On June 19th, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Global Geopark, welcome the 40th anniversary of the establishment of tourism geology, and vigorously promote geoscience tourism and geoscience popularization, the Geoscience Popularization Seminar of the Tourism Geology and Geopark Research Branch of the Chinese Geological Society was held in Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark in Xi’an, which was sponsored by the Chinese Geological Society, the Office of the National Geopark Network Center, the Xi’an Natural Resources and Planning Bureau, and the Xi’an Tourism Group. The seminar was organized by the Tourism Geology and Geopark Research Branch of the Chinese Geological Society, the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark Management Office and its Cuihuashan Scenic Area. For the first time, “Geoscience Popularization” was included as a discussion topic in this annual geoscience conference, attracting nearly a hundred representatives from national geoparks, research institutes, and related universities to gather together to discuss the development of geoscience popularization. Zhang Guowei, academician of the CAS Member, Zheng Yuan, secretary-general of the Tourism Geology and Geopark Research Branch of the Chinese Geological Society, senior appraiser of the global geoparks, and Tian Mingzhong, an expert on geoparks, attended the meeting.
The theme of this seminar is “Dissemination and Enhancement of Geoscience Popularization”. It focuses on talent cultivation, scientific research, cultural innovation, international exchange, public education, and other aspects of geoscience tourism and geoscience popularization. Geoscience popularization helps the public understand and recognize the scientific value of geoparks, and guides the public to assist in the protection and development of geoparks.
At the opening ceremony, Lu Fei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Xi’an Tourism Group, delivered a welcome speech; Wu Zhenhan, Chairman of the Tourism Geology and Geopark Research Branch of the Chinese Geological Society, sent a written congratulatory letter; and Wang Chuang, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Xi’an Natural Resources and Planning Bureau, delivered a speech.
At the seminar, keynote speeches, such as “Qinling Orogenic Belt and Tourism”, “Twenty Years of Global Geoparks”, “Protecting Geological Relics and Developing Science Popularization Education to Discover the Beauty of Qinling Mountains”, “Let Scientific Research and Science Popularization Develop Together”, “Geoscience Popularization Tour”, “The Integrated Development of Ecological Restoration and Geoparks”, “Geoscience Popularization: Sharing and Appreciating by Hong Kong”, were given by experts like Academician Zhang Guowei, sharing new directions and contents of geoscience popularization development, strengthening communication and learning.
On June 20th, the attending representatives visited the Cuihuashan Scenic Area of Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark and the Qinling Zhongnanshan Global Geopark Museum for science popularization field practice, and conducted on-site inspections of the geological disaster relics of water and rock flow, the Cuihuashan collapse stone sea, and the Qinling barrier lake Tianchi.
Make Qinling Zhongnanshan go global and let the world know Qinling Zhongnashan. In the future, the Cuihuashan Scenic Area will further enhance the social service efficiency of the geoscience popularization, deliver the scientific, aesthetic, and cultural values of the geopark to the public, tell the story of the Qinling Mountains well, serve the public, and make new and greater contributions to promoting the high-quality development of geoscience popularization in the new era.
