S China Karst extension listed as World Heritage Site

Photo taken on Oct 10, 2013 shows the scenery of Yulong River in Yangshuo County of Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Lu Bo'an]

Photo taken on April 9, 2013 shows the scenery of stalactites inside the Reed Flute Cave in Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Lu Bo'an]

The World Heritage Committee on Monday added an extension of South China Karst, a natural World Heritage Site since 2007, to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

[Related: Silk Road, China's Grand Canal listed as World Heritage Sites]

The extension, with a total area of 1,186 square kilometers, includes the Jinfoshan cluster in Chongqing Municipality, the Shibing cluster in Guizhou Province, and the Guilin and Zhujiang clusters in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Experts believe that the addition of South China Karst (Phase II) makes the listing more complete.

The two parts group the world's most unique karst physiognomy, which evolved from plateau to plains.

Karst topography is a landscape formed from the dissolution of layers of soluble bedrock, such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum.

[Read more: What after China's past glories get recognized by World Heritage Committee]