Stunning ice cascade appears in north China canyon

World
Europe

00:47

A recent cold wave has brought some stunning winter scenery to Taihang Mountain's canyon region in north China's Shanxi Province, with cascading ice sheets and glaze producing a spectacular frozen landscape.

Due to the gradual drop in temperatures in recent days, water oozing out from the sandstone has formed the stunning ice cascade. The silver thaw is a coating of ice, which is formed when extremely cold water droplets freeze almost instantly on a cold surface.

Taihang Mountain's canyon has been rated as one of "China's best 10 grand canyons." It's a land dotted by a world of caves, assorted plants, and animals. The distinctive landscape with abundant biological resources makes it a marvel in north China. Over 400 natural landscapes and 44 tourist attractions lie in the region.

Taihang Mountain's canyon in autumn. /VCG Photo

The canyon of Taihang Mountain is more than 42 kilometers long, 10-100 meters wide, and 300-600 meters deep. It was formed millions of years ago during the orogeny.

It is a complete geological and natural unit, with granite gneiss formed in the Proterozoic period 2.5 billion years ago, magenta quartz sandstone formed in the middle Proterozoic period 1.8 billion years ago and other rocks of various geological ages, which has quite high scientific research and ornamental value.

Taihang Mountain's canyon in autumn. /VCG Photo

The best time to visit the canyon is from May to October. The climate at the mountain is cold during winter, but beautiful snow, glaciers, and silver thaw shown in the video can be experienced in the freezing season.