Hongshitan

Hongshitan is distributed between 3000m and 4500m in bipenggou. It is a special kind of red moss. It can only survive at special altitude and geological conditions, and the surrounding air quality is also very good. The best viewing spot of red stone in bipenggou is hongshitan, which is located between longwanghai and shanghaizi reception center. The red stone is inlaid like agate between the creek and the jungle.

Hongshitan

Hongshitanmen in Yanzigou Valley is located in nanguangou. Nanmenguan is only 2500 meters above sea level, where you can see a large area of hongshitan without any altitude reaction. Nanmenguangou is the intersection of nanmenguan and Yanzigou. It is also a rare scenic spot of hongshitan in China. Hongshitan is about 100 meters in radius. It's named after the stone red. The stones here, no matter how big or small, are gorgeous rust red. In the sun, these red stones shine brightly among streams, hillsides and bushes. Local cadres said that once the rain washed, red stone will become as red as blood.

brief introduction

Hongshitanmen of Yanzigou Valley is located near nanguangou. Nanmenguan is more than 2500 meters above sea level, where a large area of hongshitan can be seen. Due to the dense vegetation, the air is rich in oxygen and negative ions, there will be no altitude reaction. Red stones spread over the whole valley of Yanzigou for more than 20 kilometers, and scattered red stones can be seen from time to time along the highway. Hongshitan, with a radius of about 100 meters, is the most concentrated and abundant place in Yanzigou. The stones here, no matter how big or small, are gorgeous rust red. In the sun, these red stones shine brightly among streams, hillsides and bushes. Local cadres said that once the rain washed, red stone will become as red as blood.

In this introduction, we found that on the hillside on one side of the red stone beach, there is a flowing stream, and the stones in the stream are also bright red. On the other hand, the rocks in sizhoushan are all dark, opposite to those in hongshitan. Red stone, black hills and streams together form a charming picture.

legend

There is a legend in "hongshitan". A long time ago, the weather was extremely dry, and a python was thirsty. He was ready to go to the Dadu River to drink water from the cannon mountain at the end of "natural bonsai". When I came to the yak ditch, the green hills around me and the clear waves in the ditch made me feel better. Python can't help but stop and suck. In the twinkling of an eye, the whole river is about to be sucked up, the trees are withered, the grass is scorched, the land is cracked, the crops are dead, the people are thirsty, and the situation is at stake. At this time, the eminent monk Xiangxiong Dongqun broke the rules in order to save the people. He slapped the python in the process of sucking. Suddenly, the python rolled, splashed blood and dyed the surrounding rocks red. After barely moving for a while, the python could not move any more. The water that he drank into his belly was all spit out and sprayed evenly to the yak ditch where the drought hit. All of a sudden, the flowers and plants revived, the mountains and rivers revived, and the land was not only more moist than before, but also more fertile. Since then, the weather here has been good for years, and the people have had a good life. And the python gradually curled up and twisted, and finally turned into Dingguo mountain, which has become a bloody Rock Canyon.

Legends are just legends. In fact, the reason why the rocks of "hongshitan" turned red is still a controversial topic for geologists. Some botanists say that this is because the climate here is suitable for the growth of red mosses, which are attached to the stones. Some biologists say that it is formed by a kind of lower organisms growing on the stones. Some geologists say that it is caused by the high content of certain minerals in the stones due to the special terrain and climate.

Cause of formation

1. Gongga Mountain is located in Hengduan Mountain range with many mountains, and it is located at the junction of basin and plateau. The warm and humid air flow in the south is easily blocked by glaciers to form rainfall. The annual precipitation of hongshitan in Hailuogou is about 2000mm, and the unique humid and moist climate is the necessary environment for the growth of orange algae; 2. There are many glaciers in Gongga Mountain, which are all over Hailuogou, Yanzigou and other areas. The glaciers are rich in manganese and other mineral elements, so the melting glaciers are milky white and nutritious, commonly known as glacial milk, which provides sufficient nutrition for orange algae;

3. There is a spring with a temperature as high as 92 ℃ near the source head of gonggalaqu river. The hot spring water is still warm, and the rocks conduct heat. Therefore, although the red stone in Hailuogou is always warm under the glacier or in the ice and snow, this is the reason why the orange algae can survive with the glacier and ice.

Scientific exploration

In January 2012, in CCTV's "approaching science" column, the reporter, together with experts, made a detailed visit to hongshitan at the foot of Gongga Mountain in Sichuan. As early as 2005, Professor Liu Guoxiang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences led a team to explore Luding area, study the red stones all over the river valley and make in-depth research. Later, he published a paper entitled "massive trentepohlia bloom in a glacier valley of Mt. Gongga, China, and a new variety of trentepohlia (Chlorophyta)" in the academic circles, and formally confirmed that this kind of stone with bright red surface is actually a kind of new surface algae attached to the surface.

This newly discovered alga is a filamentous green alga, which is airborne. Its outer layer is rich in astaxanthin, so it is bright red. This carotenoid can help orange alga resist strong ultraviolet radiation at high altitude. Dr. Liu Guoxiang named the alga "Jolie orange". Compared with the traditional green algae, it has the following differences: its color is completely different; its trunk is root like, with only one side branch structure; it can only grow on the hard rock in the north of Gongga Mountain, and is highly sensitive to air, altitude, humidity and temperature. Scientists from a research institute once took this kind of stone out for research. As a result, they just got off the plane and found that the red color on the stone faded. Because of the poor air quality, the moss on the stone could not survive.

However, the information we have so far is limited to its structure, family and genus. The history of its evolution, the reason why it only grew in a specific area above 2100 meters above sea level, and the law of its growth and reproduction are still a mystery, and the scientific community has no final conclusion. We have no way to know where these red stones come from, whether they are the survival of the fittest from ancient times, or whether common green algae have genetic variation due to some special natural events. We are waiting for you to further explore.

Therefore, it is bright red. This carotenoid can help orange algae resist strong ultraviolet radiation at high altitude. Dr. Liu Guoxiang named the alga "Jolie orange". Compared with the traditional green algae, it has the following differences: its color is completely different; its trunk is root like, with only one side branch structure; it can only grow on the hard rock in the north of Gongga Mountain, and is highly sensitive to air, altitude, humidity and temperature. Scientists from a research institute once took this kind of stone out for research. As a result, they just got off the plane and found that the red color on the stone faded. Because of the poor air quality, the moss on the stone could not survive.

Address: bipenggou scenic area, Li County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province (between longwanghai and shanghaizi reception center)

Longitude: 102.987435

Latitude: 31.408189855399

Tour time: 1 hour

Traffic information: in the ticket center of the scenic spot, you can transfer to the sightseeing bus to enter the scenic spot. The asphalt road is in good condition from the scenic spot to the Shanghai sub reception center (the whole journey is about 26 km). For the scenic spots along the way from the Shanghai sub reception center to the Pan Yang Lake scenic spot, you can choose to take the scenic spot battery car, or you can choose to walk (the whole journey is 9 km), and the cement road is in good condition

Ticket information: included in the ticket of bipenggou scenic spot

Opening hours: from May 1 to September 30, ticket selling time is 7:00-16:00, sightseeing bus running time is 7:00-18:00; from October 1 to next April 30, ticket selling time is 7:30-15:30, sightseeing bus running time is 7:30-17:00

Chinese PinYin : Hong Shi Tan