Stone pillars
Like petrified trees.
Fabian Böll — CC BY-SA 2.0 de · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · 江上清风1961 — CC BY 3.0 · BrokenSphere — CC BY-SA 3.0 · 江上清风1961 — CC BY 3.0 · Zhangzhugang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · BrokenSphere — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ngguls — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of China's most remarkable natural sights, a vast set of limestone formations covering about 500 square kilometres east of Kunming, whose grey columns rise from the ground like petrified trees, creating a forest made of stone. About 270 million years ago the area was a shallow sea; the land then rose, and rain and wind carved the limestone over millions of years into this extraordinary maze of pillars and narrow passages, part of which joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007 as part of the «South China Karst». Visitors wander winding paths between the giant rocks of the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests and climb to platforms over the sea of pillars; the area is home to the Yi people, whose colourful costumes and folk tales give the rocks names and stories. Tickets are about CNY 130, with the internal shuttle about CNY 25, per visitor guides. The trip from Kunming takes about an hour and a half by high-speed train or car, so allow a full day and wear comfortable shoes.
Like petrified trees.
Between the rocks.
Costumes and tales.
Shilin County, about 90 km east of Kunming
About CNY 130, with the internal shuttle about CNY 25, per visitor guides; it's about an hour and a half from Kunming.