Stone Forest of Yunnan is familiar to many domestic and foreign tourists. Some even travel tens of thousands of miles just to witness the miraculous landscape of Stone Forest. As a traveler of Yunnan, I once traveled to Stone Forest several times to view peculiars tones and climb dangerous peaks, just to have fun, but I have never understood it in a real sense. From December 12 to 13, 2015, more than 20 of us, following the geological experts of Yunnan Province, entered Stone Forest Scenic Area once again to start a trip of geoscience popularization and exploration to Stone Forest.

At 8:30 December 12, we set off from Tuodong Stadium to Stone Forest, a subtropical karst landform scenic area, 78km away from Kunming, along Kunming-Shilin Expressway. We arrived at the destination in one and a half hours. After a short rest we visited “Stone Forest Karst Geological Museum”, the largest geological museum in China. According to the Guide, the total building area of the Museum is 18,927 square meters, with nearly 10,000 exhibits, including hundreds of national treasure-level exhibits. Among the exhibits, ten created the “Guinness World Records” including “the longest underwater crystal needle”, “the largest hedgehog mushroom fossil wrapped with calcite crystallite” and “the heaviest natural ebony, Flying Dragon in the Sky”. This time we visited seven themed exhibition areas. In the Exhibition Area for Karst Evolution and Cave Stone, we saw the process of creature evolution from the evolution of karst landform. Many animal and plant fossils vividly show the activities they once experienced. “Natural selection and survival of the fittest” is the permanent truth in the process of creature evolution on the earth. In the Exhibition Hall for Culture of Ornamental Stone, our eyes were attracted by stones of various shapes, and the banquet of stones known as “Man-Han Banquet” made our mouth drooling with greed; and the “golden shoe-shaped gold” made us indulged in fantasy. The “lighting stone” as the best exhibit in the Museum is the most miraculous. A stone looking ordinary gave off green light when shone with ultraviolet light! In the Famous Wood and Ebony Exhibition Hall, we saw such rare trees as scented rose wood, silkwood and tung tree as well as large root sculpture works. The ebony ornamentals known as “plant mummy” totally attracted our eyes with their grand momentum. The science popularization exhibition allowed us to broaden our horizon while increasing our knowledge.

Visiting Stone Forest Karst Geological Museum

In the afternoon we entered Stone Forest Scenic Area by a ferry motor. Shuttling among caesious rocks, we sought for the shock penetrating our soul brought by the site from the end of the early Permian period more than 250,000,000 years ago. After visiting the famous Cliff Inscription Scenic Spot, we went up by stairs to Wangfeng Pavilion. Here we may have an overview of Stone Forest. In addition to the steep and dangerous shape of stone peaks, the “race of rabbit and tortoise” also attracted us. Then we entered the dense jungle of stones. Into our first sight was a pond of water in which a sword-shaped peak towered. That is the well-known Jianfeng Pond. It is said that a fight between justice and evil was once going on here. On the way we saw natural stone tables and beds, where the tourists may have short rest. Then we drove on, looking at the tine-honored ganoderma lucidum at distance, roaming about in Liziyuan Valley and Bushao (Sentry) Mountain, viewing coral and shell fossils at a close distance. From the introduction by experts, we saw the miraculous view of rocks after eroded by water in the past trillions of years. Finally we arrived at the terminal, the Lesser Stone Forest. Compared to the Greater Stone Forest with towering peculiar peaks, the Lesser Stone Forest has beautiful landscapes and green grass, “Ashima” standing in front of the lake alone to wait for her beloved to return … Many girls and boys wore Yi clothes and took photos for sweet memory. It was as if that Ashima and Aheige had been back to the human world！

On the morning of December 13, we went to Naigu Stone Forest by car. In Yi language “Naigu” means “black”. Entering the scenic area we saw the black sea of stones at distance. The stone here are simpler and more primitive. On the way the stone peaks aroused our imagination. One said it was “hanging by a thread” here and the other said there was a Snoopy there. When seeing the meeting of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai and the camel roaming about, everyone acclaimed for the uncanny craftsmanship of nature.

Wonders of Naigu Stone Forest

In the afternoon we arrived in the famous Changhu Scenic Area, also known as Hidden Lake among the local people because it is hidden among green mountains and trees, tranquil and gentle. Here the water was clear and the air was fresh. On weekends camping and picnic here with friends and family may probably relax us from the busy life. Finally we arrived in the last station: Nuohei Village, a village built of stones. We visited the articles collected in Nuohei Yi Culture Museum and entered Yi courtyard to further understand the Yi religion and life there. During our trip, it happened that men here were celebrating Mizhi Festival, a festival unique to men. Om Mizhi Festival, their sacrificing ceremony was mysterious and made thoughts flash across our minds.

Beautiful scene of Changhu Lake   

Nuohei Village, a village built of stone

The two-day trip was compact and rich. From the science popularization activity we had a three-dimensional and multivariate view of Stone Forest. Its history of ecological evolution, traditional ethnic culture, folklores and folkways left unforgettable memories for us. “The Stone Forest of Yunnan is a wonder of the world”. With the coexistence of nature and culture, we should emphasize both inheritance and protection!