During 19-22 October, nine experts from China, Germany, France, Morocco, South Africa and Canada taking part in Post-conference Field Trip-2b of the 9th Hutton Symposium went to Longyan City to inspect Meihuashan National Nature Reserve, China Tiger Park, Guanzhaishan National Geopark and Peitian Ancient Village, etc. within the Longyan Aspiring Global Geopark.  

During the inspection, the experts focused on the Indosinian (~220Ma) monzogranite with K-feldspar megacrysts, Paleozoic(~430Ma) gneissic granite and Late Yanshanian (~140Ma) syenogranite, etc. in the Meihuashan area, and have made an in-depth discussion with Longyan Geopark Protection and Development Center in terms of the scientific significance and landscape value of the Meihuashan granite, construction and future sustainable development of the geopark and other issues.

field discussion

 Examining the Paleozoic(~430Ma) gneissic granite

The experts generally believe that the Meihuashan granite has important scientific significance and landscape value due to its unique geological background and long-term evolution process. They highly praised the work of Longyan Geopark Protection and Development Center in the protection of geological heritages and the construction of the geopark, but also provided many valuable suggestions for the future development of the geopark. Professor Yu Jinhai of Nanjing University highly affirmed the geoscience research value of Longyan Aspiring Global Geopark. He said that the geopark boasts five diversity, namely diversity of granite age, diversity of rock type, diversity of tectonic background, diversity of geological process and biodiversity.

Group photo 

The 9th Hutton Symposium and its post-conference field trip brought together many first-class experts in the field of granite at home and abroad, which will greatly promote the further research on the Meihuashan granite and effectively advanced the construction and development of Longyan Aspiring Global Geopark.