According to the Notice of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Science and Technology on Publishing the List of National Natural Resources Science Popularization Bases for 2023, Shaanxi Cuihuashan Landslide National Geopark has been selected as the science popularization base of national nature education.
The National Natural Resources Science Popularization Base is an important place to showcase scientific and technological achievements in natural resources, popularize earth science knowledge, disseminate ecological civilization concepts, and advocate the concept of resource conservation and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. It is an important component of the National Characteristic Science Popularization Base, mainly including three categories: science popularization venues, natural resources scenes, and scientific research. The Cuihuashan National Geopark has been selected as one of the natural resource scene science popularization bases.
Cuihuashan is located in the northern vein of the Qinling Mountains, 20 kilometers south of Xi’an City, with a total area of 32 km2. It is the core area of the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark, with a landslide geological relic area of 5.2 km2 and a total landslide accumulation of 300 million cubic meters, ranking first in China and third in the world. Due to the large scale, typical structure, complete types of landforms, and excellent preservation of geological and geomorphological relics in the landslides, it is known as the “Wonder of Chinese Landslides” and the “Museum of Chinese Landslides”.
In recent years, around the protection of geological relics and the prevention and geological disasters, Cuihuashan has carried out rich and diverse themed science popularization activities, promoting the concept of ecological civilization, and making contributions to improving the scientific literacy of the public on natural resources and enhancing public awareness of natural resources. The annual science popularization activities in the scenic area have attracted 700,000 participants and 450,000 visitors. It has successively won honorary titles such as Shaanxi Qinling Ecological Environment Protection Publicity and Education Base, the third batch of Shaanxi University and Primary and Secondary School Labor Education Practice Base, Shaanxi Youth Education Base, Shaanxi Civilized Tourism Demonstration Scenic Spot, Shaanxi Patriotic Army Support Unit, Xi’an Popular Science Demonstration Base, Xi’an Primary and Secondary School Labor Education Practice Base, Xi’an Service Industry Standardization Pilot Unit, Xi’an Talent Service Posthouse, Xi’an Level II Smart Scenic Spot, and Xi’an Safety Production exemplary organization.
According to the requirements of being selected as an educational science popularization base, Cuihuashan has carried out effective work in the following areas and has produced fruitful results:
One is to adhere to the popular science research and development philosophy of “emphasizing participation, process, and experience”. Adhere to the principles of “popularization, education, practice, and safety”, with landslide geological relics and landscapes as the core of science popularization, Cuihuashan scenic area designs and develops courses that are suitable for the public, especially for research tours and labor practices in primary, secondary, and tertiary schools, for example, a study tour course with the theme of “exploring the wonders of landslides and deciphering geological puzzles”, as well as practical courses such as a science popularization guide for Cuihuashan, “being a good guardian of the Qinling Mountains” – tree planting activity, outdoor survival challenge, volunteer service for collecting garbage in Qinling Mountains, outdoor safety education, and the course to carry out the spirit of patriotism in Cuihuashan + Chang’an - Zhashui Work Committee Memorial Hall, and with the core of science popularization routes such as barrier lakes and landslide relics, activities such as science popularization on campus, astronomical observation in Zhongnanshan, visiting the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geological Museum, experiencing intangible cultural heritage, joint exhibition of science popularization books in the global geoparks and science popularization knowledge quizzes.
The second is to design and develop rich and colorful popular science content. Design a complete system of outdoor science popularization routes, indoor science popularization scenes, and five boutique science popularization routes. The outdoor routes include typical geological relics such as landslides and cliffs, rockfall and rock seas (inverted rock piles), barrier lakes (Tianchi), and barrier dams. The indoor science popularization refers to the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark Museum and its virtual venue, which showcase the geology, geography, landforms, flora and fauna resources, folk customs, and the achievements of years of exploration of Qinling Mountains by geologists, and the museum has won the National Habitat Classic Architecture and Environment Double Gold Award and is open to the public for free. The scenic area carries out seasonal activities that highlight natural resources, such as hiking, mountaineering, summer vacation, red leaves, and ice and snow festivals. The scenic area carries out festive themed activities such as Arbor Day, World Earth Day, Science and Technology Week, and World Environment Day. The scenic area carries out promotional activities such as the science popularization video exhibition of “Qinling Mountain Building Movement and Cuihua Mountain Landslide”, 24-hour slow live broadcast of “Panoramic Cuihuashan”, Zhongnanshan Science Popularization Classroom, and online science popularization knowledge quiz. The scenic area carries out the science popularization volunteer service activity of “Understanding the Geology of Qinling Mountains and Protecting the Ecology of Qinling Mountains”, and builds a propaganda platform to publicizing the science popularization activities in schools, enterprises and communities. The scenic area also promotes science popularization activities online, including Weibo, WeChat, and other platforms, with an annual reading volume of over 300 million.
|
|
|
The third is to accelerate the cultivation of science popularization staff. To provide timely and effective services, science popularization trainings of different levels are conducted according to the needs of promoting, popularizing science, disaster prevention and reduction, and protecting the environment. At the same time, geological experts from universities such as Northwestern University were specially invited to explore the “full-time + professional” teaching mode and carry out science popularization training activities.
The fourth is the experience of intelligent and multi-dimensional science popularization. The website has opened a science popularization column, linked to the online museum of the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark, improved the voice guided system of geological relics, and created a digital light and shadow roaming geological space in the “Tiandong” of Cuihuashan scenic area. Cuihuashan launched the digital collection of “Taiyi Immortal Cultivation Record”, combining natural landscapes and unique cultural and geographical connotations with imagination and creativity. By applying digital technologies, a second space has been established for the popularization of science, which has achieved a dissemination volume of 1.3 million and pioneered the distribution of digital collections of mountainous scenic areas in Shaanxi.
The fifth is to exchange and develop multi-level science popularization cooperation. Cooperate with Shaanxi Normal University, Northwest University, Chang’an University and other universities to organize researches on the Cuihuashan Geological Science Popularization Project and the creation of science popularization books, and jointly explore innovative models of science popularization education. Cuihuashan has successively collaborated with the Institute of Geological Heritage Protection at Chang’an University to compile and publish popular science reading materials on “Geological Cuihuashan”, and compiled a series of “Cuihuashan Cultural Tourism” with the Zhongnan Society of Xi’an Translation University. A special exhibition titled “Magical Creation, Charming Geology” has been opened at the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark Museum, showcasing popular science reading materials from the global geoparks in China. With Cuihuashan geological popular science reading materials and landscape lithographs as the core, Cuihuashan has developed a series of Qinling gift products and won the Xi’an Tourism Commodity Excellent Organization Award. The micro video “Qinling Mountain Building Movement and Cuihuashan Landslide” won the second prize of Excellent Science Popularization Work in Shaanxi Province and the title of Excellent Micro Video in Shaanxi Natural Resources Science and Technology Week.
Protect geological relics, develop popular science education, and let the world discover the beauty of the Qinling Mountains. This national honor is a demonstration and witness of brand strength, as well as a responsibility and mission. It is also a powerful driving force for us to move forward bravely. The Cuihuashan Scenic Area of the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark will take the honor of being a “national brand” as an opportunity to promote the high-quality development of natural resource science popularization work in the new era, further enriching natural resource science popularization activities, strengthening the construction of natural resource science popularization bases, creating high-quality natural resource science popularization works, accelerating its intelligent progress, cultivating a team of natural resource science popularization talents, and improving the efficiency of related social services.
