Lying within the Zhangye Danxi Landform Geological Park is one of the world's geological wonders, the Rainbow Mountains of China. This mountain range is extremely pleasing to the eyes, but after seeing it, many are left wondering how the hills got their vibrant, striking colors.

Lately, the Rainbow Mountains, located in the Gansu province, have caught the attention of tourists, who flock to the place many say resembles the United States' Grand Canyon. The mountains, which span up to 200 square miles, was named a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2009.

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But clearly, what is the rationale behind the diagenetic and mineralogical processes that results in the blues, greens, reds and yellows?

The Rainbow Mountains result from the deposition of cretaceous sandstones and siltstones before the Himalayan Mountains were formed. Along with these sand and silt were iron and trace minerals that provided the key ingredient to make up the colors we see these days.

Between 40 and 50 million years ago, strong force of tectonic plates forced an island - now India - to bump into the rest of Eurasia. This impact reportedly occurred at a slow pace. For more than 50 years, India, which gradually moves at 27 feet per century, bumped towards the bigger continent, resulting in rifts of fractured rocks and forming mountain ranges like the Himalayas.

The collision also disturbed the layer of red rock and minerals. The rainbow patterns we now see at Danxia is due to the same crumpling event, explaining why the mountains have perfect striation.

From relative obscurity before Danxia is now getting worldwider recognition.

TagsZhangye Danxi Landform Geological Park, Rainbow Mountains of China, Gansu Province, UNESCO Heritage Site, Grand Canyon, geological wonders, geological sites