# Stone Forest Scenic Area (石林风景名胜区)

Kunming, Yunnan Province · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 5/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/stone-forest-scenic-area
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥130
- **Time needed:** 3 hours or more
- **Getting there:** 1. Take a bus from Kunming East Bus Station to Shilin County town, about 2 hours, ¥35. From Shilin County town, you can take a bus to the scenic area. 2. Take a bus from Kunming East Bus Station directly to the Stone Forest scenic area, ¥34, about 1.5 hours. 3. Take a train to Shilin Railway Station, then take a taxi to the scenic area.
- **By car:** Self-driving visitors can take the Kunming–Shilin Expressway to reach Stone Forest.
- **Good for:** Hiking & Outdoors, Photography, Nature

## About Stone Forest Scenic Area

Stone Forest boasts the most extraordinary karst landscape in the world, attracting countless visitors from China and abroad, and is hailed as the “First Wonder Under Heaven”. “Scenery of Stone Forest” is the most representative attraction here. Within the scenic area are “animal-shaped” rocks such as Tang Monk Rock, Monkey King Rock and Ashima, each with its own beautiful legend.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Hire a guide: It is well worth hiring a guide to explain the beautiful legend behind each rock. It is far more engaging than simply looking at them.
- 2. Torch Festival: Every year on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, the Yi people from around Stone Forest gather here for the Torch Festival, with ethnic song and dance, folk performances and bonfire parties. The sea of people may be the greatest spectacle of all.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 200. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.