Erhai Lake

A 250 km² alpine lake stretching 40 km from north to south just east of Dali Old Town. Surrounded by Bai villages and farmland, with the Cangshan range as a permanent western backdrop, it is the natural counterpart to the old town and worth at least a full day of exploration.

The most popular activity is cycling along the western shore — flat, scenic, dotted with cafes and villages. Renting a bike or electric scooter in the old town and riding north to Xizhou is the classic outing. Shuanglang village on the eastern shore is reachable by bus or a long cycle ride. Boat trips from the pier at Caicun on the western shore visit small islands and temples on the water. Three Pagodas, Butterfly Spring, and Tianlong Babu Film City all sit on the lake's western shore north of the old town.

things to do sight cycling
A story
Erhai means 'ear sea' in Chinese — named for its shape on the map, which roughly resembles a human ear. The lake is one of the seven largest freshwater lakes in China and sits at 1,972 metres above sea level. It was once the political and religious centre of the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms; the entire surrounding plain has been inhabited by the Bai people for at least 1,500 years. In the 2010s the lake's water quality deteriorated badly from sewage runoff; an aggressive cleanup since 2018 has demolished many lakeside hotels and restaurants and reopened access to long sections of shoreline.

Other places in Things to Do