Erhai Lake is a stunning freshwater lake near the town of Dali in Yunnan. It is 40kms long and eight kilometers wide and has the city along its southern shore. The lake has plenty of recreational scope, including good boating and hiking.
Erhai Lake gets its name from its supposed ear-like shape. It lies at a heady 1,972m above sea level and is the second largest of China’s highland lakes. Erhai Lake is good for exploring, surrounded as it is by numerous villages and temples and hills that go up to a respectable height for hikers.
In addition there are also several islands within the lake, including the Golden Shuttle Island, known as Jinsuo Dao; Xiaoputuo Island; Nanzhao Fengqing Island; and Guanyin Ge. Visitors can do boat trips out to here as well as visit the ancient Bai minority fishing community.
The best hikes around Erhai Lake are at the Butterfly Springs (west bank) and the various trails around Erhai Lake Park.
Getting There & Away
Erhai Lake is very close to downtown Dali and you can get there on foot (1 hour) or by bicycle in about 15 minutes. Dali itself has an airport with flight time from Kunming about 50 minutes. It is a 6-hour bus trip along the Kunming-Mandalay expressway. Trains run as far as nearby Xiaguan.