Potted landscapes created in glacial stone pits developed from ancient glacial action are distributed over the geological park of the Qingshan Natural Reserve in the Keshiketeng Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Study of their formation in recent years has led scientists to conclude that the stone pits were formed during the Quaternary Glacial Period some 2.5 million years ago. Surging torrents within the glaciers combined with stones to form deep whirlpool-shaped pits.

According to scientists, the pits clearly demonstrate the existence of glaciers here, important historical evidence in understanding changes that took place in the local climate and environment long ago. The large-scale pits in the Qingshan Natural Reserve, unique in terms of characteristics and preservation, are seldom seen both at home and abroad and can be rated as a unique type of characteristic of the landscape.

The Qingshan Nature Reserve is located in the southeast part of Daxinganling Mountains, 25 km south of Jingpeng Township of the Keshiketeng Banner. The glacial stone pit groups and granite forests stretch some 20 km. The pit forest, with all kinds of shapes and positions, has its main peak at an elevation of 1,574 meters, with many cliffs and precipices, trees, grasslands and springs. A path paved with stones, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden, zigzags to the top of the mountain.

Walking along the path of 2,002 steps, people will find a flat and wide top. Pits are distributed everywhere on granite slopes, assuming various shapes such as a jar, bucket, spoon, and basin. The diameter of the pits normally falls within a range from 50 cm to three meters, with a depth of 30cm to 1.8 meters.

The stone jars or stone buckets, as local people call them, are actually stone pits. There are more than 300 distributed in a two square km area on the top of the mountain.

Earth and water have accumulated in the pits so that flowers, grasses and plants grow like beautiful natural potted landscapes.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong August 13, 2003)