Destination 1: Datong Volcanic Cluster
The Datong Volcanic Cluster was formed by Quaternary magmatic activity within the Datong Volcanic Rift Basin, the Datong Volcanic Cluster showcases a remarkable suite of volcanic landforms. It is the world’s only volcanic cluster developed on the Loess Plateau, the largest and best-preserved intraplate rift-system volcanic cluster in North China, and one of China’s six most renowned volcanic clusters. Notably, the cluster is composed entirely of extinct volcanoes, offering an exceptional natural laboratory for observing and interpreting volcanic geomorphology.
Destination 2: Jinhua Palace Coal Mine
Jinhua Palace Coal Mine is located in the Datong Coalfield, one of the major coal-producing basins in northern China. The mine exploits Carboniferous–Permian coal-bearing strata composed mainly of coal seams interbedded with sandstones, siltstones and mudstones, recording peat accumulation in continental to paralic environments. Participants can access active underground mining levels and working faces, where the geometry of coal seams, roof–floor lithologies and mining platforms can be directly observed. These exposures provide an excellent opportunity to examine the geological controls on coal seam continuity, thickness variation and stability under real mining conditions.
Destination 3: Yungang Grottoes
Yungang Grottoes are carved into Middle Jurassic sandstones along the southern margin of the Datong Basin in northern Shanxi Province. The host rocks are predominantly well-bedded, medium- to coarse-grained sandstones, whose mechanical strength and relatively uniform lithology provided favourable conditions for large-scale excavation. The regional tectonic setting, characterised by basin development and gentle structural deformation, ensured long-term stability of the rock mass. In addition, the semi-arid continental climate has limited chemical weathering, contributing to the preservation of the grottoes over more than 1,500 years. The Yungang Grottoes thus represent a remarkable example of the interaction between geological conditions and cultural heritage development.
Destination 4：Antaibao open pit mine
The Antaibao Coal Mine is a well-known open-pit operation in China, located in the Pingshuo Mining District of the Ningwu Coalfield. The Ningwu Coalfield trends NE–SW and encompasses a coal-bearing area of ~2,760 km2 (approximately 160 km long and 20 km wide) in north-central Shanxi Province. The main coal-bearing strata include the Benxi and Taiyuan formations (Late Carboniferous) and the Shanxi Formation (Early Permian), with an average cumulative thickness of 182.8 m. In addition to its economic significance, coals from the Antaibao open pit are enriched in critical elements such as Ga, Li, rare earth elements and Y (REE+Y), and Al, making the site particularly relevant to discussions on critical minerals in coal.
