Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Grey mountains at setting sun

These "dark stones" appear in a rather peculiar manner, seemingly out of place in the surrounding environment, hence earning them the title of exotic planet on the plateau. In reality, they are fractured granite resulting from the cessation of crustal movement, undergoing fragmentation and weathering due to compression, thus forming a unique geological structure known as mylonite. Similar mylonite stone forests have not been reported domestically or internationally, making them extremely rare worldwide. Consequently, experts have acclaimed them as the "Chinese geological Bermuda Triangle."

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: China
Camera: ILCE-9
Copyright: © Ming Liu