John Gunn, a geology professor from the University of Birmingham specializing in the study of karst landforms, paid a visit to Xingyi National Geological Park on March 16, accompanied by Zhou Zhou, deputy governor of Qianxinan prefecture.

The visit was part of an academic study of the geopark to investigate the causes of its karst landform.

Professor John Gunn (second from left) visits Xingyi National Geological Park. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After his tour the professor remarked that the geopark holds unique geological significance and great development potential.

He suggested further excavation work to unearth dinosaur fossils from the Triassic Period.

Opened on Sept 28, 2005, Xingyi National Geological Park is famous for its marine reptile fossils and karst landscape. It won the title of "the most beautiful geopark in China" in November 2013.

To further raise its profile as an international tourist destination, Qianxinan prefecture applied to UNESCO for the geopark to become a World Geological Park in September 2015. If the application is successful, Xingyi National Geological Park will be known as a World Geological Park from 2020. 

Xingyi National Geological Park. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]