As a national geological park and the geological vestige reserve ofBeijing, it is located on both banks of White River to the northeast ofYanqingCounty, about 100 away from the downtown area. Route: Go along the Badaling Expressway until you arrive atYanqingCounty, then transfer to the bus to go to the park. It is the only geological park with typical, rare, and precious groups of petrified wood. Also called “silicified wood”, petrified wood is the product of the late mid Jurassic period. About 140 million years ago, it was warm here, and the arbors grew tall and exuberant. Due to the outbreak of volcanoes and sudden rupture of stratum, the plants were buried underground. In an environment with no oxygen and high temperature, after long period of petrification, the organic matter in the timber were replaced by the silicoides in the underground water. Through the shell movements of stratum risings, these wood fossils were pushed out of the ground, forming the petrified wood we see today. Shenkuo, the scientist in the Northern Song Dynasty recorded that “1000 kilometers away from the Bo Sea, pine trees were transformed into stones”.
The geological park stretches for 26 kilometers from theYanMountainsin the west to Dishuihu in the east, with a total acreage of 226 square kilometers. It is a national geological park with unique geological sights and natural sights, integrating scientific investigation, sightseeing and folk custom travel. It includes the Small Kunlun Geological Popular Science District, Central District of Geological Park, Wulong Gorge Tourist Site, Yan Mount Tianchi Recreational District, and Datan Ecological Model District. In the Central District of theGeologicalPark, 57 wood fossils have been discovered, which were distributed on the marine deposit sand on the slopes of theWhite River. The wood fossils are of different sizes and shapes, with surfaces of dark brown or off-white. The texture and annual rings of wood can be seen clearly. These pieces of wood have diameters from 0.5 meters to 2.5 meters, with the longest wood piece measuring 15 meters. Some fossils still have branches or scars, some are cracked, and some still have complete barks. These wood fossils are important evidence for the study of ancient geography and the evolution of ancient climates in the Mesozoic era inNorth China. The wood fossils are mainly scattered in an area about 2000 meters long and 400 meters wide to the north of Toudaoliang. They are also scarcely distributed in other areas. In addition, there is a wood fossil exhibition hall with an acreage of 110 square meters, which exhibits the board of geological changes and various kinds of wood fossils. Yan Mount Tianchi in the scenic spot is also known as the Baihebao Reservoir. Located in the volcano fulgurite basin in Baihebao formed in Mesozoic era, it is about 560 meters, covering five million square meters. It is the highest body of water inBeijing, and thus known as the “Lakeabove the high gorge”.
Location:XiadeLongwanVillage,QianjiadianTown,YanqingCounty,Beijing
Bus Route: Take Bus 919 at Deshengmen and get off atYanqingCounty, then transfer to mini-bus in the direction of thePetrifiedWoodNationalGeologicalPark
Admission: 75 yuan
Telephone: 010-60188559
Website:http://www.ghmdzgy.cn/gb/index.htm
