“Stone Forest has peaks with height of over a hundred meters, only entered by climbing. Strange stones are everywhere like troop, architecture, or road network. Black stones all have different shapes and styles. Water flows behind them, clear and cold as snow. It is said that someone once saw two plum trees with red fruit in winter; he could not pick from distance but never found them again the next day. This place was commonly called Lizijing (plum valley).” (Lunan Local Records, the 57th year of Kangxi era, Qing Dynasty)

The Lizijing mentioned in the above paragraph is the present Stone Forest, which is also called “the Major and Minor Stone Forests”. And the above is one of the earliest words in historical books describing Stone Forest. Stone Forest Scenic Area includes altogether five parts: Bushao Mountain in northwest, the Major and Minor Stone Forests in the center, Ancient Ganoderma in the south, and Liziyuanjing in the east, covering an area of about 12 square kilometers. Stone Forest Scenic Area is featured as deep, quiet, adventurous, and peculiar.

Major Stone Forest The entire scenic area consists of dense peaks, composing a stone basin. Stones here stands upright with have smooth lines, presenting to be cinerous. the highest independent peak is over 40 meters. There are typical scenic spots including “Lotus Peak”, “Swords Pool”, “Qianjunyifa”, “Jixiatongren”, “Xiangju Platform”,”Youlan Valley”, and “Phoenix Combing”; the most famous one is “Shilin attraction” inscribed by Long Yun while “Wangfeng Pavilion” is the best place to appreciate “forest sea”. When walking in the stone forest, people often get blocked by a peak; while it will be another scene after twists and turns. If visiting Major Stone Forest with no tour guide, you must take a map along with you as it is very easy to get lost in this “mystery”.

Minor Stone Forest Compared with dense Major Stone Forest; it is scattered, elegant, and beautiful. Wide and thick stones divide it into several gardens like screens. The most famous spot in Minor Stone Forest is Ashima. When evening comes with colorful lights on, this place becomes more colorful and attractive.

Bushao Mountain With many strange-shaped peaks scatter here, this is the place with the highest altitude in the while Stone Forest area.

Liziyuanjing Liziyuanjing is outside Huanlin Road. Strange-shaped pillars and stones on the barren mountain within miles gather or scatter with different heights, and there are not many tall trees competing height with stones, maintaining natural appearance. Here you can feel the complete difference between Major and Minor Stone Forests - completely original and boundless. There is an ancient cliff painting on the peak about 300 meters southeast to Huanlin Road, depicting people, beasts, things, stars and the moon, etc. According to relevant experts' investigation, this painting is about original religion, very similar to the people painted on the cliff painting by Zuo River, Guangxi. Perhaps this is the words that ancient Yi people left us!

Ancient Ganoderma There is a stone peak of about 15 meters high on the top of the mountain by the side of Bimu Pond adjacent to Liziyuanjing. With big top and small bottom, it looks like a huge Ganoderma, hence the name. You may feel “all the mountains are small” if standing on its top during sunset.

Stone Forest Scenic Area (Major Stone Forest, Minor Stone Forest, Bushao Mountain, Liziyuanjing, and Ancient Ganoderma) five parts and Shilin Karst Geological Research Museum: full fare RMB 130 per person, half fare RMB 65 per person.

Admission fee Tel: 0871-67711278