The Small Stone Forest in Shilin County, Kunming

About Small Stone Forest

Small Stone Forest is also called Ashima Scenic Area, and thick stone wall is like a screen. It’s divided into a number of gardens. The most famous scenic spot is "Ashima". When night falls, the lights reflect, it is even more colorful and charming.

Legend &  Minority Culture

Story about Ashima

Many beautiful legends originate in this magical place, passed along by  the native people known as Sani, a branch of the Yi ethnic group. One particular story about the faithful love of Ashima, a beautiful, clever and warm-hearted Sani girl, is the most popular and has been told for thousands of years. As the legend goes, Ashima was kidnapped by an lanlord's son and forced into marriage. Her lover, Ahei, made every effort to save her. However, on the way home, Ashima was swept away by a flood and turned into what is known as the Ashima Rock, which can be found in the Minor Stone Forest. Her passion and perseverance for freedom and true love still encourage today's Sani people.

Torch Festival of Sani People

The Sani people celebrate their national festival - the Torch Festival - every lunar year on June 24. They take part in traditional performances such as wrestling, bull fighting, pole-climbing, dragon-playing, lion-dancing and the A-xi Moon Dance. During this time, the Stone Forest is alive with a particular0ve atmosphere, making the area even more attractive than usual.

Nearby Attractions

Lager Stone Forest(大石林)
Naigu Stone Forest (乃古石林)
Long Lake (长湖)

Recommended Small Stone Forest Tours

Top 3 Small Stone Forest tours chosen by most customers to explore Small Stone Forest in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us. We provide some tour routes for tourists to choose.

1 Day Kunming Stone Forest Group Tour
1 Day Kunming Stone Forest Tour by High Speed Train
1 Day Kunming Stone Forest Tour with Nuohei Ethnic Village Discovery

How to Get There?

By Lomg-distance Bus

1. Travelers can take public coach at bus stations in Kunming to Stone Forest. This will take about 1.5 hours.
2. From Kunming Changshui International Airport, travelers can take the travel bus to there, and it will take about 2 hours.

By Private Car

Another way to get to Stone Forest is taking a private car, and this is the fastest and most convenient way. It only takes about 1 hour. If you book tour with us, we will provide you the private car with a private driver and a tour guide to make your trip worry-free.

By Train

Shilin Yi Autonomous County also has a train station, and it has trains to Kunming, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanning, Zhanjiang, Guiyang, Hongguo, etc. Shilin Train Station is only about 4 km from Stone Forest, so traveler can get the spot easily.

Useful Travel Tips

1. Best seasons: Best time to visit here is from March to October. Most ethnic festivals are during this time, and travelers can also appreciate various flowers during this time. Stone Forest is located in the subtropical humid monsoon climate zone, and it features in continental monsoon climate. No hot summer nor severe cold winter, the climate here is rather moderate all year round.

2. Tickets: The entrance ticket for the Stone Forest is ¥175/person. The ticket for cable car in the scenic area is ¥25/person. The dance show in the scenic area is free.

3. Facility: In the front of the scenic area, there are parking lot and China post office.
The Visitor Center can provide wheelchair, baby carriage, umbrella, walking stick, etc. for visitors.
The Visitor Center also provide tour guide service in Chinese, English, Japanese, Thai, etc. for tourists, and the guide service will charge a certain fees, please check with the staffs in the Visitor Center for detailed price.
Tourists can find the location of toilets in the scenic area according to the infrastructure map on the back of the entrance ticket.

4. Accommodation: Travelers can stay overnight in Shilin County after visit, and there are also some 3-star hotels in the county. However, most travelers will choose to go back to Kunming for accommodation. Kunming has more choice for travelers and it’s more convenient to transfer to your next destination from Kunming.