South China Karst - Shilin Stone Forest (Yunnan, China) - World Heritage Sites on Waymarking.com

An old Chinese saying goes like this: "If you have visited Yunnan without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time." and we can honestly tell you the man who came up with this, knew what he was talking about).

Shilin Stone Forest, a part of South China Karst, is stretching over an area of roughly 400 km² and includes both small and large stone forests as well as other interesting naturalscenic spots, like Shilin Lake which is filled with underwater stalactites.

The Stone Forest is located in the Lunan Autonomous Country of Yi Nationality, in the Yunnan just 75 km SE of province's capital Kunming. There are some who see just a bunch of huge limestone pillars, but most people who visit Shilin are impressed by the scenery. Giant grey pillars shaped as pagodas, animals, human figures, by the elements at the mercy of which they lie, scattered everywhere and forming a great labyrinth in which you could easily get lost in, is not something you see very often.

From the geological pointof view the Stone Forest is a perfect example of karst topography that was formed 270 million years ago, during the carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era. The constant movement of the lithosphere caused the waters of the large sea, which covered the area, to retreat and allowed the limestone cliffs to rise. All very interesting information but I for one like the legends of this place a lot better. Locals say the Stone Forest was created by immortals that smashed an entire mountain to bits, to create a labyrinth where lovers could meet in total privacy.

The Shilin Stone Forest, as a best known part of South China Karst, was inscripted into UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007.