Shilin means Stone Forest, and the name is accurate: for several square kilometres on the Yunnan plateau, grey limestone pillars as tall as ten-storey buildings stand in clusters, like petrified trees. The rock was laid down in a shallow sea more than two hundred and fifty million years ago, then lifted, dissolved by rain and groundwater, and carved into needles, towers and narrow corridors. It forms part of the South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage listing that includes some of the world's most spectacular limestone scenery. Shilin lies about eighty kilometres from Kunming, at an altitude of roughly 1,700 metres, so the air is mild and spring-like for much of the year.
Suogeyi village is the human side of the picture. It belongs to the Sani, a branch of the Yi people, who have lived in this country for centuries and whose women wear embroidered headdresses in blue and pink. The village lies inside a quieter and less crowded area of the forest, with stone paths winding through the pillars and houses built of the same grey rock. The Sani are known for their folk epic, the story of Ashima, a girl who is carried off and turned into an echo in the stone, and some of the rock formations are named after her. The Torch Festival, in the summer, is the big annual gathering, with wrestling, dancing and fires.
The riding on the Yunnan plateau is worth the trip, though getting a bike there is another matter, since foreign riders in China normally need local registration, a Chinese licence and often a guide. If you do manage it, the roads around Shilin are good, with gentle curves, red soil fields, and lines of eucalyptus trees. Heavy trucks and buses are the main hazard, and rain can come in sudden downpours in summer. The best seasons are spring and autumn, with dry, clear days, and the tourist crowds are thinnest in the early morning.
Shilin town has fuel, hotels and restaurants, and is only about eleven kilometres away. Try rice noodles in a local shop, and the grilled goat cheese sold on sticks, a Yunnan speciality. If the main paths are packed, look for the quieter side trails, and bring a rain jacket.