Shilin Yi Autonomous County (: Sani: ) is an

autonomous county Autonomous counties () and autonomous banners () are Counties of China, county-level autonomous administrative divisions of China. Autonomous counties tend to have a large number of ethnic minority citizens compared to ordinary counties (if not ...

, under the jurisdiction of

Kunming Kunming is the capital and largest city of the province of Yunnan in China. The political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province, Kunming is also the seat of the provincial government. During World War II, Kunming was a Ch ...

, the capital of

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

province, China. It borders

Yiliang County, Kunming Yiliang County () is a county, under the jurisdiction of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of ...

to the west,

Luliang County Luliang County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Qujing, in the east of Yunnan province of southwestern China. It borders Luoping County to the east, Yiliang County, Kunming to the west, Shizong County, Luxi ...

to the northeast, Luxi County, Yunnan to the southeast, and Mile City to the south.

Etymology

Lunan Yi Autonomous County () is the former name of Shilin, and usually be called for short as Lunan County (). The name of "Lunan" was first appeared in 1275,

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

, when the administrative division of Lunan Zhou () established. The name Lunan means "South of Middle Lu ()". But in 1998, another said of the word's origin meaning was proposed when Lunan County apply for change the name to Shilin. The research shows "Lunan" means "South People (the most inferior people in Yuan dynasty citizen system) in Chengjiang Lu", it is a discriminatory name. Finally Lunan County was changed the name to Shilin, which means "

stone forest The Stone Forest or Shilin () is a notable set of limestone formations about 500 km2 in area located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan province of China. The forest is approximately east of the provincial capital Kunming. The tall r ...

", also is a famous tourist site in the county.

History

Archaeological research show that as early as 800,000 years ago, humans began to settle in this region. Shilin area was dominated by Liangzhou () in

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty that ruled in the Yellow River valley during the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and followed by the Western Zhou d ...

, and was governed by Chu Kingdom and Dian Kingdom in

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

. In 111 BC, the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

established counties in Yunnan area, and Shilin belonged to Tangao county (), Zangke Jun () (another said Lügao County (), Yizhou Jun ()). After

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang () (181September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor who lived through the End of the Han dynasty, end of the Eastern Han dynasty ( 184–220) and t ...

marched to the south, Shilin was conquered and still by governed by Tangao County, Jianning Jun (). In the

Southern Dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...

it was dominated by Cuanman clans, and in early

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

it was under the jurisdiction of Quanma County () and Longdi County () in Nanning Prefecture (). In

Nanzhao Nanzhao ( zh, t=南詔, s=南诏, p=Nánzhào), also spelled Nanchao, , Yi language: ꂷꏂꌅ, ''Mashynzy'') was a dynastic kingdom that flourished in what is now southwestern China and northern Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuri ...

and Dali period it was under the rule of Tuodong Jiedu () and Shanchan Fu (), later under Shicheng County (). In 742, Salü City () was built on Mount Xuedi () in today's Shilin urban, which can be seen as the establishment of the county seat today. In 1255

Möngke Khan Möngke Khan (also Möngke Khagan or Möngke; 11 January 120911 August 1259) was the fourth khagan of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1 July 1251 to 11 August 1259. He was the first Khagan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to im ...

established Luomeng Wanhufu (), and implemented

tusi ''Tusi'', often translated as "headmen" or "chieftains", were hereditary tribal leaders recognized as imperial officials by the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China, and the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties of Vietnam. They ruled certain ...

system here. In 1270, Luomeng and other two Wanhufu compounded to Middle Lu Zongguanfu (). The Zongguanfu was separated to two Lu, Shilin was Lunan Zhou under Chengjiang Lu. Sani Qin clan is the tusi of Lunan Zhou. Lunan surrendered to

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

in 1382 and still by governed by Chengjiang Fu.

Administrative divisions

Shilin County is divided to 3 subdistricts, 3 towns and 1 township: Lufu Subdistrict (鹿阜街道), Shilin Subdistrict (石林街道), Banqiao Subdistrict (板桥街道), Xijiekou Town (西街口镇), Changhu Town (长湖镇), Guishan Town (圭山镇) and Dake Township (大可乡).

Natural sites

The Shilin (Stone Forest), a set of remarkable karst formations, is part of the

South China Karst The South China Karst (), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2007, spans the provinces of Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It is noted for its karst features and landscapes as well as rich biodiversity. The site comprises seven clust ...

, inscribed in 2007 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dadieshui Waterfall is the largest waterfall in Yunnan province, located at the southwest of county urban.

Solarpower station

:''See also,

Solar power in China China is the largest market in the world for both photovoltaics and solar thermal energy. China's photovoltaic industry began by making panels for satellites, and transitioned to the manufacture of domestic panels in the late 1990s. After sub ...

'' A large-scale solar power station in Shilin County had started construction on December 6, 2008. With a total installed capacity of 166 megawatts, the power station will be the largest experiment demonstration grid-connected solar photovoltaic power station in China.

Climate

References

External links

Shilin County Official Website
{{Authority control County-level divisions of Kunming Yi autonomous counties National Civilized City