Updated 17th March, 2004
China Mystery Tour Two: A Visit To The Stone Forest In Yunnan Province.
The Stone Forest is not one of trees but of rocks eroded through the centuries into many towering pillars of stone. Amongst the Stone Forest are lakes of crystal clear water which reflect the surroundings, and adds to their mystic charm. We arrived at the Stone Forest site by car from Kunming, and on arrival, our host took Zhong to a group of Sani women by the entrance and invited him to choose one to act as our guide.
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Our beautiful Stone Forest guide, a member of the Sani Group, explained the many legends associated with the rock formations to Zhong, as we came to them, and he translated them for me.
The most famous legend of the Stone Forest is that of "Ashima" and alongside one of the lakes two tall rock formations are said to be that of Ashima and her lover, whom the gods turned to stone so that they should be together for eternity.
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The Sani guide and Zhong waited patiently in the Stone Forest for Robert to take his photos and later decided to sing a song together. They were rewarded by applause from a passing group of Japanese Tourists.
During our walk through the towering rocks of the Stone Forest, eroded into niches and gullies, we stooped low to climb up through a narrow tunnel. We were warned not to touch the roof, for fear of bringing misfortune to ourselves. How do such legends begin ?
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