Wufeng Caifuxi-Type Stone Forest Landscape, Hubei

This is a representative type of carbonate rock stone forest landscape. The Wufeng Caifuxi type in Hubei Province is representative of this kind of stone forest. It developed in thick Cambrian dolomitic limestone. The tall stout stone columns have square, pagoda or inverted pagoda (like a club) shapes and are generally 20–30 m high, and the shorter ones can range from 5–10 m. The columns have smooth surfaces with flat tops, and they stand in arrays with a spacing of 5–10 m. They usually exist in groups with 3–5 or 8–10 individual columns in each group, and they form a spectacular and distinctive stone forest landscape. The column bodies are controlled by two groups of joints, along which significant disintegration has occurred (Fig. 18).

Fig. 18

Wufeng Caifuxi-type stone forest landscape, Hubei Province