Shilin, better known as the Stone Forest, is one of Yunnan’s star attractions and is two hours by car from Kunming. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and features striking karst rock formations.
Shilin covers a huge area, although only part of the scenic area is open to tourists. The rock formations were created millions of years ago and are classified into the likes of Greater Stone Forest, Lesser Stone forest, Outer Stone Forest, and Underground Stone Forest. The Lesser Stone Forest (Xiao Shilin) and Greater Stone Forest (Da Shilin) are the most visited.
The most striking rocks are Rhinoceros Looking at the Moon, Ten Thousand Year Mushroom, and Camel Riding on Elephant and they range from 5 and 30 meters in height. Views from the Summit View Pavilion (Wang Feng Ting) over the area are sublime and the highlight, while the lawns of the Lesser Stone Forest are good for relaxing.
Shilin can easily be done on a day trip from Kunming by public bus or through a tour company. Visitors can also stay near the forest at the village of Lunan, about 15kms to the southeast. The Torch Festival in June is a special time around Shilin.
Getting There & Away
Shilin is best accessed by bus from Kunming along the G324. The journey takes about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Kunming Wujiaba Airport is the nearest major airport, with flights from all over China and Southeast Asia. Beijing is a 3 hour flight away. The airport is 70kms to the west of Shilin.