High Island’s hexagonal rock columns are remnants of an ancient volcanic system, exposed where cliffs meet the sea and reservoir. Their unusual rhyolitic composition and immense scale make this one of Hong Kong’s defining geological landscapes.
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The columns look almost engineered, but they formed through cooling rock. Around 140 million years ago, volcanic material settled within a vast caldera in what is now Hong Kong. As the silica-rich rhyolite cooled and contracted, fractures spread into remarkably regular hexagonal patterns.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The columns formed from rhyolitic volcanic rock roughly 140 million years ago.
- The average column diameter is about 1.2 meters; some reach 3 meters.
- The formations were recognized among the first 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites in 2022.
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