Xingwen's Geologic Wonders

The Stone Sea

Most of us have heard of the ‘Stone Forest’ but have you heard about the ‘Stone Sea’? After visiting, you’re likely to leave with the impression that you’ve hardly left the shore in your attempt to explore this Geologic Wonder World as it is known to the locals. Located in Xingwen in the deep south-east of Sichuan Province near the border of Guizhou, it is similar to other regions of both Yunnan and Guizhou Provinces in both scenic beauty and ancient culture.

Xingwen is dull and unattractive but endearing all the same. The Xingwen Grand Hotel is the best accommodation in a town which is small and flat enough to take a pedi cab almost everywhere. They are by far is the easiest way to get about town if you don’t feel like walking. Summer is probably the best time to visit. Street markets and food stalls are open every night till late down by the river and they are a great place to relax and watch the locals over a cheap barbeque snack after a days hiking in one of the many geologic parks.

You’ll discover that Shi Hai Dong Xiang or the Stone Sea has much more to offer than its name implies. With its status raised in January of 2004 to that of National Geologic Park it holds the grand title of "The Biggest Rock Sea of the World". Your hotel can arrange transport to the park for less than Y10 per person and the entrance fee of Y90 includes the museum but no transport. All these are optional extras and need not be purchased if you’d like to save some money.

The whole area is typical Karst type peaks with almost sheer sides and bushy vegetation growing on the usually flat tops. The parks main features include the small but dramatic stone forest and a special section of runnels called ‘A Flock of Sheep’. Located just inside the park’s main entrance on the way to the reproduction Miao Village this area is a must see and a scramble through it to the top of the slope is a real challenge and a lot of fun. The village has some English – or should I say Chinglish – interpretive displays. This is just up the slope above the museum which resembles a flying saucer - in fact most of the parks facilities and features are rather odd or out of this world.

We took a detour to the right after entering the park and came across the mouth of a small cave amongst some run-down cornfields and terraces. In the rock face above the cave’s wide mouth were the tell tale dugouts which once supported ‘hanging coffins’ for which the region is now famous.

After making our way through the Stone Sea we headed across the park to a reconstructed village, made almost entirely of stone and nestled beneath the remains of seven original ‘coffins’ and the remnants of many more. The region was once home to the ancient Bo Nation which was hunted out of existence several thousand years ago but the remains of the burial grounds can still be found all over the region. A totem stands above the village at the base of the peak as if standing guard. Little is known of these early inhabitants but their burial habits are similar to those of other people groups who lived along the western and upper reaches of the Yangtze River centuries ago.

Horned skulls, dog skins, drums, totems, primitive but practical furniture and implements on display give some clues to the ancient’s culture. The stone village built up the slope is constructed almost entirely of stone and timber. Solid stone walls are topped with heavy stone roof tiles and deep steps indicate that the Bo may have been much taller than today’s residents, the Miao who call this region home

One of the special peaks featured in the park is dedicated to ‘Pigsy’ - of Monkey King Fame - kissing a girl. These two pillars stand facing each other beside a pair of small lakes on the road leading to the Bo Village and can be seen from almost everywhere in the park. Several of the peaks can be climbed via well constructed paths to viewing platforms affording 360º views from each.

The Big Funnel

Not surprisingly a huge doline, affectionately named "The Big Funnel of the Earth", lies within the park. From the top of one of the peaks you can see the lip of this huge hole some 400 odd meters across and several hundreds deep. From a lookout platform you can take in the enormous size of it before choosing to walk or take the elevator (you’ll need a ticket for the latter) below the lip to the entrance of a cave. The size of this cave is incredible and needs to be seen to be believed.

Another grand title of ‘Longest Natural Karst Cave’ is no exaggeration either. Take a short break here to enjoy the view and some fresh boiled tea eggs and peanuts. From the entrance of the cave just below the rim of the doline, you look down into a paved area more than fifty meters below. This area is large enough to host a game of football. On the far side of this the path climbs a huge pile of fallen roof rubble before revealing an even larger cavern more than three times the size of the first in area. Stalls selling snacks line the cave wall and tables and stools are set about one section. Access to a small cave chamber is on the right and the main stream of what was once a huge underground river spreads to the left and right.

Upstream is a grand and well lit display of limestone formations, before the path doubles back downstream and down, down, down – deeper underground. Several old tributaries branch off with more interesting limestone formations until the final descent to the current level of the underground stream. A walking trail continues along the far bank for those not wishing to take a boat (ticket required) for the few hundred meter cruise on the underground river to the cavernous exit. This area alone is more than six or seven stories high with buildings of three stories built around the walls and is said to be able to hold more one thousand cars.

A bus costingY5 will take you back up to the park entrance to finish your exploration or connect with a bus back to town. The museum houses a good display of the Geographic and Geologic features of the area, with rock and plant samples with some English interpretation. You can spend as little time or as long as you want in the park which closes at five. Outside the gate you’ll find someone hustling transport for tourists for Y10 for the return trip to town or just wait for the local bus to come by for Y5.

Bo Wang Shan

Xingwen is a good base for exploring some of the other Geologic Parks nearby. One of the newer and not yet fully developed parks is a fascinating place called Bowangshan which is accessible by public bus to the nearby village. Motor bikes Y10 each way will take you to the park gate to buy the ticket Y20 and then up to the walking trails. The ticket price will probably increase when more of the park is developed. Hotel accommodation is available in the park and dedicated park transport will soon make getting there more convenient. Because it was a Golden Week holiday when we visited the motor bike riders were asking Y50 per bike which we simply refused to pay. We were fortunate to be offered a ride by passing staff on their way up to the park which is about 3kms from the village. They stopped off to show us through the brand new hotel complex on a clearing like a red scar that looked a little out of place in this picturesque valley.

The walk is not a long one but it begins at the top of the valley and follows several small streams down the valley, past waterfalls through tall bamboo groves to a small doline where a pretty little waterfall plummets out of sight. Crossing a natural arch the path continues another few meters before descending steeply via a set of stairs to the stream bed. In the dim light of this deep narrow gorge a path led back beneath the arch to the foot of the waterfall where it gently mists the vegetation and rocks. The horizontally striated rocks are the most sticking feature of this unusual valley in contract to the vertical drop of the waterfalls.

I was surprised by the number of visitors who found their way down here and watched with some amusement as one group positioned themselves for a photo. A girl wearing high heeled shoes and a skirt had climbed onto the peak of a damp rock. You guessed it - she slipped over the back of the rock and the young tour guide with her group made a valiant effort to retrieve her. Although she got quite wet and dirty she was able to laugh about it and I’m sure she will think twice before trying something like that again.

The worst part of this hike was all the steps we had to climb out of the gorge and back up to the head of the valley. It had begun to drizzle lightly so we were anticipating a somewhat wet ride on the back of a motorbike back to the village. We had been assured that we need only pay Y10 for the pair of us on one bike. Our luck was holding – the manager and developer of the park was just about to leave in his four wheel drive and sent his secretary across to offer us a ride to the hotel. This is one of the advantages of being a foreigner I guess. We had a good chat – he spoke no English – and he explained that the park was just three years old, it was best to visit during the summer months and that they hoped to have better transport arrangements for independent travellers by the next season.

He was kind enough to take us all the way to the bus stop in the village, much further than he originally offered and again I was impressed with his generous behaviour in comparison to the ‘sharks’ with motor bikes who had tried to overcharge us on our way up to the park. Back in Xingwen we did not have to wait long for our bus to Chongqing. While Xingwen seemed to be a backwater it also offered a direct sleeper bus to Guangzhou. As we travelled north to Chongqing passing numerous south bound sleeper buses it became apparent that this was a major transport corridor from Chengdu and Chongqing to many destinations south.

Posters around town boasting of the geologic wonders of the region have been reproduced from works by a local photographer and these photographic works can be viewed at his studio and photo shop on the main street between the Xingwen Hotel and the river markets. His wife will show you through his photos of many of the other sights if you are limited for time or not sure where you would like visit in this little wonder world.