The miarolitic granite-formed peak cluster-stone egg landform in the Taimushan is the best  one in the coastal areas of southeastern China and thus is the typical representative of this kind of  landform.Various peak cluster are distributed in the Taimushan Scenic area. They are composed  of rock peaks, rock forts, rock walls and rock pillars. The peak clusters are towering. The standing  pillars look just like forests. These vivid landforms together with various shaped stone eggs construct a lovely scenery painting

1 Granite Peak Cluster（Eighteen Arhats Hurrying  for Dinner）

The peak cluster is a common  granite landform. The vertical joints are  developed and the horizontal ones  undeveloped here. After the granite  exposed on the earth’s surface, affected  by the long-term weathering and other  geological processes, the cluster peaks  would be formed, whose peaks are  completely separated but the base fully  connected together. It represents the  earlier stage of granite landform development. Looking at this peak cluster, it seems like 18 arhats  in different shapes hurrying for dinner.

2 Three sets of joints in miarolite

Affected by the later tectonic movement,  there are two sets of vertical joints (strike  directions of NW320 ° and NE60° ) and one set  of horizontal joint developed in the miarolite in  Mount Taimushan. These joints control the development of granite peak cluster-spherical  landform in Mount Taimushan. After later weathering denudation, fluvial erosion and  gravitational collapse along the vertical joints, stone columns, castle- and wall-like granite  landforms are occurred, and the horizontal joints control the formation of the spherical granite  landforms on the tops of the stone columns, castle- and wall-like granite landforms.

3 Granite Pictographic Stone（Couple-like Peak）

The pictographic stone is a common granite landform.  The horizontal and vertical joints are developed here. After  the rock exposed on the earth’s surface, the spherical  weathering caused by temperature change and other  geological processes was occurred and the spheroid topography would be taken place, so the various pictographic landforms can be formed in granite. This pictographic peak  looks like a couple here. So it is named as the Couple-like  Peak.

4 Jionts

Joint is a crack in rock, which is one of the most developed structures in the crust. A joint indicates a crack  with no significant displacement on both sides. In the cooling  process of magmas, the primary joints are always developed  in granite. Now, this deep crack belongs to a primary vertical  joint in the granite.

5 Granite Pictographic  Stone（Cat-and mouse-shaped Stone）

The granite pictographic landform is a  common phenomenon. Here is the top of  Tianzhu peak, where the horizontal and vertical  joints are developed. After the rock exposed on  the earth’s surface, the spherical weathering would be occurred and the smooth spheroid topography would be developed under the effect of long-term temperature change and other geological processes. The granite stones here look like a cat playing with a mouse.

6 Joints in Granite

The vertical joints are greatly developed in granite here.  Controlled by two sets of vertical joints, the joints in granite  here become wider and wider under the effect of the  long-term weathering. So this huge granite body looks like  three nearly 10-meter-long parallel stone plates.

7 Granite Pictographic Stone（Monkey-shaped Stone）

The granite pictographic landform is a  common phenomenon. The horizontal and  vertical joints are developed here. After the  rock exposed on the earth’s surface, the effect  of the long-term spherical weathering would be occurred along the joints, under the effect of the  later gravitational collapse, the various lifelike pictographic landforms would be occurred. This  granite pictographic stone here seems like a monkey holding a mirror to dress up.

8 Narrow Gorge

Narrow gorge is a typical geological landform, characterized by steep slope and narrow  passage, whose bottom width is nearly equal to the upper part. The narrow gorge is generally  related to the structural and fluvial processes. However, the narrow gorge here is, different in origin from these above, derived from the widening of the vertical joints in granite under  the long-term weathering. Due to the later  gravitational collapse, there are three large  granite stones hanging up in the narrow gorge.  When visitors go through the gorge, you should  stoop down three times.This gorge about 30 m  long.

9 Granite  Pictographic Stone （Orangutan-like Stone）

When the vertical and horizontal joints are  developed, it is easy to form various interesting  pictographic landforms. Looking at this cliff,  you can find an orangutan-like picture on the  cliff, which is a masterpiece by nature. When  the granite exposes on the Earth surface,  affected by the long-term spherical weathering and other geological processes, the rock surfaces  become round and smooth, which forms the head of the orangutan. The vertical joint surface becomes a huge cliff, the two horizontal cavities on the surface resulted from the weathering of  the two miarolitic cavities, which are the orangutan’s eyes.

10 Narrow Gorge（Seven-star Cave）

Narrow gorge is a typical geological landform, characterized by steep slope and narrow  passage, whose bottom width is nearly equal to the upper part. The narrow gorge is generally  related to the structural and fluvial processes. However, the narrow gorge here is different in  origin from these above, derived from the widening of the vertical joints in granite under  long-term weathering. The gorge is about 40 m long and less than 1 m wide. There are 7 huge  stones hanging on the upper part of the gorge, like 7 stars inlayed in the fissure, which come from  the gravitational collapse.

11 Granite Landscape  Group（Carps Jumping into the Sky）

Granite landscape group is composed of granitic  spheroid topography and peak cluster landform, generally  developed in the vertical and horizontal joint-developed  granite areas. When such granite exposes on the Earth surface,  they will be suffered from a long-term temperature-induced  weathering and other geological processes, the spherical  weathering leads to the formation of spheroid topography.  Being the vertical joints developed, the granite peak cluster  landform will be occurred, with  separated peaks and a common base,  which represents the earlier stage of  granite landform development. The  scenery here is spectacular, the peak  cluster extends over thousand meters,  like a school of carps jumping out of  the water and up into the sky. Here is  the most magnificent landscape.

12 Scouring Ditch Group

The scouring ditch group is a unique  landform in granite. After the granite exposes on  the Earth surface, the granite surfaces become  smooth under the effect of long-term weathering and erosion. Because of the abundant rainfall here, many ditches have been occurred on the  smooth surfaces scoured by rain water. These ditches are closely arranged, which look like a magnificent waterfall flying downward, this is one of the specific landscapes in Mt. Taimushan  Scenic Area.

13 Joints in Granite

There are several parallel cracks in the  granite at front of the Baiyun Temple, named  primary granite joints. They are originated from  the cooling process of magmas, the strike is  NW 265 ° . Additionally, the sheet-like  weathering is developed on the granite surfaces, ultimately the stones will become round, called  the typical spherical weathering.

14 Fuding Peak

This is the summit of Mt. Taimushan  Scenic Area, with an elevation of 917.3 m.  When the vertical and horizontal  jointdeveloped granite exposes on the Earth  surface, it will be suffered from a long-term temperature-induced weathering and other geological  processes, the spheroid landform will be formed. The erosion surfaces will be scoured by rain  water and the brown ditches will be occurred. Looking at the Fuding Peak, it looks like a reversed  ancient Chinese vessel.

15 Horizontal Joints

The horizontal joints are well developed in the miarolite in Mount Taimushan, sometime  intruded by veins or with crystal cavities, which were mainly formed in the cooling and  condensing period. Together with two sets of vertical joints, they cut the granite into rock blocks  in different sizes. It plays an important controlling role in the formation of the miarolite peak  cluster and stony egg landform in Mount Taimushan.

16 Granite Peak Cluster

The granite peak cluster is  commonly seen in the  granitedistributed area where the  primary joints are developed. The peak cluster is the group of the  cone-shaped peaks, of which the  bases are connected together, this  landform represents the earlier stage  of granite landform development.  The peak cluster here could be  divided into two types based on the difference of distribution, height and exposed duration. The  right one is bigger and more complete, and the left more cracked, it indicates that the latter was  exposed for a longer time, the later gravitational collapse is more obvious.

17 Miarolite

The miarolite is major landscape-forming  rock in Mount Taimushan, formed about 90 Ma  ago. It is a kind of special hypabyssal granite with deep source origin. The SiO2 content is generally over 76%. Due to its high viscosity, the gases contained in magma were incapable to  escape away in the process of condensation and crystallization near the earth’s surface, so the  numerous cavities were formed in miarolite. The special cavity structure would occur in the later  period of the magma crystallization.

18 Stone Basin, Stone Mortar

Granite surface is easy to be eroded by the rainfall. The  weathered and loose feldspar and quartz grains on the surface  will be transported away. A pit would be gradually formed in  the strongly eroded spot and linear running water convergent  place. The accumulated water in the pit will strengthen the  physical and chemical weatherings on the pit sidewall. Then  the pit will be gradually expanding, forming round or oval  stone basin or mortar. This stone column shows three round  stone mortars developed along the running water line.

19 Natural bridge-Rock Arch

After the weathering and flowing water  erosion, a rock wall of about 50-60 cm thick was  formed between two vertical joints (NE50° ) in  the miarolite. The rock wall bottom, under the  effect of weathering and rainwater erosion, was  gradually thinned and finally penetrated through,  forming a rock arch of about 4 m long and 3 m high. Then, a natural bridge—rock arch is finally  shaped.