A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.
Lingbi County, which belongs to Suzhou City, Anhui Province, is also known as Bawang City and Shidu. It is located in the northeast of Anhui Province, Linsi County in the east, Hanqiao District, Suzhou City in the west, Gu Town and Wuhe County in Bengbu City in the south, Tongshan District and Suining in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province in the north. The total area is 2054 square kilometers. Lingbi territory has stone Rubi, hence the name "Lingbi". Lingbi has the ancient battlefield of Yexia, where Chu and Han compete. It is the hometown of Chinese folk culture and art, the hometown of Zhong Kui, the hometown of Chinese ornamental stones, and the main producing area of Chinese strange stones. Lingbi Stone is known as the first of China's four ornamental stones (Lingbi Stone, Taihu Stone, Kunshi and Yingshi). Known as "Yu Ji, Qishi, Zhong Kui painting, Lingbi three unique world first" reputation. As of 2018, Lingbi County has jurisdiction over 13 towns and 6 townships, and has another development zone with a resident population of 1.044 million.