Exploring Kunming: Stone Forest and Western Hills

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Kunming is a bustling, vibrant city with a population of nearly 6.5 million. The city is located at the northern edge of the large Dian Chi Lake and contains a plethora of parks, museums, bars and nightclubs.

Kunming is famous for its Stone Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. It is about an hour’s drive out of the city. The Stone Forest is a huge set of impressive limestone formations protruding from the ground, giving the impression of a forest made of stone. According to a legend of the Yi minority group, the forest is the birthplace of a beautiful girl called Ashima, who was turned into a stone after being forbidden to marry the man she loved. The Stone Forest was my first stop on my Kunming adventure, and it was a spectacular experience: a must-see for everyone visiting Kunming. Hours passed as I wandered, fascinated, through various stone formations, seeing highlights such as the Stone Forest Marvels and the Peak View Pavilion, which offers panoramic views of the area.

My next stop was the beautiful Western Hills, a scenic area about half an hour’s drive from the centre of Kunming (1.5 hours from the Stone Forest). Western Hills features fascinating Buddhist and Taoist temples, pavilions, caves and grottoes built along steep cliffs. For me, the highlight of Western Hills was the impressive Dragon Gate temple complex, which can be reached by a 20-minute cable car from the top entrance to the scenic spot, which is accessible by park buses. The panoramic view of Kunming and Dian Chi Lake from the cable car and from the top of the Dragon Gate (2500m above sea level) was breathtaking. I felt like I had stepped back in time as I walked through the temple on the cliff edge down steps, through narrow pathways, caves and grottos, and past ancient shrines.

After my amazing day experiencing the area around Kunming, I had just enough time to head in to the city to sample some street food at the Kan To night markets before heading back to my hotel for a good night’s sleep!

Thanks should go out to the driver who took me to all these places, and to Selective Tours for arranging it!

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