The Rainbow Mountains of China’s Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park stand as one of Earth’s most striking geological wonders. These mountains display otherworldly colors resembling a rainbow painted across rolling peaks, attracting tourists from around the world to witness their breathtaking beauty.
What makes these mountains particularly remarkable is their connection to a verse revealed in the Qur’an over 1,400 years ago. Surah Fatir, verse 27 states: “Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colours? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and (some) extremely black”.
This Qur’anic reference to multicolored mountains was revealed in 7th-century Arabia, a region where such geological formations were unknown and unseen. The verse describes mountains with white and red streaks of varying hues, precisely matching what modern geology has discovered in locations like China’s Zhangye Danxia.
The Zhangye Danxia National Park is located in Gansu province in northwest China, covering 200 square miles. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its unique geological significance. The vibrant colors result from layers of sedimentary rock and minerals deposited over millions of years.
Similar rainbow mountains exist in other parts of the world, including Peru’s Vinicunca and Iceland’s Landmannalaugar, each displaying the natural color variations described in the Qur’an.
For many believers, these geological wonders serve as physical manifestations of divine signs mentioned in Islamic scripture, demonstrating knowledge that preceded modern scientific discovery by more than a millennium.
