In southwest China's Yunnan Province, a stone forest of 400 square kilometers, bigger than Munich (310.4 km²), is sitting at Shilin Yi Autonomous County. It is named Shilin (石林), which literately means "Stone Forest."

But how does nature create such splendor?

Shilin used to be a massive ocean area, only until 250 million years ago when the land rose up and limestones on the seabed broke the surface of sea. 

When the water dissolved with carbon dioxide and turned into acidic, the rocks were eroded because limestones are made of mineral calcium carbonate.

The water on the earth's surface and underground gradually "chewed" limestone layers, and those cracks became bigger and deeper. 

After a long period, the thick stratum becomes uneven. And at places where the erosion was strong, only a few stone peaks, pillars, and stalagmites were left.

About 230 million years ago, magma emerging from earth cracks covered the limestone layers. After cooling down, erosion on the stone with crevices continued due to rainfalls, while the magmatic rocks on the surface also suffered from weathering.

Over millions of years of erosion and weathering, the magmatic rocks overlying the limestone formation disappeared but those stone peaks, pillars, and stalagmites still stand on the ground and keep being re-shaped by nature.

Meet Geoparks

In the series of Meet Geoparks, CGTN Nature takes you on a visit to all kinds of geological heritage around the world. You will not only enjoy great natural spectacles and understand their creation, but also hear local legends and stories about the geoparks. 

In the next piece, let's enjoy the colorful stones in Shilin.

(All photos credit to CGTN's Xing Fangyu.)

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