Discover a cluster of 19 giant sinkholes around the underground river

The scientists discovered one of the largest clusters in the world, including 19 vast caves in the forest in Guangxi province.

A sinkhole in the cluster of Na Pha district.(Photo: Amaze Lab).

The geological wonder stretches between the cities of Chengxiang and Longhe in Na Pha district. Each sinkhole in the cluster has a volume of over one million square meters, according to China's Ministry of Natural Resources. This is the largest cluster of sinkholes in the southern Tropic of Cancer, said Zhang Haiyuan, an engineer at the Geological Survey Department.

All sinkholes are formed around the 60km-long underground river called Dingye and located at a depth of 292m. Some sinkholes are found at an altitude of over 1,000m while others are scattered along the river like a string of pearls. The scientists also found many primary plants and trees growing up to 50 m high inside the crater.

China is also home to the world's largest cluster of sinkholes called Hanzhong, including 49 caves. This cluster was discovered in 2016 on the Qin Ling Range in northwest China.

1. China discovered that the cluster of sinkholes was more than 100m deep