Wansheng Stone Forest

A wooded forest is not a big deal because we can find it in any natural environment, but have you ever seen a stone forest? Is looks pretty exotic in China that every element can contribute into different form to create a stone forest. Once again, we sigh how magical nature can be. Natural view site has its own beauty that different from a urban site where they contain a power to open our mind and relax ourselves. 

Located 165km from downtown Chongqing (chóng qìng 重庆), Wansheng Stone Forest (wàn shèng shí lín 万盛石林), which was formed about four hundred and sixty-five million years to six hundred million years ago and it was formed two hundred million years earlier than Lunan Stone Forest (lù nán shí lín 路南石林) in Yunnan province (yún nán shěng 云南省), is called "the Ancestor of Stone Forest". The scenic area covers more than 10 square kilometers. Touted as a "geological museum", this maze of towering karst structures is fascinating.

The forest here has a typical karst appearance, filled with sword, drum, pagoda, mushroom and bud shaped stones, as well as animal shapes. Owing to its having had a great variety of weird rock formations, it has enjoyed the reputation of a natural zoo of stone animals. Wansheng Stone Forest is endowed with the typical feature of a well-developed limestone zone.

This stone forest is unique as it is situated on the peak of the mountain and is often shrouded in cloud or mist. The mountain often rains, adding to its beauty and advent and enhancing the character of the stone formations. Furthermore, the place boasts a good number of scenic spots, such as the earthly slit, a group of limestone caves, underground streams and the milk stone in various shapes. Various activities are offered to the guests, which encourage every one to participate, such as ethnic dance show, teahouse and clap the mountain. Sedan chairs (jiào zǐ 轿子) are available to take visitors up the numerous stairs to the top when some one feeling tired needs to relax. In addition to the drop in elevation as large as 40 meters, copper drum shoal, a newly-developed scenic spot in this area, has a total length of 11,000 meters. Besides, the water there is good in quality. Therefore, drifting along the shoal is surely a fresh experience and a great enjoyment.

The touring values of the stone forest lie in the following aspects. 
It is a scenic spot with all kinds of strange stones because it includes more than 200 absolutely life like stone fans, stone drums, a line of sky, over-water stone forest awaiting travelers.
      It is a geological museum experienced trillion years' ocean changes. The ocean biological fossils distributed on many stones have recorded trillion years of changes of the ancient ocean.
      It is a charming underground art palace. Tianmen Limestone Cave (tiān mén dòng 天门洞) is the representative of typical scenery in China.
      It is a scenic spot for original customs of The Miao ethnic minority (miáo zú 苗族). 
Wansheng Stone Forest belonged to the territory of ancient Yelang Country (yè làng guó 夜郎国). The Miao ethnic minority, who are skilled in singing and dancing, have been living here generation after generation and boast a unique system of beliefs and traditions that are distinct from mainstream Chinese culture. The colorful original customs of The Miao ethnic minority has endowed the stone forest with the characteristics of touring for folk customs. Visit during any number of colorful festivals to enjoy Miao song and dance.

Wansheng District (wàn shèng qū 万盛区), Located in the southeast quadrant of China's Chongqing region,is a fascinating natural environment that is highlighted by its stone forest. Easily visited on a daytrip from Chongqing, this is one of the region's premium ecotourism destinations to exert our imagination.

Transportation : You can take a tourist express train or, as an alternative, take Bus No.327 fromNanping Bus Station (nán píng qì chē zhàn 南坪汽车站) and get off at Wansheng, where you have to take another minibus directly to the forest. Both ways take about 4 hours.
Location : The Stone Forest Scenic Area is located in Wansheng District, 89km southern from Chongqing.
Ticket : 50 RMB
Opening hour : 8：30-17：30
Best season to go : By the end of April to early May. Because there is Tourism Festival at that time every year and Wansheng Stone Forest will organize Special actions such as "Hill step (cǎi shān huì 踩山会)", brilliant performances Miao, barbecues at night in the square of Wansheng Stone Forest.


Zhonglian (Nicole) Yang

Reference: http://www.foreignercn.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4653:wansheng-stone-forest&catid=67:travel-in-chongqing&Itemid=138