A PLACE, A STORY / Kunming
Shilin Stone Forest
Limestone pinnacles gather like a forest of stone. Change your viewpoint and watch familiar shapes become something else.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Resized and compressed. · Original source · License
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Resized and compressed. · Original source · License
At Shilin, the word forest describes stone rather than trees. Limestone rises into narrow pinnacles, with gaps and surfaces shaped by a long geological history. The Stone Forest belongs to the South China Karst World Heritage property, yet its appeal can begin with an ordinary act of looking. Choose a rock outline and describe it without pointing. A companion may recognise your shape, or see an entirely different one.
Editorial sources
- Kunming city guide · Stone Forest
- Yunnan Forestry and Grassland Administration · Shilin heritage (Chinese)
- UNESCO · South China Karst
Editorial review:
Before travelling, check current access, opening times and entry requirements with the relevant official sources.
