The 2nd China Quaternary Glaciers and Environmental Change Seminar closed on September 24 in Qingdao. Experts agreed that Laoshan possesses the most typical and systematic quaternary glacial relics in all of eastern China, boasting unique scientific, educational and aesthetic value. It qualifies the area to apply for the National GeoPark and World GeoPark listings.

"Almost all temples and villages of Laoshan are built on the ice deposits of the glacier. Generally, glaciers look crystal and bright, but inside them we find soil and stones. When glaciers melt, the massive ice debris becomes very suitable as a foundation for building houses as it is quite secure and steady," Xu Xingyong, researcher with the State Oceanic Administration, said. Moreover, the moraines are rich in minerals and that's why the Laoshan Spring water, Laoshan tea and Laoshan cherries taste so differently.

"Up on the mountain top we see a moraine landscape and you can spot boulders everywhere there; this is the typical glacial landscape." Xu pointed out.

Professor Qian Fang, from the Institute of Geology Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, speaks highly this field work and advises that Laoshan apply for the listings as a National GeoPark and World Geopark as soon as possible.