The Shizhangdong Waterfall sits on the upper reaches of Fengxi River, about 30 km from downtown Chishui. [Photo: ChinaDaily]

In the art world or in the natural world, green usually serves as a supporting color for red, which blossoms and catches all the attention.

But in a river range in northwestern Guizhou province, red gives birth to green. They compliment each other and form the most vibrant, almost dizzying, dichotomy.

Green here is the primeval forest and lush vegetation, while red is the land and rocks.

At the place just before Chishui River flows from Guizhou to Sichuan stands a vast expanse of rocky mountains and plunging waterfalls. To date, 72,178 hectares of this has been designated as danxia landforms and is currently inspected by UNESCO experts for a potential natural heritage listing. Literally meaning "red rocks", danxia refers to red-colored sandstones and conglomerates of the Cretaceous age, which often look like stacked pancakes.

"Some 230 million years ago, this was the bottom of the ocean," says Tu Yuling, geologist with Guizhou Normal University.

"During the Jurassic age, this was an inland lake. Later it was elevated but managed to retain the red sandstones of that age."

Red is the result of oxidization of iron that permeates rocks and soil. Locals extract color dyes out of the material.

Not only are mountain rocks crimson but also the soil exudes a rich vermilion.

When it rains, the river changes to a muddy reddish color with almost tragic overtones.

But vegetation in this area is so verdant it takes time and effort to locate bare rocks with no shrubbery.

Near the Five-Pillar Peak, there is a gorge that resembles a cistern and the top edge is a striking circumference of danxia stones. Zhang Yimou, the filmmaker famed for using - or overusing - bright colors, would love it.

To prove that dinosaurs once roamed here, there are 40,000 alsophila trees in Jinshagou, one of the scenic parks in the area. Alsophila is a kind of fern.

But unlike the other two-dozen fern species found here, it is much taller, about 5 to 6 m - the highest reaching 9 m - and 20 to 25 cm in diameter. Some are pairs that grow together.