The Stone Forest Of Shilin, South China Karst

The Stone Forest Of Shilin, South China Karst

The South China Karst region extends over a surface of half a million square
 kilometers lying mainly in Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi provinces. It represents
 one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to subtropical
 karst landscapes. The stone forests of Shilin are considered superlative natural
 phenomena and a world reference with a wider range of pinnacle shapes than
 other karst landscapes with pinnacles, and a higher diversity of shapes and 
changing colours. The cone and tower karsts of Libo, also considered the world
 reference site for these types of karst, form a distinctive and beautiful landscape.
 Wulong Karst has been inscribed for its giant dolines (sinkholes), natural bridges
 and caves.

Outstanding Universal Value (Quoted from UNESCO World 

Heritage Centre)

South China is unrivalled for the diversity of its karst features and landscapes. 
 The property includes specifically selected areas that are of outstanding universal
 value to protect and present the best examples of these karst features and 
landscapes.  South China Karst is a coherent serial property comprising three 
clusters, Libo Karst and Shilin Karst, each with two components, and Wulong 
Karst with three components.

Criterion (vii): South China Karst represents one of the world's most spectacular
 examples of humid tropical to subtropical karst landscapes. The stone forests of 
Shilin are considered superlative natural phenomena and the world reference site
 for this type of feature. The cluster includes the Naigu stone forest occurring on
 dolomitic limestone and the Suyishan stone forest arising from a lake. Shilin
 contains a wider range of pinnacle shapes than other karst landscapes with
 pinnacles, and a higher diversity of shapes and colours that change with 
different weather and light conditions. The cone and tower karsts of Libo, 
also considered the world reference site for these types of karsts, form a
 distinctive and beautiful landscape. Wulong includes giant collapse depressions,
 called Tiankeng, and exceptionally high natural bridges between which are long 
 stretches of very deep unroofed caves. These spectacular karst features are of 
world class quality.

Criterion (viii): Both Shilin and Libo are global reference areas for the karst 
features and landscapes that they exhibit. Major developments in the stone
 forests of Shilin occurred over some 270 million years during four major 
 geological time periods from the Permian to present, illustrating the episodic 
nature of the evolution of these karst features. Libo contains carbonate outcrops
 of different ages that erosive processes shaped over millions of years into
 impressive Fengcong (cone) and Fenglin (tower) karsts. It contains a 
combination of numerous tall karst peaks, deep dolines, sinking streams 
and long river caves. Wulong represents high inland karst plateaus that
 have experienced considerable uplift, and its giant dolines and bridges are
 representative of South China's Tiankeng landscapes. Wulong's landscapes 
contain evidence for the history of one of the world's great river systems,
 the Yangtze and its tributaries.

The property is well managed, with clear management plans in place and the 
 effective involvement of various stakeholders. There are strong international
 networks in place to support continued research and management.  Of the 
three clusters, Wulong has suffered the least human impact by virtue of its 
remoteness and retains natural values that have been reduced in other 
comparable areas.  Continued efforts are required to expand and refine buffer
 zones to protect upstream catchments and their downstream and underground 
continuation in order to maintain water quality at a level that ensures the long
 term conservation of the property and its subterranean processes and ecosystems. 
 At Wulong the boundaries of the core zone should be considered for extension, 
and a single landscape-scale buffer zone would be a significant improvement to 
encompass all of the Tiankeng elements to the north of the Furong gorge. 
 Traditional management by minorities is an important feature of both clusters,
 and the relationship between karst and the cultural identity and traditions of
 minority groups including the Yi (Shilin) and the Shui, Yao and Buyi (Libo)
 requires continued recognition and respect in site management.  Potential 
for further extension of the property requires development of a management 
framework for effective coordination between the different clusters.