Tastes of Culture

The Yunnan Stone Forest – also named Shilin – is located in the capital of the Yunnan province – Kunming. It has been recognized in China as one of the wonders of the world since the Ming Dynasty. It was created by natural erosion processes that have been occuring since pre-history.

After some initial research it was determined that the Terra Cotta Army were from the Qin Dynasty, 211 – 206 BC and they represented a funerary art and were buried along with the Emperor of the time. They belonged to the Emperor Qin Shi Huang who ruled during this period and was actually the first emperor of China. The figures vary in height according to their role within the army. The generals are the tallest.

There are guided tours available which makes sense to do so as to be aware of most things and not to miss some of the important aspects of the Stone Forest. There is a lot to see including human and animal shaped stones along with the Major and Minor Stone Forests.

Shore excursions are led by knowledgeable tour guides so you can enjoy a number of on-land visits. The best time to visit the river is in spring, summer and autumn. Winters can be very harsh.

The main feature of the Dadie Forest is the Dadie Waterfall which is almost 300 feet in height. Its purely natural rain water. The source of the Dadie Waterfall, Ba River, is a branch of Nanpan River. In the rainy season, up to 150 cubic meters (196 cubic yards) of water per square inch plummet down the 88 meter (288 feet) drop.

The Grand Canal connects the lower Yangtze with the major cities of the Jiangnan region south of the river (Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou) and with northern China (all the way to Beijing). The less well known ancient Lingqu Canal, connecting the upper Xiang River with the headwaters of the Guijiang, allowed a direct water connection from the Yangtze Basin to the Pearl River Delta.

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