Stone Forest

Stone Forest (Shilin) is a remarkable region of limestone columns. It is in Yunnan Province, China. Two parts of the site, the Naigu Stone Forest and Suogeyi Village are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are part of the South China Karst. The site is classified as a AAAAA-class tourist site. This is the highest rating in the Chinese tourist system. Formation The stone forests formed some 270 million years ago in what was a shallow sea. They are mostly limestone, with some sandstone. Horizontal strata were laid down in the basin, and later was pushed up into the air. The limestone in the rocks was then eroded by wind and water to create these spectacular stone pillars. There is a very similar "forest" in Melarky, Madagascar, known as the Tsingy. References