In China, Danxia is a word to describe a unique type of landform which develops both internally and externally through erosion, having the appearance of "rosy clouds." First put forward by Chinese geologists in the 1920s, the term derived from the Danxia Mountain in Guangdong Province, the most typical representative of this kind of landform.

The landscape is characterized by steep cliffs of red sandstone and conglomerate. The six sites that have applied jointly for world heritage status fully illustrate the evolutionary process of the landform. Up to now, 780 sites typical of Danxia landform have been found in China. Called "red bed" in other countries, the landform is widely distributed in other areas of the world except Antarctica.

The successful inscription of the six sites in China on the world heritage list, given the name of "China Danxia," means the recognition by international academic circles of the concept of Danxia Chinese scholars put forward.

(Source: cndanxia.cn)