Unraveling the depths

Jean Bottazzi's lifelong quest in Guizhou's caverns
2024-05-10 14:28:32Source: China DailyBy Yang Jun, Li Hezi
A view of the Shier Beihou scenic area. Photo / China Daily
 
Clad in mud-caked shoes and equally dirtied clothes and carrying a small cloth bag, French cave explorer Jean Bottazzi navigates the winding caverns deep within Suiyang county's mountains in Southwest China's Guizhou province with ease. His journey to Guizhou is fueled by a passion for caves that borders on obsession, as reported by Guizhou Radio TV Station.

Discussing the allure of cave exploration, Jean likens it to playing chess, not to capture the king but to"find it"in uncharted territories. "Cave exploration starts with imagination—pondering the cave's location, the mountain it's in, its entrance, and its exit. Then comes action: physically exploring and immersing oneself in the cave. Our role is to document and measure, paving the way for future explorations, "he explains.

Born into a family of cave explorers in 1962, Jean joined the French Federation of Speleology at 16 and dedicated his life to exploring caves. His passion and commitment have earned him international recognition and the position of vice-president of the federation. This same passion draws him to Guizhou.
In 1986, at the invitation of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences(IGCAGS), Jean and a team of five began their cave explorations in Guizhou, marking the start of his annual visits to China ever since.

Guizhou is a prime area for karst development, making it rich in cave resources. Along with Chinese and international experts, Jean has conducted nearly 20 joint scientific explorations in Shuanghe Cave in the Shier Beihou scenic area, establishing it as Asia's longest cave.

Shuanghe Cave, hailed as a"natural karst cave museum", is China's largest karst cave group and the world's longest dolomite cave and largest celestine cave.
To date, the cave extends over 409. 90 kilometers and reaches a depth of 912 meters. Explorations have uncovered fossils of ancient vertebrates, including giant pandas and bears, highlighting the site's paleontological value.

Today, the complex cave systems in Suiyang are no longer seen only by Jean and his team. More and more cave resources have been developed, becoming mysterious tourist attractions.
The underground fissure at the Shier Beihou scenic area. [Photo provided to China Daily]
 
Liu Dezhang, executive president of Guizhou Shier Beihou Tourism Development, explains, "Traditional cave development involves building walkways and installing lighting for tourists to sightsee the geological landscapes. However, the Shuanghe Cave scenic area has innovated cave tourism by developing outdoor sports events tailored to the features of different cave branches. For instance, in Yinhe Dong(Galaxy Cave), with its huge vertical shafts, we developed activities like abseiling and ziplining. There are no built walkways or lighting inside the cave;tourists wear custom clothing and equipment provided by us, and under the guidance of instructors, they enter the pristine caves for abseiling and exploration. The whole process is novel and exciting, especially popular among young people, outdoor enthusiasts and children. "

In today's diverse and personalized tourism era, the quest for exciting and unique experiences is driving mainstream tourist demand. As a result, caves that have lain dormant for millions of years are being awakened, and a variety of niche yet highly engaging cave experiences are stimulating the public's adrenaline. The Shuanghe Cave scenic area is at the forefront, innovating with its"Cave+"tourism model to introduce new adventures.

As the Suiyang Integrated Media Center reported, Luo Jianjun, general manager of the Shuanghe Cave scenic area, shared, "In summer, we've leveraged'Cave+Music'to enhance cave tourism, attracting visitors from afar. In winter, we pivot to cave tours and outdoor adventures, drawing winter camp study groups for educational and outdoor experiences, thus fully leveraging our cave tourism potential. "
Camping in one of the caves at the Shier Beihou scenic area. [Photo provided to China Daily]
 
The annual Guizhou Cave Music Week, themed"Colorful Guizhou: Unique Cave Sounds"and launched for the first time last year, will return on May 1, with free concert tickets available. According to Eyesnews under Guizhou Daily, over 20 renowned singers, along with music groups and performers from the Guizhou Song and Dance Theatre, will gather at the Shier Beihou scenic area during the music week. They will present a series of top-notch audiovisual feasts, including a concert featuring Grand Songs of the Dong ethnic group and Flying Songs of the Miao people, and a symphony concert that showcases the vitality of the cave over millions of years through the"reverberation".
The concert held at the Shier Beihou scenic area last year. [Photo provided to China Daily]
 
From April 11 to 12, the 18th Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Conference was held in Xingyi in the province's Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Themed"Promoting Deep Integration of Culture and Tourism and Building a World-class Tourist Destination", the event once again spotlighted Guizhou's rich cultural and tourism attractions on a global scale.

"Looking ahead, we aim to fully leverage our region's unique and abundant mountain resources, focusing on mountain outdoor sports and ecological wellness. By diving deep into our local ecological attributes, cultural identity and folk traditions, we're making our offerings more experiential, interactive and socially engaging to attract more young people, "says Liu.
Editor:Li Lulu
About us | Contact us

Copyright ? 2015-2024 globalpeople.com.cn.All Rights Reserved.

主站蜘蛛池模板: 中文字幕羽月希黑人侵犯| 2021日产国产麻豆| 午夜影院app| 揄拍成人国产精品视频| 色综合久久中文字幕无码 | 欧洲成人在线视频| 中文字幕激情视频| 亚洲乱码一二三四区乱码| 国产精品成人网| 最近免费最新高清中文字幕韩国 | 无码专区国产精品视频| 美美女高清毛片视频黄的一免费| 久久精品视频99| 国产在线播放你懂的| 无码AV免费毛片一区二区| 色欲综合久久中文字幕网| 丝袜女警花被捆绑调教| 佐佐木明希哔哩哔哩| 国产高清一区二区三区视频| 欧美日韩国产专区| 91九色视频在线观看| 久久91亚洲人成电影网站| 国产99久久精品一区二区| 天堂网www中文在线| 欧美性猛交xxxx88| 青青操免费在线观看| 一本加勒比hezyo东京re高清| 人妻av一区二区三区精品| 国产成人综合亚洲欧美在| 无码免费一区二区三区免费播放| 秋霞鲁丝片无码av| 男女下面一进一出视频在线观看| 中美日韩在线网免费毛片视频| 再深点灬舒服灬太大了网站| 国产精品福利自产拍在线观看| 日本五月天婷久久网站| 第四色婷婷基地| 欧美极品另类高清videos| 一级国产黄色片| 久久精品国产精品亚洲色婷婷| 免费看欧美一级特黄a大片一|