On August 17, the Datong National Volcano Cluster Geological Park was officially opened in Datong, Shanxi province.

Datong National Volcano Cluster Geological Park [Photo/sxgov.cn]

Covering an area of 129.8 square kilometers, the park is divided into three parks, namely Datong Volcano Cluster Park, Shanggan River Valley Park and Qiulin Valley Park.

The Datong National Volcano Cluster Geological Park at bird's-eye view.[Photo/sxgov.cn]

Datong Volcano Cluster is one of six well-known volcano clusters in China, belonging to the rare volcano cluster of the Loess Plateau intra-plate rift system. Over 30 volcanoes are known to date, which makes it the top among all volcano clusters in China. Datong Volcano Cluster integrates typical geological relics, amazing natural landscape and unique human culture in the park. It has been honored as a rare natural heritage in East Asia and a volcano geological museum. After being discovered in 1929 for the first time, it has received significant attention from the world. On December 5, 2012, the Ministry of Land and Resources officially approved to name it Shanxi Datong Volcano Cluster National Geological Park.