan Town++