Five things not to miss
The scenic area is vast and split into several zones — the Major Stone Forest is the main section to walk, while the Minor Stone Forest is gentler and holds the famous Ashima rock. Take it slowly and you will catch everything.
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The Major Stone Forest is the heart of it all, and what everyone comes for. The path leads you in among the towering pillars — narrow enough in places to pass one at a time — then up stone staircases to terraces above, where you look out over a sea of peaks reaching to the horizon. The most photographed spot is the rock face carved with the red characters for "Shilin" (石林), where everyone stops for the obligatory photo. Follow the marked route and you will not get lost.
A short walk on from the Major Stone Forest is the Minor Stone Forest. This zone is flatter and far easier to walk, and it holds the single most famous pillar of all — the Ashima rock (阿诗玛), shaped like a young woman carrying a basket and gazing into the distance. Ashima is the heroine of a Sani-Yi legend, and the symbol of the Stone Forest you will see on the tickets, the posters and the souvenirs. Find the angle where the light catches it just right and you understand why this one rock became a legend.
Tucked among the grey pillars is a pool of clear water called Sword-Peak Pond, named for the sharp, blade-like rock that rises out of its centre. When the surface is still it mirrors the peak upside down — a moment of calm set against the jaggedness of the rock all around. It is a spot people love to pause at, take a photo and catch their breath before walking on. The water is clearest after the rains, when the level is high and the reflection sharpest.
Half the charm of the Stone Forest is not looking up at it from below, but climbing onto the peaks. The route runs up stone stairs to several viewing terraces, each opening onto rows of pillars rolling away in waves to the skyline. Between them, some passages are so narrow it feels like walking through a maze — you squeeze through dim, cool gaps in the rock and step back out into the light. Children usually love this part most. Follow the signs and photograph a map, because there are plenty of junctions.
The Stone Forest is not only rock — there are people too. The Sani-Yi are the original inhabitants, and they still keep their language, dress and traditions alive. Within the scenic area you will often find folk performances and stalls where you can try on Sani costume for a photo. The highlight of the year is the Torch Festival (火把节), held around 24 June by the lunar calendar, when the Yi light huge bonfires and spend the night wrestling, bull-fighting and dancing around the flames. Come at this time and you see the Stone Forest at its most alive.