Knowra Stone Forest Stone Forest The Stone Forest is a landscape of towering limestone pillars in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan, China. Karst erosion shaped its formations, and it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property South China Karst.
Karst : A landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rocks, especially limestone, by water. Limestone dissolution is the broad process that sculpted the Stone Forest.
South China Karst : A UNESCO World Heritage property encompassing major karst landscapes across southern China. The Stone Forest is one of its component areas.
UNESCO World Heritage Site : A place recognized under the World Heritage Convention for outstanding cultural or natural value. The Stone Forest is protected within the South China Karst World Heritage property.
Naigu Stone Forest : A section of the Stone Forest known for dark limestone formations and distinctive karst scenery. It is a notable landscape within the wider Stone Forest area.
Limestone : A sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, often formed from accumulated marine material. Its soluble carbonate rock forms the Stone Forest’s pillars.
Permian : A geological period lasting from about 299 to 252 million years ago, preceding the Triassic. The limestone bedrock of the Stone Forest formed during the Permian.
Geotourism : Tourism focused on geological features, landscapes, and Earth history. Visitors come to experience the Stone Forest’s distinctive karst scenery.
Ashima : A prominent Stone Forest rock formation named for a heroine in Yi folklore. Its outline is associated with the Yi story of Ashima.
Chemical weathering : The breakdown or alteration of rock through chemical reactions with water, air, or other substances. Rainwater chemically dissolves the limestone that makes up the pillars.
Shilin Yi Autonomous County : A county in Yunnan Province, China, administered as an autonomous county for the Yi people. The Stone Forest lies within this county.
Show all 21