On September 19, 2015, at the 4th Asia-Pacific Geoparks Network Symposium held in San'in Kaigan Global Geopark, Japan, Zhijindong Cave National Geopark was officially approved by UNESCO to join the Global Geoparks Network. It successfully became a member of the global geopark family, filling the gap of no global geoparks in Guizhou. This milestone event expanded Zhijindong Cave's influence to a global scale and opened a new chapter in international exchange and cooperation. 

In the same period, the Zhijindong Cave International Karst Cave Culture and Tourism Festival was successfully held. Centered on Zhijindong Cave's unique karst cave resources, the festival showcased the cultural charm of Zhijindong Cave's karst caves through a variety of colorful activities. It attracted a large number of domestic and foreign tourists as well as cultural enthusiasts, effectively promoting the development of Zhijindong Cave UGGp's tourism industry while strengthening international cultural exchanges and cooperation.  

In April 2016, a grand inauguration ceremony of Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark was held, with all villagers from the Tuoluo Miao Village in the local area attending to offer their congratulations. The holding of the inauguration ceremony marked the official operation of Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark, which began to welcome tourists from all over the world with a brand-new look. It also reflected the local people's support and expectations for the development of Zhijindong Cave UGGp, further promoting the integrated development of the local tourism economy and culture. 

In the same month, the Annual Conference of China's Global Geoparks was held at Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark. As an important exchange platform for Global Geoparks, more than 200 experts, scholars from all over the country and representatives from 33 Global Geoparks gathered at Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark to jointly share the theme of "Stepping into a New Era of Global Geoparks". Experts, scholars and practitioners in the field of Global Geoparks at home and abroad conducted in-depth discussions on issues such as the construction, management, protection and development of Global Geoparks, shared experiences and insights. This provided valuable ideas and references for the subsequent development of Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark and also enhanced its influence. 

In September 2016, the Zhijindong Cave International Karst Cave Culture and Tourism Festival was held again. Building on the success of the first festival in 2015, this year's festival saw further improvements in the content, scale and influence of activities. It continuously deepened the brand building of Zhijindong Cave and injected new impetus into the sustained prosperity of Zhijindong Cave UGGp's tourism industry. 

On July 21, 2017, Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark became a research base of the Key Laboratory of Karst Environment and Geohazards of the Ministry of Natural Resources and a teaching practice base of the College of Resources and Environmental Engineering of Guizhou University. The establishment of this cooperation realized the organic integration of university scientific research and teaching with the geopark's resources. Zhijindong Cave UGGp provides university students with a real geological environment and practical venues, helping them integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application and cultivating professional talents. At the same time, the scientific research strength of universities can provide technical support for Zhijindong Cave UGGp in terms of geological research and environmental protection, promoting a win-win situation for Zhijindong Cave UGGp in scientific research and geopark development. 

In September 2017, the 5th Asia-Pacific Global Geoparks Conference and Zhijindong Cave International Karst Cave Culture and Tourism Festival were held at Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark. This marked the first time that a regional international conference of Asia-Pacific Global Geoparks was held in a domestic geopark. More than 900 representatives from 27 countries' Global Geoparks gathered at Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark and conducted in-depth discussions around the theme of "UNESCO Global Geoparks Promoting Sustainable Local Economic Development". Holding the conference not only enhanced the Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark's reputation, improved its management capabilities and standards, and promoted the integrated development of geology and tourism, nature and culture, but also allowed the sharing of good experiences of China's Global Geoparks with the world through platforms such as GGN and APGN, and showcased the good image of China's Global Geoparks. 

Since its establishment as a global geopark, Zhijindong Cave has ushered in a "spring" of development. It has successively obtained titles such as National Key Scenic Area, National Geopark, National Natural Heritage, Global Geopark, and National 5A-level Tourist Attraction. "Protection, education, and sustainable development" have become the mission of Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark. Adhering to the principle of "development while protection and protection during development", it has strengthened the construction of the Geopark's infrastructure, enhanced scientific research and popular science work, actively participated in regional cooperation and exchanges among Global Geoparks, and used partner platforms to drive local economic development. It has ensured that the development achievements of the Geopark benefit the residents in the Geopark's communities, forming a sound situation of joint construction and shared benefits. 

Over the past decade, Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark has strengthened exchanges and cooperation with domestic and foreign global geoparks. It has successively signed sister park cooperation agreements with 25 Gobal Geoparks, actively sent representatives to participate in various meetings organized by organizations such as GGN and APGN, earnestly learned advanced management experiences from other Geoparks, broadened the work ideas of the Geopark, and promoted the sustainable development of the Geopark. 

In the past ten years, Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark has always focused on building a geological heritage protection system and strengthening the construction of the Geopark's infrastructure as key tasks. It has invested nearly 2 billion yuan to upgrade and transform the Geopark's tourist highways and scientific research trails, build a new visitor center, update signs and labels, improve and renovate tourist public toilets, construct a Zhijindong sewage treatment plant, and implement a rural safe drinking water project covering the people in the core area of the Geopark. It has continuously addressed the weaknesses in the Geopark's infrastructure, enhanced the Geopark's reputation, expanded its popularity, and attracted a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. As a result, both the number of tourists and tourism revenue have achieved double growth. In 2024, the number of tourists reached 1.98 million, and the comprehensive tourism revenue exceeded 580 million yuan, increasing by more than 3 times and 5 times respectively compared with a decade ago. Local restaurants, homestays, snack shops, and stores selling tourism characteristic products have developed from scratch, from few to many, and from many to high-quality. Up to now, 269 farm restaurants, 126 farm homestays, 165 stores selling tourism characteristic products, and 327 characteristic snack shops have been opened in the villages within the Geopark. This has effectively driven the employment of more than 16,000 residents in the Geopark's communities, with the per capita disposable income exceeding 15,000 yuan per year. More than 90,000 community residents have truly benefited from the development of the Geopark.  

(The New Visitor Center of Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark)

Over the past ten years, Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark has always given full play to the Geopark's role in geological heritage protection, geological disaster prevention and control, and addressing climate change, promoting the sustainable development of the Geopark. It has vigorously implemented greening projects, with a total greening area of more than 86.67 hectares, and the forest coverage rate in the core area of the Geopark has reached more than 85%, creating a good ecological environment for the restoration and preservation of the cave landscape resources. In cooperation with scientific research institutions such as China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guizhou University, and Guizhou Institute of Mountain Resources, it has carried out research on topics related to geological heritage, geological disasters, geological structures, and biodiversity. It has surveyed and collected pictures of more than 600 plant species, checked the development status of 56 geological heritage sites, and completed more than 10 major research projects, including "Spatial and Temporal Variation Characteristics of Soil Percolation Water - Cave Dripping Water Elements in Zhijindong Cave", "Impact of Human Activities on the Diversity of Cultivable Bacteria in Cave Water of Zhijindong Cave", and "Research and Demonstration on the Evolution of Ambient Air Quality and Tourism Behavior Regulation Technology in Zhijindong Cave based on Internet of Things Technology". It has also compiled 24 books, such as Collected Popular Science Literatures of Zhijindong Cave, Zhijindong Cave in Poetry and Painting, and Scientific Investigation Guide to Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark, providing a lot of scientific references for the protection of the Geopark's geological heritage. Every year, using events such as "World Wetlands Day", "World Earth Day", and "World Environment Day", it holds a series of popular science activities, organizing primary and middle school students to carry out study tours in the Geopark. In the process of exploring the mysteries of the Earth and appreciating the beauty of geology, students practice the awareness of protecting the environment and safeguarding the Earth. It invites geological experts and scholars from universities and research institutions to give popular science lectures in the Geopark's science popularization schools, and organizes the Geopark's popular science workers to go into communities to popularize scientific knowledge such as geological popular science and geological disaster prevention and control, enhancing the public's shared awareness of caring for and protecting the environment. The Geopark has successively been established as a Guizhou Provincial Natural Education Base and a municipal-level "Primary and Middle School Study Tour Practice Education Base", and was rated as one of the "Top Five Study Tour Caves in China" by the Cave Professional Committee of the Chinese Geological Society, making the popularity of "tourism + study tour" increase year by year. 

                       (Study Tour on "World Earth Day" on April 22, 2024)

Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark attaches great importance to integrating the culture of Global Geoparks with local traditional culture. Every year, using Chinese traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival, it holds a variety of cultural, sports, and cultural tourism activities in the Geopark, including ethnic minority song and dance performances and folk intangible cultural heritage exhibitions. This allows traditional cultural activities such as traditional paper-cutting, the "pot-throwing" game during the Spring Festival, the God of Wealth culture, and Baozhen culture to enter the Geopark and get close to tourists. By holding events such as the "Zhijindong Cave Cup" Chinese Chess Open, the Zhijindong Cave Cross Challenge, and carrying out activities like Olympic Champions Going to the Grassroots and Hiking Through Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark, as well as cooperating with CCTV to produce promotional videos such as China Today - Magnificent Zhijindong Cave, A Faraway Home - Zhijindong Cave Special, and The Growing Stones - Zhijindong Cave Special, the Geopark continuously spreads the positive voice, enabling tourists to truly experience the unique charm of Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark. 

             (Intangible Cultural Heritage Performance at Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark)

(Zhijindong Cave Cross Challenge)

In the long river of history, a decade is just a drop in the bucket. Zhijindong Cave Global Geopark will take solid steps forward, continue to promote and spread the value concept of Global Geoparks - "Celebrating Earth Heritage, Sustaining Local Communities", and well protect, develop and utilize this precious geological treasure bestowed by nature on humanity. It will remain committed to strengthening the protection of geological heritage, releasing vitality to promote regional economic development, and making greater contributions to building a sustainably developing Global Geopark.