Arxan and Xiangxi UNESCO Global Geoparks Forge Sister-Park Alliance

On June 15, Arxan and Xiangxi UNESCO Global Geoparks formalized a sister-park partnership during the Fourth High-End Forum on Natural Culture. Wang Haijun, Party Secretary and Director of Arxan Geopark Administration, and Peng Hua, Deputy Director of Xiangxi Prefecture Forestry Bureau, led their respective delegations in signing the agreement.

This collaboration establishes frameworks for joint advancement in park management, science education, and talent development, with both parties exchanging commemorative gifts symbolizing their commitment. Xiangxi UNESCO Global Geopark—Arxan’s 20th sister park—occupies the Wuling Mountains core in Hunan’s Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in July 2020, it preserves 160 Paleolithic and Neolithic cultural sites chronicling human civilization. The region’s geological record reveals the Yangtze Platform’s formation and multi-phase tectonic evolution of its foreland basin, featuring globally significant Cambrian stratigraphy with two Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Points (GSSPs). Iconic landmarks include the Hongshilin Red Stone Forest, Dehang Grand Canyon, Zuolong Gorge, and spectacular waterfalls, all set within a tapestry of unique ethnic traditions shaped by millennia of cultural heritage.