As the Year of the Rabbit chases away winter, the Year of the Dragon brings in the spring. With the Lunar New Year approaching, Stone Forest Scenic Area is launching the “Dragon Soaring Prosperity, Joyful Journey to Stone Forest” series of activities. The festivities include a cultural feast showcasing dragon culture, a dragon-shaped float parade, and various performances of Yi ethnic group’s songs and dances. From the first day to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, there will be a variety of exciting activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year and create a joyful and unique atmosphere in Stone Forest.

During the Spring Festival, Stone Forest Scenic Area will host the Dragon Culture National Trend Art Exhibition. Visitors can not only appreciate the magnificent karst landscape but also “dance with dragons” and fully experience the festive atmosphere of the Year of the Dragon. The scenic area has set up several trendy photo spots, such as the Dragon Guardian, Dragon Blessing, Colorful Dragon, and Touching Dragon. Make a wish on the Wishing Dragon Wall, as where there is a dragon, there is good luck and all wishes come true; the hidden dragon emerging from the Lotus Pond brings prosperity and good fortune for the New Year; the cute Touching Dragon brings good luck and smooth sailing ahead when touched on the head or tail. Embark on the adventure of “Hunting for the Dragon” in Shihai to feel the Yi ethnic group’s New Year atmosphere and pray for good luck and success in the Year of the Dragon.

From the first day to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the scenic area will hold a rich variety of spring festival activities every day. The grand Sani welcoming ceremony will be held at the tourist center from 8 am to 9 am, with Ashima and Aheige performing the hot traditional Da Sanxian dance to welcome guests from all directions. At 9 am, the dragon-shaped float parade will kick off at the entrance of the scenic area, featuring dragon-shaped floats, Ashima ambassadors, art performance teams, and dragon dance teams, showcasing the harmonious integration of the Sani culture of Stone Forest’s Yi ethnic group with traditional Chinese culture and composing the most joyful Spring Festival chapter. Two national song and dance performances welcoming the new spring will be presented at the Sun and Moon Square in the scenic area every day, with local stars, folk artists, and the scenic area’s art troupe performing together to celebrate the new spring with singing and dancing. During the festival, the scenic area will launch a “Warm You Up When You Come to Stone Forest” theme activity, preparing 100 cups of heartwarming ginger tea with creative cup covers to give away to tourists for free every day. Tourists only need to participate in the ’Dragon Hunt’ park activity and post photos or videos of no less than three “dragon” check-in points on Tiktok or Little Red Book to receive the gift.

In order to show gratitude for the enthusiasm of Harbin towards the “Yunnan small mushroom owner”, the Stone Forest Scenic Area will offer free admission to Harbin tourists from February 1 to 29, 2024. Visitors with a registered address in Harbin (including all its districts) can enjoy complimentary access to the Stone Forest Scenic Area by presenting their original ID card.

Located in the Spring City of Kunming, the Stone Forest enjoys a warm climate and abundant blooming flowers, making it an ideal destination for Lunar New Year travel. As the hometown of Ashima, it not only boasts enchanting ethnic charm and entertaining Spring Festival activities but also presents awe-inspiring natural landscapes. The karst landscape of the Stone Forest is renowned for its magnificence, uniqueness, danger, beauty, seclusion, mystery, and vastness, earning it international acclaim. It is the only karst geological wonder situated in the subtropical plateau region worldwide. In 2004, it was listed as one of the first batch of Global Geoparks by UNESCO, and in 2007, it was inscribed onto the World Heritage List by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. In 2022, it was successfully included in the first batch of 100 sites on the International Union of Geological Sciences’ list of geological heritage sites.

During the Spring Festival, people of all ages can find their own ways to have fun in the joyful Stone Forest, making it a perfect place for family reunions and celebrating the Lunar New Year with happiness and laughter! (Written by Liu Sha, Image provided by Stone Forest Scenic Area)