Safeguard the Geoheritage Sites and Establish the Harmony Between Nature and Humanity--A study on the Construction and Development of Geoparks in China

摘要

Geoheritage sites refer to the non-renewable geological relics naturally formed, developed and preserved by both the internal and external dynamic force of a geological process in the evolutionary history of the Earth. Significant geosites are a nation's invaluable wealth as well as a key element of its ecological environment. China is one of the few countries that have abundant geological heritage resources of rather complete varieties distributed over vast regions. Over many years' research on geosite preservation, China has progressively established some natural preservation zones for geological relics and geoparks and has made remarkable progress in geosite preservation. The establishment of the national geoparks of China, in particular, not only has effectively protected the heritage resources but also taken full advantage of their scientific value and aesthetic beauty to enhance the citizens' qualities and the local economic development by promoting geoscientific studies, popularization of geoscientific knowledge and geotourism.