【英语视频】英文版《美丽中国》第7集：冰川下的鲜红岩石

Amazing China EP7: 

Scarlet rocks Under Glaciers

There is a rare spectacle to be found at the end of the glaciers beneath the main peak of a mountain area in southwestern China. The surface of the rocks here is an eye catching bright red.

This is the heart of the Hengduan Mountains, a mountainous region in southwestern China. 145 snowy peaks over 5,000 meters above sea level are clustered here, forming an amazing group of mountains.

The highest peak, Gongga Mountain, is 7,556 meters above sea level. It is the highest point in the mountainous area of Southwest China.

Its giant conical peak is the cradle of glacier formation, from which 74 mature glaciers extend in all directions.

The Hailuogou Glacier in the east has a huge icy waterfall measuring 1,100 meters wide, with a drop of more than 1,000 meters. The strong thawing effect leads to frequent massive icy avalanches.

Giant glaciers descend all the way into dense forests. With its step extending to 2,850 meters above sea level, it is the lowest maritime glacier in Asia.

Bright red rocks can be seen almost everywhere in the valley at the end of the glacier. Scientists have found that the red blood color on the stone is not from a mineral, but a rare parasite, a rare lichen complex. Whenever the temperature and humidity are right they spread across the rock surface, dyeing the rocks bright red.

Taken away from the mountains however, they quickly change color and die. Even if they are left in peace, their lifespan is only four to five years, and then they will regenerate and begin coloring the rocks bright red again.

Why they came into being has baffled many great minds.