Introduction to Mount Laojun

Liming Scenic Area of Mount Laojun, Lijiang

Liming Scenic Area, as the starting zone of the tourism development in Mount Laojun Scenic Area, has extremely high resource value and tourism resources. At the 27th Session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations on July 2, 2003, Dr. Jim Thorsell with very high international prestige from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in his statement on China's Three Parallel Rivers, "The three rivers cover China's No. one Danxia landform area, namely Liming, Lijiang, which is undoubtedly also world-class". In the language of Lisu, Liming is called "Yigu Lomadi", originally meaning the founder of great valley, which is treated by the Lisu people as home of the sun.

The alpine Danxia landform, as the main feature of the Liming landscape, is located in three administrative villages of Liming Township, including Liming, Liguang, and Meile. Prof. Huang Jin, the academic leader of Danxia landform in China, and Zhang Jiazhi, a Chinese geological expert, after investigating Liming, pointed out that, Liming has the largest and the most spectacular Danxia landform group in China, covering an area of over 240 km2. Meanwhile, its relative height, absolute height, grandness, and colorfulness rank first in China.

Danxia landform refers to various forms of cliffs and stone pillars created by surface water cutting in red sandstone areas. The red formed by ferric iron is the visual feature of all Danxia landforms. The steep cliffs and independent or stone pillars with connected in root are also their necessities.

There are many reasons for the formation of Danxia landform here. According to legends, the sun shines on the streams, the mountains, and the blue sky; it is also said that Lord Laojun once practiced alchemy here. The burning flame has spread all the way to a mottled mountain rock, together with the meteorites burning in the sky fallen here, so the red cliffs came into being, after which Mount Laojun is named. How did Danxia landform come into being? Ninety million years ago, in the southern part of China, dry and hot, the debris deposited in low-lying basins, such as sand and rocks, were strongly oxidized into red glutenite strata. Later, due to crustal movement, the rock formations were fractured and jointed into cliffs, isolated peaks, and group peaks, etc. through the combined effect of erosion, scouring, cutting, and caving. A prerequisite for the development of Danxia landform is that the red glutenite stratum was strongly uplifted by tectonic movement during a certain geological period. During the uplifting, rich vertical fissures appeared in the rock strata. In a rainy environment, these fissures became places where surface water and groundwater move. The erosion of water on the rocks not only widens the fracture surface, but weakens the bonding force inside, which easily caves. Over time, these fissures continue to expand and deepen. First, small ditches and then river valleys were formed, so the Danxia landform develops from early childhood to adulthood. People often describe Danxia landscape as "red flame and rosy cloud".

Danxia landscape in Liming area has not only wide distribution and coverage but magnificent mountains and forests, beautiful scenery, and typical development, characteristic of flat top, steep body, and gentle foot. Meanwhile, the Danxia landform in Liming area is famous for its high altitude, which leads to an extreme "freeze-thaw" climate and then wonderful features, including the "tortoise shell" surface subtype, with Mount Thousands-of-Tortoises as the most typical. Due to dry cracks on the surface of red sandstone, weathering and erosion occurred in dry cracks, so a series of convex topography with cracks was formed, shaped like tortoises. The scale and quality of its landscape are the most typical in China as a wonder. In addition, the landscapes such as Colorful Screen of Divine Birds, Sleeping Buddha, Five-finger Mount, Lover's Pillar, Natural Buddha, Alchemy Furnace, and Stone Coffin Mountain are also representative and unique. Actually, the Danxia landform in Liming area has not only significant visual features and high ornamental worth, but great concentration, narrow space distance, strong accessibility, and convenience for tourism.

The scenery in Liming area can be summarized by "immortality, charm, oddness, serenity, and fantasy". "Immortality" refers to the Danxia landform like a spiritual object falling from any god after sudden enlightenment and a heavenly sculpture to create a dreamy natural world with all colors and shapes. "Charm" means that the Danxia landform in Liming area is not dry and bare but surrounded by boundless green clouds to constitute a magnificent view of "red dots in greenery." As the weather changes, fog, sunlight, moonlight, and white clouds will all bring gorgeous colors and unpredictable aura to this ethereal world. "Oddness" refers to the strange horoscope with three sunrises and sunsets each day. "Serenity" refers to towering, namely under the Danxia cliff, countless mountain rivers and valleys are delicately distributed with grass dense or sparse and gurgling streams. Especially in the beautiful Liming river valley are towering trees and flowers throughout the field. A pure mountain spring rushes out of the dense forest, forming Chinese ink paintings of red mounts, green valleys, green water, and green mountains. "Fantasy" means that Liming has colorful and appealing ethnic cultural customs such as Lisu people's touching love song, lively ethnic dance, romantic and exciting Valentine's Day or Hilt Festival, and grand Kuoshi Festival.

Liming area is beautiful in mountains, cliffs, forests, and people. Let’s walk into this wonderful land and feel its immortal charm and magic.

Lijiang Tourism Investment Co., Ltd.

Lijiang Tourism Investment Co., Ltd., founded in 2009, is a subsidiary of Yunnan World Expo Tourism Holding Group as well as the main developer and operator of Mount Laojun, Lijiang. Under the strategic deployment of the Group, Lijiang Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. has built Mount Laojun into a product and another world-class tourism boutique in the Province with high grade, high quality, and high difference as well as rich eco-tourism experience, through hardworking in line with the concept of “responsibility for resources, environment, community, investment, and market”. The development of Mount Laojun can lead the "red tourism" of the Shigu First Bay of Yangtze River, the tourism development of scenic spots along the Jinsha River, and the construction of ecological and scientific research tourist area. It is necessary to give full play to the brand effects of World Expo Tourism, Mount Laojun Natural Heritage, and National Geopark, to construct with high starting point and high level, while attaching great importance to ecological environmental protection, and to develop it into an important demonstration area of the world natural heritage, Three Parallel Rivers, by opening the tourist ring road and connecting the Ninety-nine Dragon Ponds, Liming Danxia Landform, and other characteristic resources.