As much as humanity has explored the four corners of this planet, there's always something new to discover. In recent days, Chinese scientists have revealed to the world a stunning place: "the lost world" of an ancient forest found at the bottom of a 192-meter-deep sinkhole in southern Guangxi province.

Within the huge crater of Leye County there are trees up to 40 meters high (corresponding to a building of about 13 floors) and most likely species of plants and animals still unknown by science.

Zhang Yuanhai, a senior engineer at the Institute of Karst Geology at the Geological Service of China, told state news agency Xinhua that the site still has three caves in addition to the primitive forest. "I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science so far," he said.

The disappearing landscape of this region is mainly formed by the dissolution of the rocky bed by groundwater, according to The Guardian. This means that holes and caves are quite common throughout the area. However, a sinkhole like the one discovered in recent days is rare to see, due to its great depth and shape, which allows that, despite it being so deep, light can enter and trees can grow.