Often referred as “tiankeng,” or “sky holes” near the southern Chinese city of Guilin they are 2,000-foot-deep wonders. The main factor to them is an underground river. It is the waterof the river that dissolves limestone to make caves, the roofs of which can give way to form sinkholes.
However the limestone at Guilin is fractured the sink hole are liable to form along vertical cracks forming steep walls. Rubble due to the cave in is dissolved by the waters of the river and over the eons cavern opens to the sky and a tiankeng is born
Arthur Palmer, a cave expert at the State University of New York at Oneonta is quoted to have said
“You are impressed by how abrupt they are. These do tend to be the biggest in the world.”
Geologist William White, an emeritus professor at Pennsylvania State University is quoted to have said
“You could fit a couple of Empire State Buildings in and they’d disappear,”.
It would definitely be worth it to visit such extrordinary natural wonders especially now when China is becoming tourism friendly.
Via: discovery
Comments
This is a great post as not only does it highlight a beautiful area in China but also one that is perhaps not so well known. The topography is amazing in Guilin with of course the huge sink holes but probably more famous are the alien like karst formations that jut out of the ground like dragon’s teeth. The area is really popular with Chinese tourists and is starting to increase in popularity with westerners so tourism is taking hold and often having quite negative impacts. However, there is a diamond in the sink hole (sorry :-)). This beautiful Yangshuo Hotel has been using sustainable business practices both in terms of the environment and local culture since it opened in 2001. It is located near Guilin just outside of Yangshuo famous for its breath taking landscape and pristine rivers. There are very few eco accommodation providers in China at the moment but the ones that are there are helping change attitudes and perspectives in one of the fastest growing industries.