In China's Yunnan Province is the famous stone topography of Shilin, meaning
'stone forest.' The Shilin stone forest has been a major attraction for thousands
of years, and a source of local myths and legend. It is an amazing place to visit,
and sees many tourists eager to see the majestic rock formation 'growing' out of
the ground. The area is full of caves, springs and underwater streams and
rivers to explore.
Here's The Most Unusual Forest In The World. Enjoy! :)
The giant stalagmite-like pillars create huge arrays of labyrinths that are easy to become
lost in. Two of the smaller individual stone forests, Naigu Stone Forest and Suogeyi Village,
are a part of the South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ashima rock is the most famous formation in the stone forest. An ancient
legend claims that the forest is the birthplace of Ashima, a beautiful girl
of the Yi people. She had fallen in love but was forbidden to persue it, and
instead was turned to stone in the forest that still bears her name. Each
year, on June 24th, the locals celebrate the 'torch festival', which
includes folk dancing and wrestling competitions.
Karst rock is made of limestone, and this rocky landscape is filled with
secret caves and sinkholes, due to undergrounds streams slowly eroding the
rock and creating fascinating new structures, so no rock is the other.
The rocks eroded by the streams seem to 'grow' right out of the ground.
The tallest rock reaches almost 100 feet (30 meters).
The Shilin Stone forest is actually only a part of a larger landscape of
rocks, the South China Karst.
South China is known for having the most complex and fascinating karst
landscapes in the world.
Be careful, you don't want to get lost! Many have gotten lost for a while in
the labyrinth, as the karst forests come with caves, peaks, ponds,
waterfalls and underground streams and rivers, make the way anything but
simple.
Over the thousands of years men have lived close to these rocks, names have
formed for most of them. Names Ten Thousand Year Mushroom, Mother and Son,
Camel riding on Elephant, Buddha Stone, Beautiful maiden ascending from the
water and hundreds more...
Old pathway chiseled into the rock.
Also some old steps.
What is known as the Elephant (on the right) of the stone forest.
The South China Karst has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site since
2007.
The Sani people (a branch of the Yi nation) have a legend: "Asham was a
beautiful, yet poor girl of the Yunan region. She was very clever and kind
hearted, and when she was still a girl, she saved a boy named Ahei who lost
his way. Ahei, an orphan, had to toil for a cruel landlord. Asham took him
home and her parents adopted him. They grew together, fell in love and got
married, and were very happy. Unfortunately, the son of the cruel landlord
abducted Ashmam for her beauty. Ahei, learning of this, saved her in a
daring attack that killed both landlord and son. They escaped into the stone
forest, where they raised a family and lived happily ever after, and their
children became the first of the Sani people..."
The Naigu stone forest has a black surface, and indeed the word Naigue means
'black'.
Many caves adorn this area, some of them go into the mountains, and some go
underground, where they may meet the underground streams and rivers.
A walkway built many years ago.
The walkways of the stone forest are the only witnesses of thousands of
years of humans living next to, and in, the stone forest.
Amazing view of the stone forest.
Every stone is different. Some of the formations are more rugged and blunt,
while others seem more life like and elegant.
The Shilin stone forest includes more than 1000 stone pillars that reach
from 15 to 100 feet (30 meters) tall.
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