Zada Earth Forest National Geopark

Looking far away, the end of the earth forest is the continuous Himalayas, and at the foot is the endless earth forest. In this silent world without any signs of life, some look like people, gods, animals and objects, and some look like buildings. The earth forests several meters or even dozens of meters high are arranged in an orderly manner, like an impenetrable sky array, as if you have arrived at a planet in outer space.

The earth forest hills appear ghostly golden under the setting sun; they rush over like huge waves, covering the sky and the sun.

Turning a corner, I saw a town standing in front of a pile of earthen forests in the golden sunlight. It looked like the magic city in Middle-earth in the Lord of the Rings. Facing this scene, I, who have no knowledge, could only simply exclaim, "Wow!"

The gray clouds in the distance combined the river, the short trees, and the old city into a gray fog, which seemed to be another world, just as charming and fantastic as this world, but very far away and difficult to see clearly. The ground was all sand, and the strong wind blew it all over the sky. I couldn't tell whether it was clouds or sand above my head, as they merged into one.

We set out at 6:30 in the morning to shoot the earth forest outside Zhada City. The time difference between Zhada County and Beijing is about 2.5 hours, so we got up very early. It was just dawn when we arrived at the shooting location. Traveling through the earth forest! You can enjoy it while driving. We shuttled through the earth forest and were shocked by its strangeness and grandeur. Although the sky did not show the morning glow we expected, it did not affect our admiration for the earth forest. We kept driving to move locations and shooting, and we got many satisfactory photos.

The Zada Earth Forest and the Himalayas complement each other, full of fantasy, like a work of nature, which is amazing.

Arriving at Zada Earth Forest is like suddenly landing on an alien planet. The ground beneath your feet is not like the human world, but a magical mythical world. This mythical world has gone through so much hardship and loneliness, and has used its body to record and witness so many vicissitudes of life and the passage of time to gain its magic, grandeur, and even tragic grandeur. It makes people feel awe and shock.

The steep and rugged rocks, the well-defined gullies, and the wrinkled ridges look like towering castles, majestic and tall pagodas, groups of heavily fortified watchtowers, and mighty soldiers ready to go, showing their majesty, grandeur, magnificence, and atmosphere!

Looking at the earth forest from afar, this masterpiece of nature is jagged and rugged, with various shapes. Under the blue sky, there is nothing but golden color. The flat top of the mountain is cut into parallel and neat deep and shallow gullies by flowing water and wind and rain. Driving through it, it seems like walking into a time tunnel, entering a mythical world, everything seems extremely desolate and mysterious. The scale of Zada Earth Forest is much larger than imagined. After driving 20 kilometers, it has been surrounded by the earth forest.

Looking around, you can see ravines and gullies everywhere, stretching and undulating, as if you are on an alien planet.

When you are in the earth forest, you will find that the earth forest with no grass and no birds is actually a breathtaking place. The layers of cliffs are steep and tall, which is spectacular. They look like castles, towers, pagodas, and palaces, with various shapes. On one side are rows of majestic soldiers standing solemnly, and on the other side are rows of officials wearing tall hats and wide belts. Some have eagle noses and deep eyes, while others have kind faces, and they are all different, human and animal. You can't help but marvel at the uncanny craftsmanship of nature.

Zhada is the farthest point of the southern line of Ali. I know it because of this super long photo in the book "This is China". When I saw it for the first time, I was shocked. Is there such a place in China? ! Although I have seen Zhada Earth Forest in books, documentaries, and on WeChat Moments, I was still shocked when I saw it with my own eyes. It is so large that the camera cannot fit it.

Starting from Mount Kailash, drive along National Highway G219 gradually towards Zhada County, cross a high mountain pass to National Highway G565. In the distance, a group of earth forests suddenly appear on the surface, which is particularly spectacular.

At the foot of the snow-capped mountains in the distance, rows and rows of earth forests stand solemnly and neatly, like a column of soldiers ready for battle, stretching for hundreds of miles and looking magnificent.

As we gradually approached the earth forest, the driveway no longer hovered above it, but slowly entered between the earth forests, winding through them.

From here, you can get a close look at the majestic earth forests, which are scattered in different heights. The relatively high earth forests can even reach hundreds of meters, like pillars supporting the sky.

At the same time, they also have different shapes, some are swarming up in clusters, some are standing straight, some are rising layer by layer, and some are like natural giant walls, with one man guarding the pass...

So how did this vast super-earth forest group with an area of about 2,400 square kilometers near Zhada County come into being? This peculiar landform aroused my interest.

After investigation, we learned that the "culprit" was the flowing water of Xiangquan River and the short summer rainfall in the area. These waters continuously washed away the thick soil layer, causing the originally flat plateau lake basin to be cut wantonly, resulting in the land becoming ravines and fragments, and eventually forming this very unique and rare landform - soil jungle, also known as earth forest.

At this moment, I am surrounded by the majestic earth forest, in silence, the wind of nature whistles past me. I think the wind is constantly turning into the dexterous hands of a sculptor, shaping the mountains into various shapes and forms, making people marvel at the uncanny workmanship of this super earth forest group.

In many people's minds, Zhada is the soul of Ali, because it has the most unique landform in Tibet, the Zhada Earth Forest. Within a thousand miles, there is no grass, and wrinkled mountains are scattered all over the place. Under the exquisite carving of nature, they look like castles, groups of watchtowers, and tents, jagged and rugged, with various postures.

【Zada Earth Forest】——The earth forest is a special landform formed by the influence of ancient orogeny. The strata deposited on the bottom of the lake have been cut by flowing water for a long time and gradually weathered and eroded. It is a famous natural landscape in Ali region.

——Looking down from the observation deck, the vast and magnificent earth forest in front of you is amazing. Only when you are there in person can you feel the majesty and grandeur of the earth forest.

——Against the backdrop of the sunset and the blue sky and white clouds, this Gobi Desert does not feel desolate at all, but rather colorful and gorgeous, just like the earth's palette, full of magic.

The Zada Clay Forest is located in Zada County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. It is distributed between 3,700 and 4,500 meters above sea level and covers a total area of about 2,464 square kilometers. It is the most typical and largest clay forest formed by weathering of the Tertiary strata in the world. The Zada Clay Forest was listed as a national geological park in 2007.

When you arrive at Zada Earth Forest, you will feel like you are traveling back in time. The clusters of earth forests are like warriors on an ancient battlefield, or like ferocious beasts. At this moment, what you see with your eyes is too spectacular and majestic to describe in any words. If you have the chance, you must go to Zada!

The most typical and largest earth forest in the world formed by weathering of Tertiary strata

Looking at the Zada Earth Forest from afar, there are layers of mountains. As the road winds down through the earth forest, the Xiangquan River Valley slowly appears before your eyes, and Zada County is suddenly on the other side of the valley.

Very shocking, especially when the sun sets, the light and colors are extremely magnificent

The Zada Earth Forest is spectacular, especially for tourists coming from coastal cities, the unique landform of the earth forest will amaze people.

It’s not easy to get here, but waiting for the sunset is a good choice

The setting sun shines appropriately on the Zada Earth Forest on the other side. The golden color sprinkled on the loess, combined with the rendering of light and shadow, reveals a sigh of the hero's twilight years.

The clay forest in Zhada is a real clay forest. In addition to loess, there is yellow sand. Such scenery is very shocking, but it is not what I like. I like lush and green forests, but here there are only patches of stagnant yellow. I heard that the sunset in the clay forest is very beautiful, but we missed it. The vicissitudes and helplessness are my deepest feelings, and the power contained in it is deeply shocking.

The earth forests are endless, majestic, and varied in shape.

Everywhere is tall and magnificent

Apart from loess and yellow sand, there is also quietness and grandeur.

It's a great place. You will never regret coming here. Walking through the earth forest will definitely give you the feeling of leaving the earth.

The magnificence of the earth forest is beyond description, and even photos cannot fully show it. It is like entering an alien world. I have never seen such a landform, and the scale is so huge.

When we arrived at the Zada Earth Forest, we were extremely shocked and had such a vast view. Combined with the majestic snow-capped Himalayas in the distance, photos cannot express the shock. We can only marvel at the wonders of nature.

Before arriving at Zada County, there is an observation deck for observing the earth forest. This observation deck is higher than the earth forest and overlooks the entire earth forest from a high altitude. The road from the observation deck to Zada County passes through the earth forest, which is the best way to take photos while driving (since the road is very narrow, it is quite dangerous to stop in the middle of the road). You cannot stop in the middle of the road.

The earth forest is right next to the road, and the viewing platform is also on the road. It is a very spectacular geological phenomenon. Passing by this place seems to have arrived in another era.

After climbing over a colorful mountain, I suddenly felt the Loess Plateau. There was little green in sight, and yellow dust was everywhere. Even the grass was withered and yellow, creating a bleak and desolate scene. But the ruins under the sunlight looked like castles, palaces, and buildings... They were jagged and majestic, magnificent and splendid!

When I first saw the solid earth forest, it was spectacular, amazing, shocking and eye-opening.

The Zada Basin was cut and eroded by natural forces, forming deep gullies and a large area of scattered earth forests.

The Zada Earth Forest is on the edge of this earth forest, on the south side of the Xiangquan River Valley. The "Earth Forest Valley" along the Zada New Road has a better view. The Zada Earth Forest in the sunset is the most charming, as if you are in a fairyland.

Here, valleys and earth forests are stacked one after another, stretching endlessly. The tops of the mountains are cut vertically into deep ravines, looking like a sea of earth forests.

The scenery is a naturally formed geological landscape. It should not be underestimated. These are the "mythical world" created by millions of years of geological changes. Long ago, these landforms were displayed on the seabed. It was the Himalayan orogeny that raised the lake basin and reduced the water level. The rocks exposed above the water were eroded by wind and rain for a long time to carve out this scene. Then the horizontal rock formations were washed by floods, weathered and eroded to form a unique landform, which is steep, tall, majestic and varied. It is like being in a fairyland, dreaming in a fantastic world. The bright sunset gives the earth forest a life of aura, like castles, groups of watchtowers, tents, and layers of palaces, which are jagged and rugged, with various postures. Facing the masterpiece of nature, it is really amazing and shocking.

After tens of millions of years of geological changes, the earth forest stands tall on the Tibetan Plateau with its unique landform.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the earth forest, and the feeling of the infinite beauty of the sunset arises spontaneously. Bathed in this light and shadow, everyone is intoxicated!

Zada Earth Forest: Zada Earth Forest is a veritable earth forest, with nothing but loess and yellow sand. Driving through it is like circling around the feet of many giants. Following the inherent wheel tracks through the valleys, the dense earth forest accompanies you, stretching for dozens of kilometers along the roadside.

The earth forest, covering hundreds of square kilometers, is full of "mountain forests" of different heights and shapes. In fact, we only passed through a corner of the earth forest along the road, but the strange landscape we saw made us applaud.

The entire Zada is actually located in the earth forest and can be viewed from the roadside. It was formed between 2 million and 20 million years ago and is worth a look.

You can see the stunning and peculiarly shaped Zada Earth Forest, which is much more majestic and spectacular than the Devil City in Xinjiang. You can also climb up to the ruins of the once prosperous Guge Kingdom, and visit the sacred mountain Mount Kailash of Tibetan Buddhism, the holy lake Manasarovar, and the ghost lake Laangcuo.

The corpse cave is a place where the faint of heart should not join in the fun. The corpses have indeed not decayed for hundreds of years. They are wrapped in black cloth and have an indescribable smell. Broken hands and feet are everywhere.

I was shocked by the Zhada Earth Forest. I have been to Kunming Stone Forest before and thought the Earth Forest was similar to the Stone Forest. I didn’t expect that this Earth Forest stretched for several kilometers. It was shocking and spectacular, and it cannot be expressed in words. Perhaps this song "Hills" by Leehom Wang can better express my mood at this time.

It looks very spectacular from a distance, but as the car gets closer, we are passing through the earth forest.

Every earth forest is different, so you can use your imagination. Standing in front of nature, you will feel even more insignificant.

It is quite shocking to enter the Zada Earth Forest. You can clearly see the difference from other places in Tibet.

Under the setting sun, the mountain patterns are bright and dark, with golden tones. The earth forest and the nearby pagodas appear mysterious and solemn in the twilight... Being in it, people are so insignificant.

The grandeur of the earth forest can only be appreciated in person. Photos can only record one-tenth of it. Time has carved the earth forest and is also weathering it. It feels like this naturally formed earth wall has become smaller than it was a few years ago.

After reading the introduction, I realized that the Zada Earth Forest is very different from the Yadan in Xinjiang or Gansu. Yadan is mainly a wind erosion landform, so the sedimentary soil is greatly affected by wind cutting; but the Zada Earth Forest is mainly a water erosion landform, and the sedimentary layer is greatly affected by rainstorm erosion, so the erosion texture is also distributed in longitudinal veins, with a thick bottom, obvious gullies, and extremely large scale. Looking down from the observation deck, the earth forests of various shapes are so large that the scale is beyond imagination. The camera cannot capture its full picture at all, and can only show a small part of it. Only when you are there can you feel the majesty and magnificence of the earth forest.

At first glance, the Zada Earth Forest looks a bit like the Yardang landform in Xinjiang or Gansu, but it is very different upon closer inspection. Yardang is mainly a wind erosion landform, and the sedimentary soil is greatly affected by wind cutting. A relatively good difference is that Yardang is usually distributed in an island shape along the wind direction, and the bottom is fragile, the sedimentary layer is single, easy to collapse, and the horizontal erosion texture on the side is also very obvious; but the Zada Earth Forest is mainly a water erosion landform, and the sedimentary layer is greatly affected by heavy rain erosion, so the erosion texture is also distributed in the form of longitudinal leaf veins, the bottom is thick, the gullies are obvious, and the thickness of the sedimentary layer is relatively high. The overall earth forest is basically cone-shaped, peak-cluster distributed, and the scale is extremely huge.

The Zhada Earth Forest is a unique landscape in the Ngari region. The unique landforms and scenery of the earth forest were formed due to the geological changes and weathering of the soil layer in ancient times. Being in the earth forest is like walking in a dreamland, with towering castles, strange trees, etc., which make people marvel at the uncanny craftsmanship and imagination of nature. The canyon of the earth forest and the winding Xiangquan River, the mother river of Zhada, have nurtured countless Zhada people for thousands of years.

After climbing to the top of the Guge Kingdom with difficulty, the lack of oxygen at high altitude made my lungs ache, but my vision suddenly became clear. I could see the earth forest in the distance, which was a wonderful view that I could not feel at a straight line. There is a corpse cave at the foot of the mountain. The cave is divided into three rooms: the outer, middle and inner. It is said that the people of Guge took refuge here to avoid the pursuit of the rebels, but they still could not avoid the disaster of being killed. The status of the corpses in the three rooms can be seen from the status of the corpses. The outer room is for young and middle-aged people, the middle room is for the elderly, women and children, and the inner room is for the respected lamas.

I didn't do any research before, so I didn't know what the earth forest they were talking about was. I thought it was similar to the Lunan Stone Forest in Yunnan, but after listening to my companions' description, I roughly guessed the formation and general appearance of the earth forest. However, when I arrived at the site, I was really shocked by the spectacular earth forest. Yes, shocked!

Its magnificence can really make people look very, very small! From a distance, it looks like the big feet of an immortal!

Here, the "vast sea" has long turned into "mulberry fields". "Looking from the side, you see mountains; looking from the front, you see peaks; the distance and height are different. The "sea of forests" formed by the mountains are very spectacular. It is said that the Tibetan ancestors used the natural resource of "earth forest" to dig caves and live in them, and then established the majestic Guge Kingdom.

The panoramic view of the earth forest is more colorful when photographed at sunrise and sunset. The earth forest has different shapes, some are steep and tall, some are majestic and colorful; some are like thick trees, some are like solemn castles... The car shuttles through the valley, and the steep and tall earth forests are on both sides. Facing the masterpiece of nature is really amazing. It was the first time to see such a beautiful scenery, and my companions were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling.

In fact, the purpose of my coming to Ali is to see the mysterious Zada Earth Forest, which is known as the most unlike-earth place on earth.

Danxia landform, the weather is not very good, otherwise the colors would be more gorgeous.

The altitude of this area is getting lower, about 3,000 to 4,000 meters, which is very comfortable, without the feeling of plateau. The formation of the Zada Earth Forest is mainly due to geological changes. Originally this area was the bottom of a lake. The lake basin rose due to the Himalayan orogeny, and it was eroded by wind and rain year after year to form the current scene. Once again, I marvel at the wonders of nature.

Walking through it is like entering a dream.

It is a veritable earth forest, with yellow soil and yellow sand, and the reflection of the sun is so bright that you can't open your eyes.

It is a bit like the Yadan landform in Qinghai, vast and boundless.

Under the setting sun, the vast, chaotic, majestic and desolate Zada Earth Forest can be seen at a glance. Driving among the earth forests feels a bit like Egypt.

The Zada Earth Forest is just a landform, there is nothing to see there. Personally, I think it is best to just admire it from a distance.

The Zada Earth Forest is so majestic that pictures cannot fully show it.

Standing on the observation deck and looking at the earth forest from afar, I felt it was magnificent and vast, but being in it in person was a completely different experience.

The magic of nature has forged the loess into mounds of various shapes, which is quite spectacular.

The endless earth forest, if you wait for the sunrise in the earth forest, you will feel its charm even more. The orange sunlight dyes the earth forest red, and the changes of light and shadow make people sigh. People are too small in front of nature.

The Zada Earth Forest has various shapes, some of which look like human figures and some like buildings.

Zada Earth Forest National Geopark

When we first came here, we were shocked by the desolate surroundings! The scenery here is a microcosm of the Ali region. Because of its authenticity and simplicity, more and more people come to Zhada to listen to the initial touching... ...

Go see the marks of time, the traces of vicissitudes of life...

The extremely unique plateau landform was formed by long periods of water erosion. From a distance, it is full of golden splendor; against the backdrop of the psychedelic light and shadow of the plateau, it is like a mythical world. Looking closer, you will see the earth forests on both sides of the Xiangquan River, which are indescribably wonderful. The wonders that are unique in the world, such as the solemn and magnificent temples, the towering towers with strict barriers, the magnificent and towering pagodas, the extremely luxurious ancient palaces, the simple and majestic European castles, and some are like thousands of horses galloping, with their heads raised and roaring to the sky, or like believers practicing and meditating devoutly, are all natural and innumerable.

It wasn't as spectacular as I imagined, or maybe I went to the wrong place. Anyway, I was a little disappointed.

The Zada Earth Forest is called river-lake phase in geology, and it was formed by millions of years of geological changes. Geologists have verified that more than one million years ago, there was a large lake with a radius of more than 500 kilometers between Zada and Purang. The Himalayan orogeny caused the lake basin to rise and the water level to decrease. The sedimentary strata at the bottom of the lake were cut by flowing water for a long time, and the rocks exposed above the water were eroded by wind and rain for a long time, and finally carved into the current appearance.

The Zada Earth Forest is very impressive, but you have to encounter good weather. The scenery in the geological park is similar to that on the roadside, one costs money and the other is free.

The road crossed the mountains and arrived at the Zada Earth Forest area, and was shocked by the jagged and varied earth forest landscape. The car shuttled through the valley, with steep and tall earth forests on both sides. It was really amazing to face the masterpiece of nature.

It's spectacular, like being on an alien planet.

Zhada, one of the border counties, is located in a soil forest landscape with few plants and is adjacent to India and Kashmir.



The Zada Earth Forest is a special landform formed by water erosion, with various shapes, some steep and tall, some majestic and colorful. In the evening or morning, under the background of the psychedelic light and shadow of the plateau, it is like entering a fantasy world, and the masterpiece of nature is amazing.

Ali is the area with the worst climate and the sparsest population in Tibet. Various landforms can be seen in this 300,000 square kilometers.

The earth forest is very impressive when viewed from the observation deck, but it is too far away. The most exciting thing is that you have to pass through the earth forest to enter Zhada County. It is really exciting to see the earth forest up close.

On the way to Zhada County, you will see a large area of earth forest. Continue along the road and you will enter the earth forest. The shapes inside are different. There is a viewing point that you must go to overlook the earth forest. There is a row of snow-capped mountains on the horizon. It is very beautiful.

It's a spectacular Sichuan-Tibet line, worth stopping on.

Every time I touch the coolness of your waves, my heart is filled with excitement.

How can there be such a beautiful place!!! It was so spectacular that we kept stopping to take pictures along the way, but later we gave up because we couldn't capture its beauty at all

When the car reaches the top of the mountain more than 10 kilometers away from Zhada County, the overwhelming earth forest comes into view. It is majestic and magnificent. If the weather is good, there are a few white clouds in the sky with distinct layers of light and shadow. A beautiful picture is right in front of you.

A special landform formed by water erosion, the largest earth forest landscape in the world.

Following the tire tracks to the top of the mountain, the beauty that cannot be captured by the camera is jaw-dropping. The great mountains and rivers of our motherland are more than that. 🇨🇳The largest earth forest, awe-inspiring nature. The earth forest is even more magnificent under the golden light of the sunset [Zada Earth Forest]

The bright sunset gives the earth forest a lifelike glow, which looks like castles, groups of watchtowers, tents and palaces, all of which are jagged and majestic with various postures. It is truly amazing to face this masterpiece of nature.

The original natural scenery is the only way to the Guge Kingdom!

It is extremely magnificent and stunning. It is recommended to watch it at sunset, the colors are rich and breathtaking.

The endless earth forest, all of which are original and undamaged natural landscapes, are really beautiful.

The light distribution in the earth forest is quite good. Many people take sunset photos. The accommodation and dining conditions in remote areas are quite good.