Scientists discover Forest Inside a Giant Sinkhole in China

A hidden Ancient Forest is discovered at bottom of huge sinkhole in Guangxi region of China.

A group of Chinese scientists set out on the usual outings for scientific discoveries. What they found earlier this month was eye-catching as they discovered a forest now referred to as "Hollow Earth" in a giant sinkhole. It's all vaguely reminiscent of the Hollow Earth from Godzilla vs. Kong... but there's no sign of any kaiju yet.

The Sinkhole is about 630ft (200meters) deep, 1,000ft (306meters) long and 490ft (150meters) wide. The size of the sinkhole is not the only significant thing. The scientists hiked for few hours to reach the base of the sinkholes to see what it contains.

Experts confirmed that the sinkhole base contains lots of ancient trees and plants and some animal species. It is claimed that the sinkhole may contain species of plants and animals not previously known or seen. The ancient trees and plants are about 40 meters tall.

What is a Sinkhole?

A Sinkhole is a hole in the ground which is formed when the land collapses away leaving a big hole on the surface.

It happens when the rock underneath the ground is dissolved with water or any other chemical substance.

Sinkholes can cause a lot of damage to the surrounding land.

It is however nothing new to discover sinkholes in China, especially in Southern China. It has been discovered in recent years in the country

This is a typical sinkhole. Now, imagine having a sinkhole as deep as 200 meters and wide as 150 meters. This is why the sinkhole discovered this month in China is a topic of discussion and speculations and likely to draw attention of lots of scientists and researchers from various parts of the world.

The scientists found out that the sinkhole has three caves in its walls and a well-preserved ancient forest at the bottom. It was also confirmed that there was sense undergrowth on the floor that came up to its shoulders.

Chen Lixin, who led the research team reported to state news agency in a statement that : "I wouldn't be surprised to know there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now."

While the enormity of the sinkhole and its cluster of contents may be eye-opening for many, George Veni, the executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in the U.S., told Live Science the discovery is not as surprising to researchers, as southern China is known for its karst landscapes featuring "dramatic sinkholes and otherworldly caves."