On April 17, UNESCO issued an announcement stating that on the same day, the UNESCO Executive Board meeting approved the designation of eight new UNESCO Global Geoparks and the expansion of three existing geoparks. The Sanqingshan UNESCO Global Geopark was approved for expansion. With the addition of these new members, the total number of geoparks in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network has reached 147, distributed across 41 countries.

With this expansion, the area of the Sanqingshan UNESCO Global Geopark has increased from the original 229.5 square kilometers to 433 square kilometers, making the expanded Geopark 1.89 times its original size. The communities and population within the Geopark territory have grown from approximately 21,600 people across 2 townships and 15 administrative villages to about 65,000 people across 4 townships and 35 administrative villages. The expanded area now includes the Sanqingshan Main Area, the Huaiyushan Area, and the Zihu Area.

The adjusted geopark area constitutes a complete and unified geographical region with clearly defined boundaries, larger than the Sanqingshan World Heritage Site plus its buffer zone. This facilitates unified protection, management, and the planning and development of tourism, scientific research, science popularization, and education within the park. The expanded geopark incorporates 58 newly included geosites, such as the Lower Ordovician and Lower Silurian stratigraphic sections, spotted hornfels in the outer contact zone of granite, fault and fold structures, granitic intrusion structures, the  high-altitude basin in Huaiyushan, the waterfall cluster in the Eighteen-Dragon Pool, and granite micro-landforms. This enrichment of geoheritage types within the Geopark enhances its value for scientific research and popularization, as well as its potential for tourism development. Simultaneously, by including natural and cultural landscape areas like Huaiyushan and Zihu, along with their surrounding communities, the expansion incorporates cultural heritage sites such as the Huaiyushan Academy ruins, Gan opera, Lantern plays, and Hetang Feast. This enriches the Geopark’s tourism resources and geotourism, promoting the Geopark’s sustainable development. It is expected to effectively enhance local residents' awareness of the Geopark and promote the sustainable economic and social development of the region.