Shilin UNESCO Global Geopark

Shilin (Stone Forest) UNESCO Global Geopark is situated in China’s Yunnan Province and covers 350 km2 of karst geology that includes a ‘stone forest’ important to the indigenous community and geo-tourists alike.

Shilin UNESCO Global Geopark is named because of the tall and pillar-like limestone scattered and distributed on this area. That makes it renowned in the field of geoscience and tourism. Shilin represents a unique topography and natural geographic feature on earth, it also displays a unique landscape aesthetic. It was hailed as a "wonder of the world." The geological relics of Shilin presented the most diverse forms of karst, the tall pillar-like limestone, sword-shaped limestone, mushroom-shaped limestone and tower-like limestone are represented in Shilin UNESCO Global Geopark. It’s also the origin of the words “Stone Forest” because it’s the typical example to reflect the evolution and development of the karst topography geologic relics, which has the features of historic, multi-stage, rarity and diversity of landscape forms.

Shilin UNESCO Global Geopark is the representative area which reflect the regional geological evolution since the late Paleozoic in the form of the stone forest landform. The rocks and stones which are exposed in the strata are mainly Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian carbonate rocks in a shallow water platform. The area was long ago covered by an ancient sea that deposited thousands of meters of calciferous shells that would one day become limestone and dolomite. This deep layer was later uplifted and weathered to become the stone forest. This karst process yields fantastic, sharp stones that are edged like a knife, and also rounded, mushroom-like stones. Clusters of stone pillars 20-50 meters high appear like a forest on the horizon. These formations have very high scientific and aesthetic values.