Geodiversity, Geotourism, Geoconservation, and Sustainable Development in Longyan Aspiring Geopark (China)

Abstract

Longyan Aspiring Geopark is rich in geoheritage and contains scientific value for studying the Mesozoic tectonic evolution in Southeast China. The geopark is also notable for its aesthetic, cultural, and recreational value for tourism development. Since Longyan Aspiring Geopark was established in 2017, the area has been heavily studied, geoconservation and geotourism have begun to rapidly develop, and problems associated with these changes have emerged. This study characterizes some of Longyan Aspiring Geopark’s geoheritage, existing geoconservation, and geotourism that have launched. In addition, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) is conducted to examine various situations. To benefit the sustainable development of Longyan Aspiring Geopark, it is prudent to continue promoting geodiversity, geotourism, and geoconservation by establishing the geopark.

Introduction

The concepts of geodiversity, geoheritage, geoconservation, geotourism, and geoparks are closely related and have significantly evolved in the last decade. According to Zouros (2010), a geopark is designed to facilitate the exploration, development, and celebration of the links between geoheritage and all other aspects of the area’s natural, cultural, and intangible heritage.

Geoconservation and geotourism are expected to occur in all geoparks. Ruban (2017) considers geodiversity as either the number of geological heritage types or the qualitative characteristics of the unique geological environment, which can be used for the purposes of science, education, and tourism. Geotourism is a relatively new concept that has undergone rapid development over the past decades. It is defined as “a form of natural area tourism that specifically focuses on the landscape and geology” (Brilha 2016; Henriques and Brilha 2017). It promotes tourism of geoheritage, conservation of geodiversity, and understanding of earth sciences through appreciation and learning. This is achieved by independent visits to geosites, usage of geotrails and viewpoints, guided tours, geoactivities, and visitor centres (Dowling 2011). Geotourism has become a driver for geoconservation and a form of tourism with the potential to contribute to local economic sustainable development (Hose 2011). In fact, geotourism and geoparks are very good tools for both geoconservation and rural development, especially in vulnerable environments (Ólafsdóttir and Dowling 2014). Interest in geoheritage, as a component of natural heritage, has increased worldwide during recent decades and has triggered a deep reflection on geoconservation (Martini 1994; Sharples 2002; Gray 2018; Semeniuk 2019). To protect and promote this geoheritage, a large number of inventory and assessment methodologies have been developed (Panizza 2001; Coratza and Giusti 2005; Bruschi and Coratza 2018). Sustainable development is rooted in ideas about sustainable forest management, which was developed in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Keeble 1987). The sustainable development of the local economy is as important as geoheritage, which has global significance, when applying for UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp). The establishment of geoparks in China generates a sound opportunity to achieve heritage conservation while fostering the sustainable development of rural areas, as the resources are irreplaceable, and sustainable use is the only option for long-term utilization (Li and Jiang 2000; Tao et al. 2011; Zheng 2016; Han et al. 2018). By the end of July 2020, the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) was composed of 161 members across 41 countries, with 41 of those members from China. The development of geoparks has been highly valued in China since the early 1980s. Geoparks in China are categorized into four grades, i.e., global, national, provincial, and regional geoparks. A low-grade geopark can apply for a higher grade only when it has existed for more than 2 years. All 41 Chinese GGN members applied to be UNESCO Global Geoparks having first been Chinese National Geoparks. In this paper, the geodiversity of Longyan Aspiring Geopark is introduced and discussed, geoconservation and geotourism are analysed, and successful experiences are shared. The advantages and opportunities for sustainable development are described. The aim is to detail what a geopark can accomplish to promote sustainable development and to provide useful information for the future development of geoparks in China.

Background and Study Area

Longyan Aspiring Geopark is located in Longyan city in the western part of Fujian Province in southern China and covers an area of 2157 km² (Fig. 1a–b). Its geographical coordinates are eastern longitude 116°21′32″–117°04′00″, northern latitude 25°07′15″–25°47′50″.

Fig. 1.

Location of Longyan Aspiring Geopark and geosites distribution. a Location of Fujian Province in China; b location of the Longyan Aspiring Geopark area in Fujian Province (purple area); c location of the geosites in Longyan Aspiring Geopark

In terms of physical geography, Longyan Aspiring Geopark is situated in the Daimao Mountain Range and in the regions to its west and east. The terrain is generally higher in the east and lower in the west. There are more than 70 peaks over 1000 m in the aspiring geopark, the highest being Gouzinao Peak of Mt. Meihuashan, with an elevation of 1811 m. The Danxia landforms are distributed in the low hilly regions of the Liancheng basin and are obviously controlled by structure and lithology. Karst landforms are distributed in the middle to low hilly regions of Laiyuan Township in Liancheng County. Granitic spherical weathered landforms are distributed throughout Mt. Meihuashan, which is the main mountain in the Daimao Mountain Range and has an average elevation of 900 m above sea level. Mt. Zijinshan is situated in a relatively independent mid-level mountainous region between the southern part of the Wuyi Mountain Range and the southern part of the Daimao Mountain Range, and it is surrounded by valleys and intermontane basins. Sandstone landforms are situated in the mid–low Huanglianyu Mountain area, whose main peak is Mt. Yandingshan, which has an elevation of 1807 m above sea level, making it the second-highest peak in western Fujian.

Regarding geology, the aspiring geopark is located on the southeastern margin of the South China plate and in the central–northern section of the Southwestern Fujian depression zone in the Cathaysian block. It has abundant geoheritage resources and contains a complete geological record of the evolutionary history of tectono-magmatic metallogenesis associated with the assemblage of the multiple continents of southern China and the subduction of Paleo-Pacific plates, making it a key region to study the tectonic evolution of southern China.

To facilitate the establishment of a global geopark, the Longyan municipal government has formed a management committee chaired by the Longyan city mayor. The committee will come under the jurisdiction of the municipal government and establish a Longyan Geopark Conservation and Development Centre, which will oversee the further construction and management of Longyan Geopark. The Centre comprises a General Management Division, a Planning and Protection Division, a Scientific Publicity Division, and an Economic Development Division (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.

Longyan Geopark organizational structure

Geodiversity

Longyan Aspiring Geopark has abundant types of geoheritage that feature distinct characteristics. The geopark recorded South China’s transformation process from the Indosinian intracontinental orogenic tectonic system to the subduction tectonic system of the ancient Pacific plate during the Mesozoic. Hence, it is a key area for studying the Mesozoic tectonic evolution in Southeast China. The strata include those from the Sinian and Quaternary and were also affected by the subduction of the Pacific plate. They form a series of geoheritage based on various types of rocks.

There are many geosites in Longyan Aspiring Geopark, such as the Late Devonian Tianwadong Formation (D₃t), which represents stratigraphic vestiges, the Danxia landforms, which represent landform landscape relics, the Meihuashan Granitic Complex, which represents tectonic vestiges, and the rare Zijinshan Copper–Gold deposit heritage. Furthermore, the water bodies in the area include lakes, hot springs, and waterfalls. There are 52 representative geosites (Fig. 1c). In terms of specific functions, there are 32 geosites with scientific value, 52 geosites with science popularization and education value, and 39 geosites with aesthetic value. In terms of scientific value, there are 4 geosites with global value, 14 with national value, and 34 geosites with regional value (Table 1) (Jia et al. 2022). The geosites of global significance within Longyan Aspiring Geopark include the Meihuashan Granitic Complex, the Zijinshan Copper–Gold Deposit, Danxia Peak Cluster — “Ten-Mile Gallery,” and Guanzhaishan Rock Wall Cluster. According to the Geological and Mineral Industry Standard of the People’s Republic of China (DZ/T 0303–2017) and the Regulations for Geoheritage Investigation, the Longyan Aspiring Geopark geoheritage abounds with well-geological section, geological structure, paleontological fossils, important rocks (minerals), geomorphological landscape, and hydrogeological landscape, which are shown in Table 1. Typical geosites are as follows.

Table 1.

List and evaluation of geosites in Longyan Aspiring Geopark

Types	Geosites	Geoheritage significance			Overall significance	No
		Scientific	Educational	Aesthetic
Geological section	Late Devonian Tianwadong Formation (D3t), Taozikeng Formation (D3tz) Stratotype Section	√	√		Regional	18
	Late Cretaceous Shaxian Formation (K2s), Chong’an Formation (K2c) Stratigraphic Section	√	√		Regional	23
	Meihuashan Granitic Complex	√	√		Global	25
	Nanshanding Late Jurassic Nanyuan Formation Volcanic Rock	√	√	√	National	28
Geological structure	Shanghang–Liancheng Northeast Fault	√	√		Regional	29
	Shanghang–Yunxiao Northwest Fault	√	√		Regional	30
	Guanzhaishan Chessboard-style Joints and Fractures	√	√		Regional	31
Paleontological fossils	Laiyuan Xia Village Fossils of Fusulinida, Tiny Chonetes, and Fenestella	√	√		Regional	32
	Guanzhaishan Shaxian Formation Plant Fossils	√	√		Regional	33
Important rocks (minerals)	Zijinshan Copper–Gold Deposit	√	√		Global	15
	Zijinshan Open-Pit Mine	√	√	√	National	34
Geomorphological landscape	Meihuashan Gouzinao Mountain–Spheroidal Stone Landform	√	√	√	National	10
	Miaojinshan Mountain–Spheroidal Stone Landform	√	√		National	11
	Shuangjishan Granitic Peak Cluster Landform	√	√		Regional	21
	Danxia Peak Cluster– “Ten-Mile Gallery”	√	√	√	Global	35
	Guanzhaishan Rock Wall Cluster (including 6 outcrops)	√	√	√	Global	3
	Danxia Cliff–Fengshou Cliff	√	√	√	National	36
	Danxia Cliff–Ying Rock	√	√	√	Regional	37
	Danxia Rock Pillar–Shengmingzhigen		√	√	Regional	2
	Danxia Rock Pillar–Lovers Rock		√	√	Regional	38
	Danxia Narrow Gorge–Xiantao Valley	√	√	√	National	39
	Danxia Narrow Gorge–Guanglang Secluded Valley	√	√	√	National	40
	Danxia Ravine–Sandie Valley		√	√	Regional	41
	Danxia Narrow Gorge–Wenjiaxiang		√	√	Regional	42
	Danxia Canyon–Songtao Gorge	√	√	√	National	43
	Danxia Canyon–Zhizhu (Spider) Gorge		√	√	Regional	44
	Danxia Hole–Xianren Bridge		√	√	Regional	45
	Danxia Horizontal Rock Groove–Huya Rock Groove		√	√	Regional	46
	Cuesta Cluster–Huanglianyu Main Peak	√	√	√	National	47
	Peak Cluster– “Sleeping Beauty”		√	√	Regional	20
	Cliff–1000-m Screen Cliff		√	√	Regional	14
	Cliff–Huanglianyu Precipice	√	√	√	National	12
	Valley–Wuxingxi Valley		√	√	Regional	17
	Valley–Jiangshan Valley	√	√	√	National	13
	Guanzhaishan 4 Grades of Planation Surfaces	√	√		National	48
	Karst Cave–Youqin Karst Cave	√	√	√	National	26
	Karst Cave–Xianyun Karst Cave	√	√	√	Regional	6
	Nanshanding Caldera	√	√	√	National	27
	Nanshanding Peak Cluster Cliff		√	√	Regional	7
Hydrogeological landscape	Fuzhu Creek Bedrock Riverbed		√	√	Regional	49
	Qingshikeng Bedrock Riverbed		√	√	Regional	50
	Tianyi Hot Spring	√	√	√	Regional	24
	Shangbao Hot Spring	√	√		Regional	51
	Meihuahu Lake		√	√	Regional	16
	Shimenhu Lake		√	√	Regional	24
	Jiulonghu Lake		√	√	Regional	4
	Liaotianshan Marsh	√	√	√	Regional	22
	Huanglianyu Middle Mountain Meadow	√	√	√	Regional	1
	Zhuguanxi Creek		√	√	Regional	8
	Fuxi Creek		√	√	Regional	52
	Qixiannü Waterfall Group		√	√	Regional	9
	Longjing Waterfall		√	√	Regional	19

Geological Section

Regional Typical Section

The Late Cretaceous sedimentary outcrop in the Liancheng basin is rather complete (Liang 2011) and consists of both the Jiele–Liwu Shaxian Formation (K₂s) (Fig. 3a) and the Chong’an Formation (K₂c) stratigraphic sections. Both sections exhibit layers of distinct lithological characteristics and a clear connection between the top and the bottom, thus, both sections are representative of the region. The Guanzhaishan Danxia landform is composed of purple‒red thick massive conglomerate rocks and granulite of the Chong’an Formation. Hence, it is an important site for studying monocline Danxia landforms. Furthermore, it is of extremely high value for studying structural geology.

Fig. 3.

a Late Cretaceous Shaxian Formation (K₂s); b fault; c joints

Rock (Body)

Mt. Meihuashan lies in the subtropical zone, where the climate is hot and humid, with an average altitude of 900 m above sea level. The Gouzinao peak is the highest peak of Mt. Meihuashan as well as in western Fujian, with an altitude of 1811 m above sea level. Joints and fissures developed in the granite. Due to weathering, water erosion and gravity collapse, granitic mountains, stone castles, rock pillars, spherical stones, and pictographic microlandforms were formed. In particular, granitic mountains and spheroidal stones are the most characteristic of this region. The Meihuashan granitic complex is situated in the intersection between the granite belts of the E–W Nanling and the NE coast in southern China, with an exposed outcrop surface area of more than 1000 km². It consists of multistage granites from the Paleozoic Era and the Triassic, Late Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. The formation of these rocks spanned approximately 300 million years (430–95 Ma) (Table 2). The granite types range from gneissic granite, monzogranite containing K-feldspar megacrysts, syenogranite, and granodiorite to miarolitic alkaline feldspar granite. Thus, the Meihuashan granitic complex has great scientific value for studying the microcosm and typical representatives of multistage granites in southern China (Mao et al. 2001).

Table 2.

Types and classification overview of the Meihuashan Granitic Complex

Tectonic–magmatic period	Geologic epoch	Name of rock	Isotopic dating (Ma)	Distribution
Late Yanshanian	Late Cretaceous	Light Red Miarolitic Alkali Feldspar Granite	99	Tianzidi
	Early Cretaceous	Porphyritic Moyite	145	Tiger Park, Senkeng, Gouzinao
Early Yanshanian	Late Jurassic	Porphyritic Moyite	159	Zhuguan, Quxi
		Porphyritic Granodiorite	160	Gutian
Indosinian	Mid-Triassic	Adamellite Containing K-feldspar Megacrysts	220	Chinese Yew Park, Luosheng, Gutian Forest Peak
		Weakly Deformed Adamellite Containing K-feldspar Phenocrysts	240	Gutian Heche
Caledonian	Silurian	Gneissic Granite	430	Buyun
		Mylonitized Granite	430	Buyun

Geological Structure

Fault

Influenced by the Yanshan movement, a fault dipping 315° developed southeast of the geopark. The Zijinshan copper–gold deposit is located northwest of the fault and has been affected by volcanic–magmatic activity (Fig. 3b).

Joints

Split at the edge, this giant rock is cleaved open by joints formed by tectonic activity. The cleavages in this rock appear very similar to cuts made by a knife or hatchet. The joints are related to the formation of many geomorphologic landscapes (Fig. 3c).

Important Rocks (Minerals)

The Zijinshan copper–gold deposit (Fig. 4a) is the first typical sulfur-rich epithermal deposit discovered in the Pacific Volcanic–Magmatic Belt in China. A ring-shaped volcanic–subvolcanic intrusion of Late Cretaceous age is present in the centre of the deposit. This intrusion is 700 m in diameter and is composed of dacite porphyry and volcanic cryptoexplosion breccia, which is closely related to the formation of the copper–gold deposit (Mao et al. 2001). The deposit was formed in a complex geological context when multiple stages of large-scale tectono-magmatic events occurred in southern China during the late Mesozoic. It also reflects the extensional tectonics of the late Yanshan (Cretaceous) lithosphere (Jiang et al. 2017; So et al. 1998). The Zijinshan Cu–Au mine is renowned as China’s top gold mine for the highest gold production, the largest mining scale, and the lowest cost for recovering a unit amount of ore. Its unique metallogenic model has provided important guidance for efforts of domestic and foreign Cu–Au deposit explorations. Studies have shown that the Zijinshan deposit is the best representative of the metallogenesis of the epithermal Cu–Au deposit in an extensional tectonic environment. Its mining landscape attractions mainly include modern exploratory tunnelling, steep slope mining in open pits, high-altitude chute mining, heap leaching–charcoal-in-leach mining, and engineering projects to restore environments damaged by mining.

Fig. 4.

Geosites in Longyan Aspiring Geopark. a “Tiankeng” — open pit of the Zijinshan copper–gold deposit; b rock wall — Tianqiang; c Guanzhaishan Peak Cluster; d Danxia Rock Pillar — Shengmingzhigen; e Danxia Rock Walls; f Jiangshan Valley

Geomorphological Landscape

Danxia Landforms

In the Late Cretaceous, the forward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate changed to retreat subduction, giving rise to a long-term extensional stress regime in southern China (Liang 2011). At that time, volcanic activity occurred along the coast of southern China, and the uplifting of the continental crust formed a surrounding mountain range, which turned a large region of southern China into semidesert land with a hot and dry climate. Under this tectonic setting and the influence of the climate, the Liancheng rift basin formed and deposited a super-thick, coarse clastic, sedimentary red bed of the Late Cretaceous Chong’an Formation (Zhu et al. 2000). Afterwards, due to tectonic uplift and various exogenous forces, positive landforms, such as peak clusters, peak walls, rock walls, stone castles, and rock pillars, as well as negative landforms, e.g., the Danxia ravines, narrow gorges, and canyons (Fig. 4b–e), are typical. Among these landscapes, “Tianqiang(Jiangshan Valley)” (Fig. 4f) and “Ten-Mile Gallery” (Fig. 5a) are the most spectacular.

Fig. 5.

The geosites in Longyan Aspiring Geopark. a Guanzhaishan “Ten-Mile Gallery”; b 4 grades of planation surfaces in Guanzhaishan; c Jiulonghu Lake; d Tianyi Hot Spring; e You Da Long; f Peitian Ancient Village

Volcanic Landforms

The rhyolitic volcanic rock and pyroclastic rock distributed near the Laiyuan Nanshanding caldera are important components of the Late Jurassic (~ 155 Ma) Nanyuan Formation. They were generated when the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate under the southeastern Chinese continent initiated. These rocks are not widely distributed in southern China and are found only in Fujian Province. As the caldera of Laiyuan Nanshanding is well preserved and a typical representative of such geological features, it bears important scientific significance and value for studies of the initial processes, tectonic evolution, origins, migration, storage, and eruption of the acidic magma in the subduction zone and of the formation and evolution of calderas during the convergence of the Paleo-Pacific plate to the South China plate (Feng 1984).

Tectonic Landforms

The Guanzhaishan Danxia landforms show great variations. In different areas, canyons and gorges display different landform combinations, with 4 grades of ancient planar surfaces of clearly distinguishable elevation bands in the intervals of 680–650 m, 580–520 m, 480–450 m, and 420–380 m (Fig. 5b). These surfaces systematically demonstrate the evolutionary processes of the young, adolescent, mature, and old stages of the Danxia landforms under both internal and external influences of geological processes, making them typical examples for investigating and reconstructing the evolutionary processes of the Danxia landforms.

Hydrogeological Landscape

High and erect peaks and towering stones surround the bank of Jiulonghu Lake, where red cliffs are reflected in the clear water, forming the beautiful and picturesque “Water Danxia” (Fig. 5c). The Tianyi Hot Spring, covering an area of 5023 m², is situated in an anomalous geothermal region of intrusive rocks, which are exposed in the southern section of the large Laifang–Miaoqian fault. It has now become a comprehensive hot spring tourist attraction, combining eco-tourism, vacationing, and hot spring bathing activities (Fig. 5d).

Culture

You Da Long

This festival was established in the Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years. The purpose of this festival is to pray for good weather that is ideal for crops. From the 14th to the 16th day of the first lunar month of every year, the villagers hold a dragon boat race. The longest dragon boat in history was more than 1000 m long, setting the Guinness World Record. Today, You Da Long is listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritage sites in China (Fig. 5e).

Hakka Ancient Architecture

The Hakka architecture was first built during the Tang and Song Dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. An ancient village is one of the typical representatives of this architecture (Fig. 5f). It has a large scale and various forms. Today, it still has a high aesthetic value and cultural connotations.

SWOT Analysis

Here, SWOT analysis (Chen 1995; Helms and Nixon 2010; Dony 2017) was applied to the inventory, aiming to assess the strengths and weaknesses (internal active factors), opportunities, and threats (external objective factors) of heritage resources within the geopark territory (Table 3).

Table 3.

SWOT analysis for evaluating heritage resources in Longyan Aspiring Geopark

SWOT	Remark
Strengths	High scientific, education, and aesthetic value
	International geological significance
	High geodiversity
	High cultural value
	Well-equipped infrastructure
	High accessibility
Weaknesses	Overlapping management
	Weak links between the local residents and the aspiring geopark
	The interpretation system is not scientific
	Lack of promotion
Opportunities	Good public accessibility
	Services to support geotourism
Threats	Lack of awareness of geoconservation
	Drastic competition between similar scenic spots

Strengths

Longyan Aspiring Geopark has set up a well-developed infrastructure system with the management of the national-level geopark’s framework since 2017, and various measures have been taken to conserve the resources in the geopark, including abiotic (rock, soil, and air) and biotic (fauna and flora) features, and culture, custom, and folklore. Usually, domestic and overseas teams of experts are welcome to carry out scientific surveys and conduct work on the geosites around the geopark. The geopark is located only 25 km from the nearest airport and railway station. Four highways and eight provincial roads pass by the geopark, thus providing convenient transportation and high accessibility. As for an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark, Longyan has devised a series of solutions to protect the geosites. Educational programs are successfully functioning. Local schools have started performing classroom activities in the geopark. The geopark has begun cooperating with colleges and universities. Representatives of Longyan Geopark have taken part in various activities and attended many international meetings.

Weaknesses

Due to overlapping management from multiple departments, the plan of Longyan Aspiring Geopark has been executed poorly. Hence, there are no routine cultivating curriculums available for the guides. The text and phrasing on the panels is frequently specialized, and the information is not easy for the public to understand and receive. The interpretation system is not scientific, and explanations of geological phenomena still include many references to myths and legends. Due to the lack of a devoted marketing strategy, the linkages between geopark and local commerce are weak. In addition, some local agricultural products, or gourmets, still have not been affiliated with the Longyan Aspiring Geopark label in their partnerships, thus, the brand effect of the global geopark fails. Finally, due to the weak links between the local residents and the aspiring geopark, community residents have not yet understood and realized the concept of geopark and the value of geoheritage and still have poor recognition and consciousness regarding conservation.

Opportunities

Presently, China is vigorously promoting the development of the “All-for-One Tourism” and the construction of the “Belt and Road” economic belt. Favourable policies and economic environments have created historical opportunities for the promotion of tourism in Longyan Aspiring Geopark. A convenient transportation network has been constructed to meet the tourism needs in the Longyan Aspiring Geopark area, similar to the shuttle bus. To provide convenience for the public living within the aspiring geopark, annual passes have been issued.

Threats

This area is not well known outside of Fujian Province compared with Taining UGGp and Ningde UGGp; therefore, the number of tourists is relatively small. With increasing tourism, environmental problems have become increasingly outstanding, such as rubbish dumps and vandalism everywhere and at all times of the day or night. Many uncontrolled and unplanned settlements have been built by short-term profiteers, ignoring long-term benefits. For the sake of satisfying the needs of a diversified market, Longyan Aspiring Geopark is forced to improve its service.

Sustainable Development

To promote the sustainable development of the region, the aspiring geopark has enacted the “Overall Plan for Longyan Geopark,” forming policies to regulate activities such as the development of geotourism, the conservation of cultural heritage, the transmission of intangible cultural heritage to the next generation, and ecological environmental conservation.

Geoparks are focused on sustainable development and stimulate economic activity through geotourism (Uroš and Aleksandra 2018). To promote the development of geotourism, the geopark has launched research and popular science programs, designed different geotourism visitor trails targeted at different tourist groups, and compiled tour guide handbooks and publicity leaflets. The geopark also advertises itself through the internet and traditional media to increase public awareness of the geopark, attract domestic and foreign tourists to the area, and thus promote the sustainable development of the regional economy.

In regard to the conservation of traditional villages, the geopark participates in discussions with experts from the relevant government departments to enact plans for conservation and development and incorporates the requirements of these plans into formal village regulations and informal agreements with the villagers to encourage democratic participation, management, policy-making, and supervision. Great emphasis is placed upon the inheritance and transmission of intangible cultural heritage. The relevant departments actively promote the comprehensive conservation efforts of intangible cultural heritage through training representative heirs of these heritage practices, the compilation and publishing of dedicated works on these intangible cultural heritage sites, the organization of cultural performances, and the investment of dedicated cultural conservation funds.

The geopark also regulates the development of the agriculture and forestry industries, strengthens crop cultivation and animal husbandry within the territory, and creates agricultural products that are unique to the area, such as sweet potatoes, Baiwu duck, and orchids, thus improving living standards for the local residents.

Longyan Aspiring Geopark also promotes ecological environment conservation efforts, limits the number of visitors, meticulously examines projects to be carried out in the geopark before approval, uses only electric sightseeing vehicles in the geopark to reduce carbon emissions, strengthens the management of sanitation and waste collection in the communities, towns, and townships within the geopark, and implements a series of projects to restore lands for farms, fruit orchards, and tea plantations.

Only in this way can Longyan Aspiring Geopark integrate social resources, fully stimulate residents’ motivation by arousing public concern and participation, stimulate local employment, promote sustainable development, and eventually attract tourists.

Geoconservation

Geoparks are areas that provide integrated conservation and sustainable development of geoheritage. Necessary protection measures have already been implemented in the geopark, especially for geosites with global significance (Han et al. 2018). For example, managers have established a dedicated geosites protection supervision station that works together with the local police stations in Guanzhaishan, Meihuashan, and Zijinshan to protect the various resources within the geopark. Managers allow specimen collection in specified areas under CCTV monitoring and have established a geosite early warning and monitoring system in Guanzhaishan (Fig. 6a).

Fig. 6.

Geoconservation action and educational programs for Longyan Aspiring Geopark. a Geosites monitoring system in Guanzhaishan; b data centre of tourism in Longyan Aspiring Geopark; c beautiful Earth Day publicity activities on the 22nd of April; d geopark popular science programs on campus

The geosites are classified into core protected areas: first-grade protection areas, second-grade protection areas, and third-grade protection areas. In these areas, visitors are not allowed to enter the geopark, and only those visiting for geoconservation and scientific research can enter the geopark with the approval of the geopark management department. No building facilities unrelated to the protection of geosites should be set up within the core protected areas. For special, rare, precious, vulnerable scenic spots, to provide first-grade protection, with a small area blocked, necessary walking roads may be arranged for the first-grade protection areas, but they must be coordinated with the landscape environment, and human-made destruction of geosites within the areas is prohibited. The secondary and three-grade protection areas should be reasonably controlled to constrain the number of tourists, and a small or an appropriate amount of geographical tourism service facilities can be established, but they should be coordinated with the landscape environment, and any buildings should be highly restricted.

Geotourism

Geoparks are concerned with sustainable development and stimulate economic activity through geotourism. Geotourism promotion often combines the good quality of infrastructure and interactive interpretation as the appropriate forms of local economic development through community involvement (Farsani et al. 2011; Margiotta and Sansò 2014). Geoparks are pioneers in the development of geotourism. They stimulate socioeconomic activities and sustainable development by attracting an increasing number of visitors (Farsani et al. 2011). In 2016, Longyan Aspiring Geopark attracted 30.59 million visitors, and the total annual tourism revenue was 25.342 billion yuan. Figure 7 illustrates the significant increase in tourists that has occurred in this geopark from 2016 to 2019, as the income from community tourism has increased annually. However, this income declined in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. In 2019, this geopark experienced rapid growth after being recommended as an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark by the Ministry of Land and Resources, this geopark can thus provide a great opportunity to benefit local communities.

Fig. 7.

Number of visitors and tourism income of Longyan Aspiring Geopark from 2016 to 2020. Data source: the people’s government of Longyan

Longyan Aspiring Geopark has adopted many measures to promote geotourism, prioritize sustainable tourism programs, and vigorously promote the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism to allow more people to share in the benefits of the development of the tourism industry. The geopark has authorized corporations to develop products for the geopark, such as mineral water, dried sweet potato slices, and orchids, all of which are representative of the geopark and its surrounding areas. The geopark has also established a data centre for tourism that has the function of collecting traffic, weather, public security, and passenger flow information (Fig. 6b). In addition, Longyan Aspiring Geopark has conducted geotourism advertising on its website and other dedicated tourism websites to mobilize the forces of society, promote geotourism, and encourage more people to participate in and support the establishment of a Global Geopark.

Educational Programs

A geopark is responsible for popularizing geoscience and related knowledge. Longyan Aspiring Geopark has developed educational plans in the near-, medium-, and long-term, offering geoscience and environmental education to the public and visitors (Manuel and Enrique 2017; Mariotto and Venturini 2017; Zangmo et al. 2017), such as various training programs for management personnel (according to job requirements), tour guides, students, and volunteers (Table 4).

Table 4.

Various training activities

Targeted trainee	Mode of training	Aim
Geopark management personnel	Experts will be engaged to conduct lessons or direct employees to participate in global geopark training programs conducted by the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, the Global Geopark Network, and China University of Geosciences (Beijing)	To better understand the geopark and improve management practices
Tour guides	In combination with the annual tour guide inspections, experts shall be engaged to train all of the guides. Guides will also participate in geopark training programs jointly organized by the Tourism Administrative Department and China University of Geosciences	To learn from one another’s experiences and continuously enhance tour guide knowledge
Students and volunteers	Students and volunteers will receive educational tours of museums, themed activities within the geopark, organization of essay and painting competitions, etc	To teach the Earth science aspects and concepts of a geopark

Local education and environmental protection educational activities should be launched via organizing tours for the local residents in the geopark area and publicizing the philosophy of the geopark. In 2019, Longyan Aspiring Geopark held the 22nd of April Beautiful Earth publicity activities in the town square, and six posters featuring characteristics of Longyan Aspiring Geopark attracted large numbers of residents and expanded the geopark’s brand (Fig. 6c). Otherwise, geological experts should be invited to give talks on geological landforms, geosites, and environmental conservation to the students of the elementary, middle, and high schools in the area, activities should be organized to allow youths to participate in geological surveys of the geopark, and geopark schools should be jointly built, such as Buyun Zhongxin Elementary School (Fig. 6d) and the Middle/High School affiliated with Zijin Mining College.

The geopark has established a teaching and research base together with the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, concluded cooperation agreements to establish research bases with the Shenzhen Geological Bureau and the Fujian Institute of Geological Survey, and will establish a production, teaching, research base together with Longyan University. The geopark has also organized annual summer camps and environmental conservation educational activities together with the local education bureaus. In July and August of each year, faculty and students of institutions of higher learning, such as Xiamen University and Longyan College, are invited to Guanzhai Mountain for geopark science popularization activities. Practical research and educational activities are also carried out in Meihua Mountain’s “forest schools.”

Conclusion

This paper has laid a foundation for the development of geotourism by analysing and describing the geodiversity in Longyan Aspiring Geopark, and SWOT analysis confirms the possibility of the sustainable development of Longyan Aspiring Geopark. Ideally, the adoption and utilization of geosites protection and the tailoring of scientific popularization activities for a targeted audience in Longyan Aspiring Geopark can be used as a reference and model for other geoparks.

With the development of geotourism in recent years, although most have improved knowledge, some local residents are not sufficiently aware of the need for the protection of geosites. Thus, we must find a better way to communicate this message. Therefore, measures of geosites protection should be strengthened, and the effect of protecting geosites should be improved by the construction of protection projects, adding prompt slogans, strengthening the popularization of science, and establishing protection systems. The interpretation system of geoparks is designed to convey to visitors the scientific significance of geoheritage. At present, the problem with the commentary system in the geopark is that the commentary content is overly professional and few tourists may understand. Second, the content on scenic spot explanation boards includes pictures and text in a static form. The content is professional, the form is singular, and it is not convenient to improve the quality of science popularization for tourists. Thus, we need to find a better way to promote our educational programs. The ultimate aim of global geoparks is to provide new opportunities for the development of the local economy and to benefit the local people. At present, we are considering referring to the foreign geoparks’ council system and preparing regulations and rules. The establishment of this system can provide a reference for China’s geoparks.

Overall, Longyan Aspiring Geopark needs to make a strong effort to become a member of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network.

Declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.