The stones seemingly arises from the ground, and looks higher than the trees. /CGTN Photo
The stones seemingly arises from the ground, and looks higher than the trees. /CGTN Photo
The main entrance to Shilin. /CGTN Photo
The main entrance to Shilin. /CGTN Photo
This rock is called the "thin strip of sky." /CGTN Photo
This rock is called the "thin strip of sky." /CGTN Photo
This rock looks like the head of a peacock. /CGTN Photo
This rock looks like the head of a peacock. /CGTN Photo
Limestones of Shilin. /CGTN Photo
Limestones of Shilin. /CGTN Photo
The stone forest of Shilin. /VCG Photo
The stone forest of Shilin. /VCG Photo
Different shapes of the rocks. /CGTN Photo
Different shapes of the rocks. /CGTN Photo
The definition of a forest is a large area consisting of trees, but a forest can also be dominated by stones. Shilin Geopark, or Stone Forest Geopark, spans 400 square kilometers of limestone groups. Located at Shilin Yi Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Shilin is also on the World Heritage List because of its notable karst landscape.
Meet Geoparks
In the series of Meet Geoparks, CGTN Nature takes you visit all kinds of geological heritages in the world. You will not only enjoy the great natural spectacles and understand their creation, but also hear local legends and stories about the geoparks.
In the next piece, let's unveil the geologic formations of Shilin.
(All photos credit to CGTN's Xing Fangyu.)
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)