Hechi village honored China geological culture village

After evaluation from the Chinese Geological Society, Hechi's Xiaya village was listed among the first group of three-star geological culture villages and towns in China on July 6, as well as the only geological culture village in Guangxi.

Xiaya village is located in Jinya town, Fengshan county, Hechi, in northwestern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The village covers an area of 17.76 square kilometers and is 36 km away from downtown Fengshan county, which is an important hub connecting Leye and Fengshan Geoparks.

Xiaya village is typical of karst regions found in northwestern Guangxi, with 20 important geological relic sites dominated by carbonate landforms and bodies of water.

Of all the geological relics in the village, Shima Lake is the most valuable natural tourism resource, with an area of 640 mu (42.7 hectares) in the dry season and 1,160 mu in the wet season. In summer, the lake is gorgeous; while in winter, the neighboring grassland becomes a natural pasture for herds of cattle and horses.

Shima Lake in Xiaya village. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

The village has been equipped with science facilities which promote science through panoramic VR tour commentary, popular science books, audio and video products, adventure activities, research routes and folk culture activities.

Through geological and ecological tourism, science research and large-scale folk activities, the village has promoted the integration of geology and culture, as well as pushed forward the development of tourism. In November 2019, during the "folk culture festival", Jinya town promoted geology to more than 10,000 tourists.