A village on the eastern shore of Erhai Lake, increasingly developed as an upscale alternative to the old town. The setting is exceptional: the long western view across the lake to the wall of Cangshan, with the sun setting directly behind the mountains in the dry season.
Most of the village's interest now is in its boutique hotels and restaurants, several built by well-known Chinese architects, and in the lakeside walk. Half a day is enough; an overnight is more rewarding. Reach by bus from Xiaguan or the old town (about 90 minutes), or by hire car / Didi.
A story
Shuanglang was a quiet fishing village on the eastern shore of Erhai until the artist Yang Liping built her studio there in the mid-2000s; she chose the spot for the unobstructed view of Cangshan across the lake. The village rapidly became a destination for Chinese writers, artists, and well-off tourists wanting boutique-hotel solitude with a famous-name backdrop. By 2017 development had got out of hand, the lake's pollution was visibly worsening, and most of the lakeside hotels were demolished. A managed reconstruction has reopened the village in a calmer form.