Geopark in Guangdong, southern China rewards hikers with panoramic views, a phallic rock

Dramatic cliffs, panoramas and suggestive rock formations are the reward for hikers in Danxia Shan, an easy weekend getaway from Hong Kong

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Dramatic red sandstone cliffs are a feature of the Danxia Shan national geopark in northern Guangdong, a two-hour high-speed-train ride from Hong Kong. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Published: 7:15am, 7 Apr 2025

It has long been common for Hong Kong residents to escape to the hills at weekends, but now a similar passion for mountain trails is sweeping across China’s Greater Bay Area.

Around 50km (30 miles) north of the city of Shaoguan, in northern Guangdong province, towering crimson cliffs rise above lush forests and winding streams, drawing young and old alike.

In the Danxia Shan national geopark tens of millions of years of erosion and tectonic activity have sculpted red sedimentary rock into dramatic peaks and valleys. The area is one of the Danxia landforms – landscapes with spectacular red-rock cliffs, natural pillars, ravines and valleys – dotted around the country.

Danxia Shan was listed as a Unesco Global Geopark site in 2004 and a Unesco World Heritage site in 2010, and features three main scenic areas connected by free shuttle buses from the park’s main entrance.

Yangyuanshi, or “Male Stone” (above left), and the mountain peak. topped by a pavilion, from which it was separated by tectonic forces over thousands of years. Photo: Xinyi Wu

The first stop on our visit is the “Male Stone”, a striking rock formation that sparks curiosity and amusement.

At 28 metres (90ft) tall, Yangyuanshi, as it is called in Mandarin, is a phallic formation separated from an adjoining mountain by tectonic forces and sculpted by the elements over thousands of years – as many as 300,000 years, a sign at the site informs visitors.