The Stone Forest lies in the hinterland of the Middle Yunnan Plateau, 103°11″―103°29″ east longitude and 24°40″―24°56″ north latitude. Located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, it’s over 70 kilometers away from Kunming. The climate belongs to the subtropical low latitude monsoon climate, with an average temperature of 16℃. It’s a large-scale comprehensive tourism area incorporating natural scenery, national customs, leisure and holiday, and scientific research.

Lake Dian

Known also as Kunming lake, Lake Dian is located at the foot of the Western Hills south-west of Kunming city in Yunnan Province. Being a bright and smooth highland lake, it's reputed as "A Pearl on the Yungui Plateau". The picturesque lake, dotted with sails, appears green and boundless and shining with ripples. Along its 150 kilometers long winding bank, lies numerous scenic spots and historical sites such as the Grand View Pavilion, West Garden, the Lake Embankment. The Grand View Pavilion:- Located at the lake's northern bank, it was built in the 29th year of Kangxi Reign in the Qing Dynasty (1690 AD). It's an exquisite structure with upturned roof-corners and eaves. Looking to the south, one has a fascinating view of the spectacular Lake Dian, and the graceful and full shape of the distant "Sleeping Beauty Mountain" shrouded in white clouds. The lake is surrounded by lush growth of trees and plants, with peony in full bloom in spring, and chrysanthemum blossoms found all over the place in autumn. The golden calligraphy of the Grand View Pavilion in bold Chinese characters sparkles brilliantly. Western Hills Scenic Area:- Located at the west bank of the lake, it's a large forest park with hills and ridges rising one upon another, and covered with old tall trees. The park is endowed with dense natural forests, murmuring streams, luxuriantly green bamboos, and crisscross with ancient paths. Scenic spots and historical sites are over hill and dale. The area from Sanqing Tower to Longmen is a place of concentration of the most spectacular scenic spots and architecture, and therefore reputed as "No.1 Scenery in middle Yunnan". Hill of Goddess of Mercy:- The temple of Goddess of Mercy perches on the Hill at the lake's west bank, with a beak-shaped portion of the hill extending into the lake water. The temple is confronted by perilous cliffs covered with lush woods. A seven-storey brick pagoda stands on the hill top which commands a bird's eye view of the Lake Dian, the mountain ranges along the Lake, the vast expanse of fertile land, and the smoke belching from the chimneys of fishermen's homes.

Yunnan Provincial Museum

The Yunnan Provincial Museum is a regional museum, containing around 50,000 objects in its collections. Among these, historical objects account for around 30,000 items of which there are 7,000 bronzes, revolutionary items (7,200), ethnic minorities cultural objects (7,000), handicrafts (4,000). The Museum represents the local minority people in particular, and features arts from the Dali Kingdom as well as other periods of Yunnan history. The Yunnan Historical Objects Exhibition has strong regional characteristics, elements that distinguish the local cultures from the Central Plains Han-Chinese culture. Using a diversity of excavated objects, the exhibition displays the face of ancient Yunnan. Many of the objects in this exhibition have important scientific and artistic value, and provide material evidence of mankind's social development. Discoveries from the Yuanmou site in Yunnan are displayed in this exhibition. The fossilized remains of two early hominid teeth, dating from around 1.7 million years ago, were found at the site in 1965. This is the earliest hominid fossil found on the Asian continent to date, and provides extremely important scientific evidence in the research into man's development from primates. From the Warring States to the Western Han period, the various peoples of Yunnan were creating a distinctive bronze culture. Bronzes excavated at a place called Wanjiapo include the earliest bronze drums to be excavated in China. Some bronzes from this site have been exhibited in over ten countries around the world, among which are a cow-and-tiger patterned piece that is particularly lively and a cowry-shell container notable for its reflection of slave-society sacrificial practices. Various items reflect the close cultural interaction of Yunnan people with people of the motherland. These include an incense burner that is central-plains in character, a walking lamp, a bronze mirror, a bronze spear, Wuzhu coins, and so on. The seal of the King of the Dian Kingdom in particular testifies to the fact that Yunnan was already an indivisible part of China from some 2,000 years ago. This exhibit displays the dress and ornamentation of some 22 national minorities living in Yunnan, including Dai, Bai, Naxi, Hani, Lahu, Jingpo, Blang, De'ang, Lisu, Pumi, Va, Nu, Drung, Achang, and Jino.

Kunming Botanical Garden

About 12 kms away from the city center of Kunming, the Botanical Garden is a famed tourist attraction with the Black Dragon Pond Park. Covering an area of 44 hectares, the garden has a history of over 60 years. It boasts ten specialty botanical gardens and with a collection nearly 4000 species of plants in the garden. There are precious flowers of Yunnan, herbal medicine, important trees and rare plants.

Yuantong Temple

With a history of more than 1,200 years, Yuantong Temple is one of the oldest and grandest Buddhist temples in Kunming. A king of Nanzhao Kingdom (641-902) built the temple during the late eighth century as a continuation of Butuoluo Temple. Unlike all other Buddhist temples, which are built on the higher place of the mountain, with many steps leading up to the Hall of Sakyamuni, one of the most important buildings in a Buddhist temple, Yuantong Temple is built at a lower place. The entrance to the temple is from above and then along a gently sloping garden path to reach the Hall of Sakyamuni, which is at the lowest point of all the temple buildings. Gigantic cypress trees and an array of flowers line the garden path to the temple. Yuantong Temple is known as the Fane on the Water because it is surrounded by a pond filled with clear water and fish. The temple complex includes the halls of Mahayana Buddhism, Hinayana Buddhism and the Tibetan Buddhism. Of all the halls, the Yuantong Hall (the Mahayana Hall), which faces south, is the grandest and the center of the whole temple. Three Buddha statues of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and the Medicine Buddha, from the Yuan Dynasty are found in the main hall. The surrounding 500 Arhats which are carved in the walls are rare treasures noted for their perfect proportions and appearance. Two dragons with gentle curve and exquisite style on a stone pillar in the hall. The Copper Buddha Hall in Yuantong Temple is the only Hinayana Buddhist temple in China. The temple is a combination of the construction styles of the Han and Dai nationalities. In the hall is a copper statue of Sakyamuni presented by Thai Buddhists in 1982. The statue is three and a half meters high and four tons in weight. In 1985, the Copper Buddha Hall was built and it is a good place for people to find out about the difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism as the in-the-hall arrangements and the whole environment in the hall are different from Yuantong Hall.

Zhongling Mountain National Forest Park

Located at the side of 320 national highway, Zhongling Mountain National Forest Park covers an area of 8100 acres and with an elevation of 2332 meters. It is 27 kms away from the town and 5 kms from the Yilong Pass of Kunqu Expressway. It has a interesting story that goes like this: About over 1000 years ago when the three countries formed, the Prime Minister of Shu Country Zhu Geliang led the army to attack the south and ever camped at the Yangmo Mountain about 3 kms away from the southeast of Zhongling Mountain. The Yangmo Mountain was changed into Guansuo Mount as Guansuo guarded here who was the son of Guanyu. The mountains and rivers here were covered a mystical color and permanent life as the battle among Zhu Geliang, Guansuo and Menghuo.