Coastal Volcanic Geological Park

　　The Coastal Volcanic Geological Park is situated along the coastal area from Qianting Town to Qianhu Bay, about 50 kilometers from Xiamen City, Zhangzhou City, and Zhangpu County. It is also around 120 kilometers from both Quanzhou and Shantou, offering convenient transportation. On March 26, 2001, the Ministry of Land and Resources approved the Zhangzhou Coastal Volcanic National Geological Park as one of the first eleven national geological parks in China. The scenic area was developed and invested in by Zhangpu Sanxing Tourism Industry Development Co., Ltd. and officially opened on October 1, 2004. It is the largest, best-preserved, and most uniquely featured coastal volcanic geological heritage site in China, and is extremely rare worldwide. It has been listed by the provincial government as one of Fujian’s Top Ten Tourism Brands. In 2005, it was honored as one of “China’s Top Ten Most Beautiful Islands” in a selection initiated by Chinese National Geography magazine.

　　The Coastal Volcano is a typical example of a tertiary-period volcanic landform, formed when magma surged upward through northeast-trending fractures deep within the Earth’s crust during the Himalayan Movement approximately 17 million years ago. The volcanic structures are exceptionally well-defined, reflecting the dramatic volcanic activity and tectonic history of the Cenozoic era in the Western Pacific. Over a long period of geological evolution, it has ultimately formed today’s rare geological landscape. The scenic area preserves central-type volcanic eruption structural features and later weathered and sea-eroded landforms. The main geological relics include four types: columnar basalt, ancient volcanic craters, volcanic fumarole clusters, and the watermelon-skin structure of basalt. The park consists of “one mountain (Xiangshan), two islands (Linjin Islet and Nanding Islet), and three bays (Qisha Bay, Jiangkou Bay, and Houcai Bay).” It features a large number of unique volcanic landform wonders that hold multidisciplinary scientific research value in geotectonics, volcanology, paleogeography, seismology, and geodynamics. The planned development area of the scenic zone is 3.5 square kilometers, and the project is implemented in three phases. The goal is to create a comprehensive tourism destination integrating geological heritage protection, scientific research and education, international conferences, sightseeing, marine sports, coastal tourism, leisure vacations, and health and wellness activities. Currently, the second phase of the project is under preparation, with a planned land area of 3,000 mu. Major projects will be located from Qisha Bay and Jiangkou Bay to Houcai Bay, including the construction of a star-rated volcano-themed hotel, an international tourism resort, the “Sea Rhythm” sanatorium, a volcanic geology museum, a volcanic culture street, the Straits International Convention Center (including a five-star hotel), a volcanic dynamic plaza, a sailing club, a coastal tourism boulevard, and other supporting service facilities.