On March 27th, the 219th session of the UNESCO Executive Board passed a resolution officially endorsed Linxia Geopark as a UNESCO Global Geopark. This is the third UNESCO Global Geopark in Gansu Province, after Dunhuang and Zhangye, to obtain a world-class "golden signboard".

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. Their bottom-up approach of combining conservation with sustainable development while involving local communities is becoming increasingly popular. At the meeting of the UNESCO Executive Board, a total of 18 world geoparks were approved, of which 6 in China have successfully advanced. At present, there are 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 48 countries.

The Linxia UNESCO Global Geopark is located in Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, with an area of 2120 square kilometers. It spans two natural areas, the arid region of the Loess Plateau and the high cold and humid region of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. It is a comprehensive geopark characterized by the footprints of Cretaceous dinosaurs and the Late Cenozoic paleofauna, supplemented by the Late Cenozoic strata, northern Danxia landforms, and the Yellow River Three Gorges landscape. It integrates local ethnic minority cultures and integrates geology, ecology, and culture. There are 79 geological relics and more than 30 cultural landscapes in the park, including 1 World Cultural Heritage Site, 5 sites with world-class scientific value, and 1 national 5A level scenic spot. The rare and unique geological relics, diverse and rich cultural landscapes, ancient and rich ethnic customs, and beautiful and magnificent natural scenery in the park are the preferred places for scientific exploration, popular science education, leisure and entertainment and understanding of multi-ethnic cultures!

In order to fully explore and protect the precious geoheritages, in December 2019, Linxia Prefecture officially launched the application for the 11th batch of UNESCO Global Geoparks. In January 2020, Linxia Geopark was designated as the Global Geopark application unit submitted by People’s Republic of China to UNESCO for the year 2021. In March 2021, it was identified by UNESCO as a new candidate for the Global Geopark application. In June 2023, UNESCO Global Geopark evaluators conducted a 5-day on-site evaluation of Linxia Geopark; In September 2023, the UNESCO Global Geopark Council endorsed the nomination and of Linxia Global Geopark.

Since the initiation of the application for Linxia Global Geopark, the CPC Prefecture party committee and government have adhered to a high starting point positioning, high-quality application, and high standard creation. In accordance with the standards and requirements for the application the Global Geopark, they have carefully planned and comprehensively deployed and vigorously promoted it. With the care and guidance of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, as well as close cooperation and collaboration between relevant departments and application technical support units at the prefecture and county levels, we have comprehensively completed 5 categories and 220 specific tasks for the application of the Global Geopark. We have successfully passed the domestic recommended application, integrity review of the UNESCO Secretariat, compliance review of the UNESCO  Executive Board, review of geological relics by the International Geological Science Federation, expert on-site inspection and evaluation, nomination and discussion of the UNESCO Geopark Council, and voting of the UNESCO Executive Board at its meeting. The 219th session of the UNESCO Executive Board was held in Paris, France on March 27, 2024. Linxia Geopark successfully become a UNESCO Global Geopark, adding a significant contribution to promoting the high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry in the entire province.

The application of Linxia Global Geopark is an inevitable requirement for the sustainable protection and scientific development of precious geological resources, as well as a practical need to promote high-quality economic and social development in Linxia. It is also an important work deployment made by the CPC Prefecture party committee and government to focus on deepening the development of the cultural tourism industry, further enhancing the brand awareness and influence of "Hua’er Linxia in the river prefecture", and striving to make Linxia a domestic and even international tourism destination. The successful creation of the Global Geopark will undoubtedly inject new impetus and growth points into the economic and social development of the entire state, and bring a "butterfly effect" to the high-quality development of Linxia's economy and society. This will also form an ancient Silk Road tourism economic belt with Dunhuang, Zhangye, and Linxia as important nodes, radiating and driving the rapid development of the province's tourism industry. Let the world perceive the arrival of flowers in Linxia, present the beautiful river prefecture to the world, and make a better Linxia .