Taian Stone Forest

Taian Stone Forest

Taian Stone Forest is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Taian Stone Forest is an important part of the Xingwen Global Geopark and one of the park’s four major scenic areas. It is located about 2 kilometers south of Lianglong Township, with a scattered distribution area of approximately 8 square kilometers, and a concentrated distribution area of about 2.5 square kilometers in the Taian and Longdong regions.

The stone formations are exposed in the Ordovician nodular and cracked limestone layers. Characterized by a mix of stone buds, stone forests, and residual pillar peaks, the stone forest stands 2.5 to 4 meters high, interspersed with low stone bud clusters that reach 1 to 1.5 meters. The stone forest features uniquely shaped formations resembling castles, long walls, human figures, or birds and beasts, displaying a remarkable variety of forms. The stone buds are short, steep, and delicately crafted. The rock layers that form the stone forest date back about 490 million years to the Ordovician carbonate rocks. The uneven "leopard-skin" patterns on the rock surfaces further enhance the beauty and mystery of the stone forest.

In addition to the stone forest, the scenic area also includes cave clusters such as Lotus Cave and Huilong Cave, as well as sinkholes. Rare species such as the Lichuan toothed toad (also known as glass fish) inhabit the caves.

The interplay between the stone forest and bamboo groves is another highlight of Taian Stone Forest. The lush forest sea, rugged stone formations, and mysterious caves have earned this place the title of “Green Stone Forest.”

According to experts, Taian Stone Forest formed 490 million years ago during the Ordovician period, 200 million years earlier than the surface stone forest in the Stone Sea Scenic Area. It is one of the oldest karst geological landscapes in China’s geological history, offering significant scientific research value and great potential for tourism development. The surfaces of the stone forest often display leopard-skin-like horizontal patterns, with diverse and harmonious forms. The scenic area is also dotted with caves, inside which stalactites and stalagmites take on a variety of exquisite and fantastical shapes.

Viewed from afar, Taian Stone Forest presents a majestic sight of towering, rugged stones, some resembling pavilions or towers—like scattered rural dwellings or grand, intricately crafted palaces. It is truly like an elegant ancient stone fortress.

Strolling through the forest, each peculiar rock takes on the shape of pavilions, waterside pavilions, insects, fish, birds, or beasts—masterpieces of nature, incredibly lifelike. The pathways between the stones vary: some are wide roads leading to the sky but end abruptly; others twist and turn like winding sheep trails, labyrinthine and mysterious, appearing as if passable yet blocked, or impassable yet somehow traversable. The layout’s ingenuity rivals that of Zhuge Liang’s Eight Trigrams Formation.