THE SPECTACULAR KARST MOUNTAINS OF SW CHINA = LANDFORMS,,LAND USE AND TOURISM

Most people who take the cruise down the River Li are impressed by the landscape. Few know that they are passing through a landscape over four hundred million years in formation. This unit is about formation geomorphology. It is about land use. It is about tourism. It could be used to expand knowledge of China. It could be used to understand why this area is a major attraction for Chinese tourists and why it is often included in the itinerary of overseas tourists. Take your students through this landscape and through part of the world’s largest sedimentary limestone area. Follow the formation processes to understand how limestone sedimentary layers have changed to cone mountains and then to karst towers. Use the attachments to check the level of understanding. This unit can stand alone or it can be linked with the unit entitled “Why the River Li Cruise is so popular” -Tourism in China.