Kunming Stone Forest, Shilin in Chinese, is a spectacular set of limestone groups and the representative of south China’s karst landscape. Known since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as the 'First Wonder of the World', it is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. An old local goes that if you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.
Walking through the site, visitors marvel at the
natural stone masterpieces and are bewitched by the intricate
formations. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape creates
countless labyrinthine vistas, including:
Greater Stone Forest, Lesser Stone Forest and Naigu Stone Forest,
all of which feature stones in various formations. Animals, plants, and
even human figures can be found here. Some are elegant, some are
rugged, and each is lifelike with its own distinguishing
characteristics.
Subterranean Stone Forest
in Zhiyun Cave, distributed underground among several caves and
occupying a total area of about three square kilometers (720 acres).