Nearby Areas

Kunming, in southwestern China, is known as the City of Eternal Spring all over the world. Besides the famous Stone Forest, many tourist attractions can also be found in the region, such as the Dadieshui Waterfall Scenery Zone and the ancient A-lu Cave.

Day One: Kunming – Shilin

Take a tourist bus from Kunming Coach Station, located next to the railway station, to Shilin County. The fare is CNY26 for the one and a half hour’s journey. Check in at a local hotel upon arrival and rest a little. TCG recommends Yunlin Hotel at the Stone Forest Scenic Area.

After your rest, you may like to take a minibus (CNY5) to Dieshui Power Station. It’s only about half an hour ride away. The Dadieshui Waterfall Scenery Zone is reachable either by foot or by minivan. It’s only 2 kilometers away.

The scenery area offers several attractions, such as the Dadieshui Waterfall, Xiaodieshui Waterfall, Pearl Spring, Qingshui River (Clear Water River), and the Fairy Cave. Dadieshui Waterfall, also called the Flying Dragon Waterfall, is the largest and the most spectacular waterfall in Yunnan Province. With a height of 120 meters (393 feet) and a width of 20 meters (22 yards), its water flow is even larger than the Huangguoshuo Waterfall. Its roaring sound can even be heard from afar. As you get closer, you will be greeted with a magnificent view of the water splashing against the rocks. Get onto the cable car for an amazing ride and a bird’s eye view of the splendid waterfalls. Admission fee for the scenery area is CNY20.

Return to the city in the afternoon and explore the county at your leisure.

Day Two: Shilin – Kunming

Visit ancient A-Lu Cave in Luxi County. Minibuses from Shilin Coach Station to Luxi will take about an hour. You may want to carpool a minivan with other travelers (CNY5) to A-Lu Cave upon arrival.

Being reputed as the No. 1 Cave in Yunnan, the ancient A-Lu cave is among a cluster of the grandest underground karst caves. There are nine peaks and eighteen caverns in the scenic area, among which the A-Lu cave ranks the most famous and attractive one. There are three smaller dry caves and one wet one with an underground river within the A-Lu Cave itself. The landscape of the underground A-Lu cave resembles that of the infamous Stone Forest. It is indeed spectacular and mysterious at the same time. As the area in the cave is large enough, the local Yi people sometimes perform their ethnic songs and dances for tourists on the natural stage. The admission fee is CNY60.

Return to Shilin Coach Station by the same minibus and transfer to the tourist bus back to Kunming.