Most Beautiful Karst Landform in China
Southern China has the most typical karst landscapes. And the karst landscapes in southern China is one of the most spectacular karst landform in the world. Listed in the World Heritage List, the landscapes in southern China provide you stunning view of mountains, forests, caves and rivers. Typical karst landform mainly distributes in Yunnan Province, Guizhou Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chongqing. The karst landscapes in the southern China cover 55 percents of the total area of the karst landscapes in China.
In 2007, the Karst Landform in Southern China was listed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO. The karst landform in southern China includes the karst landform in the Stone Forest in Yunnan, Libo in Guizhou and Wulong in Chongqing.
In 2014, the karst landform of Guilin in Guangxi, Shibing in Guizhou, Jinfoshan in Chongqing and Huanjiang in Guangxi were added in the list.
Karst Landform
Karst usually refers to the area with bare rocks, no vegetation, caves, sinkholes and underground rivers, but lacking rivers and lakes. It is the result of dissolution of soluble massive limestone by groundwater.
The word karst originally refers to the limestone area along the Dalmatian coast of Adriatic Sea, and now it has been used in the areas with the same landform.
Karst is distributed in extremely scattered areas in the world, such as Coase in France, Guangxi in China, and Kentucky in the United States.
The conditions to promote karst development are:
1. There are dense limestones with developed joints near the surface
2. Moderate to heavy rainfall
3. The groundwater circulation is smooth
Stone Forest in Yunnan
The landscapes of the Stone Forest in Yunnan are mainly karst landscapes. Stone Forest Scenic Area is located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Kunming, China. Covering an area of 350 square kilometers, Stone Forest Scenic Area provides stone peaks, lakes, waterfall and caves. There are large-scale stone peaks in the Stone Forest, the tallest rock pillar is more than 40 meters. Due to the grotesque shapes of the stone peaks, people name them according to their imagination. Wangfeng Pavilion is the best place to see the Stone Forest.
At the Stone Forest, you can visit the Torchlight Festival and experience the culture of the Yi nationality of Yunnan. The rocks and stone peaks looks like swords. And they gather and form stone forest.
Stone Forest in Kunming, Yunnan
Beautiful Forests in the Water in Libo
The karst landform in Libo is also typical. The forests in Libo has attracted thousands of tourists to Libo. The trees grow on the stones in Libo. Some trees are on the mountains, some are in the water and some grow in the sinkhole. The karst landscapes in Libo are the combination of karst landform and the forests. Covering an area of 21,285 hectares, the karst landform in Libo is the splendid work of nature. Libo is called the emerald on the belt of the earth.
Xiaoqikong Scenic Area has the unique aquatic forests. Most of the trees there are more than 100 years. The forests are in the blue water. The streams and rivers flow in the forests. Taking a boat on the Xiaoqikong, visitors can get close to the old trees and the clear water.
The ancient bridge in the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is really famous. It is a stone arch bridge with 7 holes. The photo of reflection of the bridge in the blue water surprises many people. Also, the pastoral scenery of the wooden houses, bridge, river and the forests is attractive and charming.
Xiaoqikong in Libo, Guizhou
Huge Natural Stone Bridges in Wulong
Wulong is situated in Chongqing, China. The landscapes in Wulong are typical karst landform. The Furong Cave is a large UNESCO-protected limestone cave with many karst sediments. The Furong Cave is 2,700 meters long, and it covers an area of more than 37,000 square meters.
The Three Natural Bridges in Wulong are 3 stone arch bridges which are naturally formed. It is rare to see this kind of magnificent landscape. The Three Natural Bridges are the largest natural bridges group in Asia. Tianlong Bridge is 200 meters high and the Qinglong Bridge is 350 meters high. The Three Natural Bridges provide you spectacular scenes.
The 5 sinkholes in Houping, Wulong are hidden in the primordial forests and the bamboo forests. The mysterious large sinkholes attracted scientific investigation team to observe and study for several times.
The Three Natural Bridges in Wulong, Chongqing
Picturesque Mountains and Water in Guilin
The karst landscapes alongside Li River in Guilin is the most typical in Guangxi. It is one of the largest and most beautiful attractions in the world. Covering an area of 22,544 hectares, the karst landscapes in Guilin is world-famous and picturesque.
Guilin is known as its green mountains and clear water. Taking a boat is the best way to enjoy the stunning view of the mountains and rivers. April to November is the best time to visit Li River. The scenery of Li River is printed on the CNY 20 paper money.
Visitors can take a bamboo raft at Xingping, Yangshuo to get close to the river. Many tourists will hike or ride a bike to visit the Shili Huakang, or Ten Miles Gallery to appreciate the Moon Mountain and the different shapes of the mountains. By the way, you can know about the stories of the mountains.
Scenery alongside the Li River
