The wonder of Stone Forest karst landforms is distributed vastly with grand momentum and diverse types, with the protected area of up to 350 square kilometers. The Scenic Area boasts numerous scenic spots including Stone Forest Scenic Area, Naigu Stone Forest Scenic Area, Dadieshui Scenic Area, Changhu Scenic Area, Guishan National Forest Park and Nuohei Rock Village. The guide said it takes at least a week to travel all the scenic spots of Stone Forest. Therefore, every time I came to Stone Forest, I had different experience and different shocks. That is why I love Stone Forest. 

The trip of science popularization, from the morning of the first day when we entered Stone Forest Karst Geological Museum, I was surprised and shocked repeatedly. Entering the grand gate of the Museum, a scroll of stalactite landscape painting themed “Splendid China” with the size of 56 square meters was presented in front of us. The stalactites creating the Guinness World Records and in the vivid shapes of “underwater crystal needle”, “torch”, “straw hat” and “straw sandals” made us acclaim for the wonder of nature. In the Museum, ammonite, crystal hedgehog fungus fossil and garibaldi and dinosaur fossils enabled us to see the endless circle of life trillions of years ago. In the exhibition area of minerals, colorful precious stones and the stones representing the twelve Earthly Branches were shining with their respective lights, lighting up the whole exhibition hall like the most precious illuminating ore of the Museum. They also gave us new understanding about the whole nature.

In the afternoon, we entered the main scenic area – the Greater and Lesser Stone Forest to start the science popularization trip to Stone Forest Scenic Area. As the trip is focused on science popularization, we saw the landscapes different from the landscapes in the eyes of other tourists with the comments provided by several geological experts. 

Stone Forest is mainly constituted of limestone, which is carbonate rock. While carbonate rock falls into the scope of sedimentary rock; in other words, rocks are developed from sediments in the water. The formation of Stone Forest is a result of the combination and even the coincidence of many factors including geological, hydrological and climatic factors. The formation of the Stone Forest as the “Number One Wonder in the World” might have been impossible without any one of the factors. From the perspective of geoscience, the formation of Stone Forest underwent the long history of nearly 300 million years and experienced two complicated processes of being covered and then basseting. It is safe to say that the formation of Stone Forest is a real geological legend. 

The beauty of Stone Forest lies in its grand momentum and various shapes of uncanny craftsmanship.

The Greater Stone Forest Scenic Area is led by caesious rock peaks which are tall and straight with the height of up to 20-40 meters. On top of the rocks there are usually “transversal lines” on level surface. Such lines are the bedding surface of rocks which was formed underwater. It is such “transversal lines” that divide rock pillars into different sections and form the various vivid shapes we saw. The surface of rocks in Stone Forest is covered with grooves. Such grooves, developed from erosion of the rocks, are known as “marks of erosion”. The horizontal marks of erosion are formed from erosion by underwater while vertical grooves are a result of rain water erosion. It is the grooves from rain erosion that have formed the sharp “swords” in Stone Forest. 

In 1931 Wang Longyun of Yunnan inscribed the characters “Shi Lin” (Stone Forest) on the large screen stone of Stone Forest, starting the planning for construction of Stone Forest.

In Stone Forest Scenic Area there are many fossils of the remote ancient times, including the very small fritillaries and corals as well as large-area corals and sea snails. Probably that is what the visitors to Stone Forest cannot see in just two hours.

In the Lesser Stone Forest Scenic Area are still caesious stone peaks with the height of only 10-20 meters. Compared to the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest is more graceful and elegant. The legend of Ashima is about the Lesser Stone Forest Scenic Area. 

On the morning of the second day of our trip, we came to Naigu Stone Forest Scenic Area 8 kilometers away from the Greater and Lesser Stone Forest. Covering an area of 10 square kilometers, Naigu Stone Forest consists of the Eastern Area, Western Area, Baiyun Lake, Baiyun Cage and Old Battlefield. Naigu, Sani language of Yi Nationality, contains the meaning “ancient and black”. Mainly consisting of dolomite rocks, it shows deep grey color. The experts told us that the formation of Naigu Stone Forest is even earlier. The stone forest was in area, so the geologic configuration is more stable. Therefore, in Naigu Stone Forest, there are not many independent towering and dangerous peaks like in the Greater Stone Forest Scenic Area. 

Naigu Stone Forest, mostly standing high above, is also led by black peaks in areas. Viewed from distance, the closely connected areas of black sea of rocks show grand momentum, looking like the ancient city walls as well as an ancient battlefield. In the TV play Romance of Three Kingdoms, the plot of Seven Captures of Meng Huo was shot in Naigu Stone Forest. While in the Record of a Journey to the West, more outdoor scenes are shot in the beautiful Greater and Lesser Stone Forest.

But I like Naigu Stone Forest better. It is not only because in the past years, Naigu Stone Forest was covered with the beautiful landscape of vast sea of flowers in different flowering seasons, but it also because there are not so many tourists crowded in Naigu Stone Forest as in the Greater and Lesser Stone Forest. We may easily climb up to the “Fengshangwang Peak” higher than “Wangfeng Pavilion” of the Greater Stone Forest to view the whole Stone Forest. I like Naigu Stone Forest better also because here we may get in woods and underground to experience more fun of climbing up and going down the mountain.

In the spring of 2016, Naigu Stone Forest will be covered with the vast sea of rape flowers, and I will be back again at that time.

In the afternoon we drove to the beautiful Changhu Scenic Area of Stone Forest. With the circumference of more than five kilometers, the lake surface is in a narrow and long shape, and that’s why it is called Changhu Lake, literally meaning a long lake. Not far away from Changhu Lake is a round lake.

Arriving at Changhu Lake, we saw the tranquil lake surface and breathe the fresh air. On both banks of the clear lake surface are broad grassland and slender common reed and green dense woods respectively. It is really a pleasant place.

Leaving Changhu Lake, we rushed to the rock village of Sani Nuohei Village at about 25 kilometers east of Kunming Stone Forest Scenic Area. Built in 1398, the village has a history of 610 years. The residences in the village are mainly built of stone materials and rocks, showing obvious ethnic characteristics. In 2005, “Nuohei Traditional Yi Culture Protection Area” was approved by the Department of Culture of Yunnan Province to be listed among the Directory of Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection of Yunnan Province. Simple and beautiful with Sani culture presented everywhere, Nuohei Village has the first village Yi culture museum.

Stone Forest, a beautiful place you want to visit more than once!