Stone Forest also known as Shilin is considered to be the first wonder of the world. Such dramatic attractions of the world in located about 120 kilometers from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province in China.
The Stone Forest is spread over an area of 400 square kilometers where stone forests of varying size and various scenic spots are noticed. Visitors are usually amazed to see the intricate formations of the natural stone masterpieces. The strange landscapes of steep stone forest form myriad of convoluted vistas of various formations, some of these are elegant while others are rugged but each one is quite realistic having their individual distinguishing characteristics.
According to the geologists, the Stone Forest is a perfect instance of karsts topography. During the Paleozoic era’s carboniferous period about 270 million years ago, this region was actually a sea which over time dried up with the movement s of the lithosphere and in its place a limestone landscape was formed. These limestones eroded over times and what remains is the present day stone forest. The stone forest is nature’s best creation and can be called the masterpiece of Mother Nature.
Shilin is separated into seven scenic areas and they are Lizijing Stone Forest, Naigu Stone Forest, Lake Chang, Moon Lake or Lake Yue, Dadie Waterfall, Zhiyun Cave and Qifeng Cave.
The sculptures of Stone Forest as engraved by nature are a wonder that every visitor acknowledges as these tall rocks looks as if they originate from the ground like stalagmites while a number of these rocks resembles a petrified tree thus create an chimera that it is a forest made up of stone. In the year 2007, the two parts of the Stone Forest namely the Naigu Stone Forest and Suogeyi Village were marked as World Heritage Sites of UNESCO in South China.