Zhangye in Northwest China's Gansu province has submitted an application to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for nomination as a world natural heritage site.

Mountains in the Danxia National Geological Park in Zhangye exhibit a variety of colors. [Photo by Wangchao]

The city's Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park is a national 5A-level scenic spot. Covering an area of 20 square kilometers, it is the most typical Danxia landform in the arid region of North China, consisting of "Rare Danxia Landform" and "Colorful Hills" at home and abroad.

The preliminary plan is to submit materials to the State Forestry and Grassland Administration before November 2022 to include the park in the tentative list of China's World Heritage Sites, and declare the item to the World Heritage Center before Sept 30, 2023 to have IUCN experts visit the site for inspection and evaluation.

Accordingly, the nomination shall fall under one of the following categories: it must be a wonderful natural phenomenon or an area with rare natural beauty; it must be an example of an important stage in the earth's evolution; it must represents the development process of biological systems as well as animal and plant communities; it must be a vital natural habitat for in situ conservation of biodiversity.

As of July 2022, China's 56 sites have been included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO, ranking first in the world.