“Golden Spike” National Geological Heritage Reserve

　　The “Golden Spike” National Geological Heritage Reserve is situated at the foot of Qingtang Mountain in Baoqing Village, Huaikan Township, approximately 23 kilometers northwest of Changxing County. On March 5, 2001, during the International Geological Congress in Argentina, it was designated by the International Commission on Stratigraphy as the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) — the “Golden Spike” — marking the boundary between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras.

　　In the early 1930s, geologists from both China and abroad conducted field investigations in the area from Daodui Mountain in Meishan, Changxing County, to Qingtang Mountain in Huaikan. They successively discovered new species of nautiloid fossils and rare fish fossils.

　　These findings conclusively demonstrated that while Late Permian strata in other parts of the world had ceased development, those in Changxing (dating back approximately 250 million years) were still forming. As a result, the Changxing Meishan section of the Chinese stratigraphic record represents the highest and most complete Late Permian strata globally, containing a rich diversity of fossils from multiple biological groups.

　　Scientists have collected nearly 400 fossil specimens across 15 major categories here, confirming that Meishan is home to the most complete ancient fossil assemblage ever discovered in the world. In 1931, it was recognized by many international geologists as the International Stratotype Section for limestone, also known as the Changxing Formation Stratotype Section.

　　In recent years, international geologists have found that the “Changxing Limestone” has unveiled the mystery of the great mass extinction event at the transition between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, which occurred around 250 million years ago.

　　In May 1980, the Provincial Construction Commission, Cultural Relics Management Committee, Museum, and other departments installed a permanent bilingual (Chinese and English) protection marker on-site. In March 1981, the “Changxing Limestone” was listed as a key protected area by the provincial government. In 1983, the Changxing Meishan area, along with sites in Guangyuan (Sichuan), Xue-longxi Mountain (Tibet), and Kashmir, was confirmed by the International Commission on Stratigraphy as a candidate for the “Golden Spike.” In 1996, China formally applied to the International Union of Geological Sciences. From October 25, 1999, to January 15, 2000, the International Commission on Stratigraphy voted to designate the “Changxing Limestone” as the sole candidate for the Paleozoic–Mesozoic boundary “Golden Spike.”

　　On March 5, 2001, it was officially recognized at the International Geological Congress as the Global Stratotype Section and Point for the Paleozoic–Mesozoic boundary. On August 10, 2001, the “Golden Spike” monument for the Changxing Limestone was unveiled within the reserve.