To their delight, there was a lush forest that was well established at the bottom of the sinkhole.
This is just one of 30 giant sinkholes discovered in the county.
So why do these giant sinkholes occur and why is China’s Leye county filled with them?
Photo: corbacserdar.gmail.com/Depositphotos
To find answers, one needs to understand more about the area’s topography.
This part of China is known for itskarst landscape.
Karst is created from the dissolution of bedrock and is known for caves and sinkholes.
Over time, these cracks become tunnels and these tunnels can form caves or sinkholes when the terrain collapses.
But, due to differences in climate and geology, the landscapes' outward appearance can differ greatly.
These factors also influence the size of sinkholes, which can often be quite small.
But in southern China, there is the perfect recipe for giant sinkholes.
In Mandarin, sinkholes are calledtiankeng, which translates to heavenly pit.
And certainly, by the looks of the photos, this new sinkhole certainly fits the description.
