we're on our way to the forest
a forest overview
posing in traditional dress for the clicking cameras
it's crowded at the souvenir stalls
lunch time
the pavilion in Moon Lake
many stones have inscriptions
the stone forest of Shi Lin
One hours drive east of Kunming is the amazing Stone Forest of Shilin, where strangely shaped limestone rocks cover a protected area of 500 km2. Shilin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007
and a major tourist attraction that can become very crowded. 
 
The strangely shaped stones are remnants of limestone deposits in an ancient shallow sea. When the water faded, erosion took its toll and created this natural wonder of karst formations.
 
The forest features impressive waterfalls and caves, but most tourists stick to a walking tour through the most scenic part.
You will encounter a couple of lakes with, weather permitting, nice reflections of the towering stones.
 
Neolithic people were already impressed and left several paintings and inscriptions on the stones and successive generations happily followed suit.
 
We visited Shilin in August 2005.
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this is scenic Stone Forest Lake
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a pavilion high on top, it looks very crowded
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one day that stone will drop....
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a view from the teahouse
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butterflies do not mind the scenery, they go straight for the flowers
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