Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark, China VR 360

China is rich in unique natural attractions, and among them the Dunhuang-Yardang National Geopark stands out. The nearest city, Dunhuang, is located 180 kilometers southeast of the park. The park's name is related to its landscape: a yardang is a special rock formation formed by wind. The word has Turkic roots and translates as “steep bank”. The term was introduced into scientific usage by the Swedish geographer and journalist Sven Anders Hedin in 1903, who filled in many white spots on the world map. During his first visit to the Lop Desert, he noticed tall and narrow parallel furrows on its surface. Later, his colleagues discovered yardangs in Central Asia, Arizona, and the Sahara; some even consider Egypt's Great Sphinx to be an enlarged yardang. Yardangs are also found on Mars, but most are concentrated in China. Yardang National Geopark has the largest number of these formations in the country, and they are now available for exploration on AirPano's new virtual tour.