Shilin

Shilin is the most picturesque national park in China, 126 km from the city of Kunming. A forest of rocks and trees is located on an area of 350 ^km2. The territory consists of 7 zones: Moon Lake, Naigu Stone Forest, Quifing Cave, Zhiyun Cave, Long Lake, Dadeshui Waterfall, stone forests. It's easy to spot a huge number of natural towers forming a stone forest.

The area began to form about 260 million years ago, when the waters of the ancient sea lapped here. Due to frequent earthquakes, the earth has risen, exposing rocks that have assumed their current appearance under the influence of erosion. In Shilin Park, there are rocks of various shapes that look like humans, animals, or even fairy-tale castles. A similar stone forest can be found in Madagascar in the Tsingyi du Bemaraha forest.

There is a legend among the locals that the giant built a dam in these parts and borrowed magic tools from a sorcerer during construction. But the tools had one flaw - as soon as the Sun rises, the tools disappear. Therefore, the giant failed to complete the dam, and to this day huge stones are scattered throughout the territory of Shilin.

There are a lot of lakes and ponds in Shilin, but the most colorful of them is Changhu Lake, which is almost 3,000 meters long and 300 meters wide. The bottom of the lake is covered with stone trees, and there are beautiful bridges near the shores. Another attraction of the park is the "Cave of the Mysterious Wind", it was named so because in August and November, wind streams break out from there every three minutes.

Every year, on the 24th day of the 6th month of the lunar calendar, there is a torch festival, which attracts thousands of travelers. During the holiday, concerts of traditional dance groups, bullfights, and dragon games are held here. Those who don't like noisy places can go to the numerous groves and manicured meadows for privacy. Also, within the small stone forest, you can find rocks - "Towers holding the sky" and "Singing flowers".

In 2007, the village of Suogeyi and the Naigu Forest were included in the World Heritage List. Hieroglyphs with verses can be found on the rocks in these parts.