Wudalianchi Volcanic Formation

UNESCO Global Geopark and proposed World Heritage site in northern Heilongjiang — a young volcanic field with 14 cinder cones, extensive lava flows and five interconnected crater lakes formed in eruptions as recent as 1720–1721 CE.

Wudalianchi (Five-Linked Lakes) is one of China's most significant volcanic landscapes — a young basaltic volcanic field in northeastern Heilongjiang where 14 volcanic cones and their associated lava flows have built up over the past 280,000 years. The most recent eruptions occurred in 1719–1721 CE when Laoheishan and Huoshaoshan volcanoes erupted, damming the Baihe River and creating the five interconnected lakes that give the area its name.

The landscape is a textbook display of volcanic geomorphology: aa and pahoehoe lava flow surfaces, lava tunnels, pressure ridges, spatter cones, cinder craters and maar lake formations are all represented within the accessible scenic area. The lava surfaces from the 1721 eruption remain largely unvegetated, creating an eerie grey moonscape around the youngest cones that contrasts sharply with the forested older lava fields.

The naturally carbonated spring water emerging from the volcanic rock has been prized for its supposed medicinal properties since the Qing dynasty. Russian explorers and settlers in the 19th century described the springs enthusiastically, and a health-tourism industry around the mineral waters persists today. The springs are characterised by high iron and magnesium content; deposits of reddish iron oxides coat the stream channels around the main spring sources.

The scenic area centres on Laoheishan Volcano, which can be climbed in about 30 minutes on a well-maintained path to the crater rim. Views from the rim encompass the lava field, the five lakes and the distant Greater Khingan Range. The Huoshaoshan cone nearby provides a different perspective on the most recent eruption landscape.