Zanda Clay Forests

The bottom of the lake ascended because of the orogenic movement of Himalaya. Because of the flushing of water and long years of wethering, the earth was formed to undulating forest wounding for dozens of kilometers.  Walking on the earthen forest, the desolation and magnificence feeling was just like walking on the ruins  of an ancient kingdom.

Zhada, whose Tibetan meaning is "the place where there are grass in the lower reaches of river", is a County under the govern of Nagri Prefecture. In this county stand the famous Tuolin Monastery and relic Guge Kingdom. As soon as you step into Zhada County, you can see the clay forest towering along both sides of five-kilometer-Elephant Spring River. These clay forest are of different shapes. Some like warriors defending the mountain, some like galloping horses, while others like devoted followers standing there quietly.    Looking from different points, you can get a different view.

The clay forest, formed by erosion of water, is called in Geology "the Level Terrane Physiognomy". It is the sediment stratum, composed by sandstone and clay. Because the Level Terrine and sandstone are of quality easy to develop upright, the valley is deep with canaliculus can reach 100 to 200 meters.

The whole Zhada County is densely covered by this peculiar and mystic physiognomy. During the Xiangxiong and Guge Kingdom period, people made use of this natural resource to build caves to live in. Now, an old building group of more than 400 caves build by Tibetan ancestors  are discovered in the clay forest.

The earthen forests is 255 kilometers away from Shiquanhe and it may take few hours to get there. A trip to there may take you three or four days with a daily cost of 800 yuan if you hire a car. The earthen forests is not far from Zanda County  and you can simply walk there.

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