Erhai Lake

Since the lake has a shape of an ear, it gets the name Erhai (Ear Lake). It stretches 42km from north to south and 3.9km from east to west. The lake covers an area of more than 250 square kilometers and is 21.5 meters at the deepest. It is ranked the second in Yunnan Province and the seventh freshwater lake in China by area and water storage.

Erhai Lake was formed by the subsidence of geological fault. It is reputed as the pearl on plateau for its beautiful scenery. The famous sights of the Erhai Lake include Three Islets, namely Jinsuo, Chiwen, and Yuji, Four Lands, namely Malian, Mandarin Duck, Qingsha, and Daguanpeng, and Nine Curves, namely Lotus, Huge Crane, Panji, Phoenix Wing, Dill, Ox Horn, Bozuo, Gaopin, Soaring Crane. Besides these spots, the lake also has some other attractions such as Shadows of Three Towers, Nine-Arched Stone Bridge, and Jade Dragon Playing in the Water, etc. Many scenic spots surround the lake, including the Erhai Park, the Xizhou Mid-sea Pavilion, the Haishe and the Double-Corridor. Moreover, one can also find a number of historic sites in the Erhai Lake Scenic Area, including the Heavenly Mirror Pavilion, the Water Moon Pavilion, the Zhuhai Pavilion, the Kwan-yin Pavilion and the Small Putuo Hill.

Looked from Mt. Cangshan, the lake like a crescent lying between Mt. Cangshan and Dali City. In a sunny day, the crystal water of Erhai Lake and the snow mantled Mt. Cangshan radiate with each other forming a beautiful picture.

Recommended China Tour to Dali: 10 Days Yunnan tour to the Lost Horizon
(Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la-Kunming)