Located in Kunming, Yunnan Province, Shilin Scenic Area is a World Natural Heritage Site, renowned as “The First Wonder Under Heaven.” Here, it is famous for Karst landforms, with thousands of peaks stacked like cut by knives and axes, the cold and sharp stone pillars under the sunlight, as if the bones of the earth pierced the sky. Underground rivers crisscross, with the sound of water flowing, echoing with the peaks above, like a three-dimensional landscape scroll. The core area of Big Stone Forest is known for “Sword-Shaped Peak Clusters,” with scattered stone peaks towering into the clouds, with the “Ashi Ma” figure being the most stunning – the graceful figure of the young girl is solidified between the stone pillars, legend says she is the incarnation of an Yi ethnic girl, guarding this land. Small Stone Forest is more quiet, with vines winding around stone pillars, like a forest of stone stalactites, with the light and shadow mottled, revealing a mysterious atmosphere. Long Lake ripples, with the Yi ethnic village houses smoke curling, and the ruggedness of Stone Forest forming a harmonious aesthetic landscape. In Ziyun Cave, stone pillars are stacked, the traces of “water pierces stone” tell the story of millions of years of geological history. This geological museum was formed 2.5 million years ago, and once nurtured ancient marine life. The Yi ethnic ancestors regarded Stone Forest as a dwelling of gods, and the flames lit during the Fire Festival illuminated the stone peaks, praying for good weather and rain. In the Ming Dynasty, traveler Xu Xiake stopped here, marveling at “Stone Forest like thousands of peaks stacked, not created by human hands.”
