the Stone Forest
cctv.com 02-15-2006 14:17
The Stone Forest is approximately 120 kilometers (or 75 miles) from Kunming along a modern expressway built in recent years. This is considered a national-level scenic resorts in China, and one of the best places in the world to see what is known as karst formations. These are large, limestone pillars, some as tall as 30m, that have been split and eroded by wind and rain into their present formation. Marine fossils found in the area indicate that this area was under the sea approximately 270 million years ago. Gradual shifting of the earth鈥檚 crust pushed this area up, leading to the unique process of erosion that gave us the present-day Stone Forest.
There are several sections of the karst topography that you can see, including the large & small stone forest and the Nai3gu3 stone forest, about 8 km away. The whole area covers approximately 400 square kilometers (or 96,000 acres). You can walk through the pathways left between the tall pillars, and spend a whole day simply exploring different paths in this labyrinth of limestone.
This area is mainly inhabited by the Yi2 and Sani ethnic groups. Many beautiful legends originate in this magical place, passed along by the native people. One popular story, mentioned in today鈥檚 dialogue, tells of the undying love of Ashima, a Sani girl. The Sani people celebrate their national festival - the Torch Festival - every lunar year on June 24. During this time, the Stone Forest is alive with a particularly joyful, festive atmosphere, making the area even more attractive than usual. This is perhaps the best time to visit the Stone Forest.
Editor:Wang Source:CCTV.com
