Xingyun Lake sits about 10 kilometres east of Fuxian Lake, separated by low hills, and the two make a natural pairing for a day of cycling or driving through the plateau landscape. Where Fuxian is long and narrow, Xingyun is roughly oval; where Fuxian is deep and clear, Xingyun is shallow (around 7 metres maximum) and warmer, with reedy margins that support bird life in numbers that Fuxian's open water cannot match.
The lake's shores have several small Yi and Han villages, and the agricultural land around the lake grows rice and vegetables on the flat ground near the water. Cycling the full circuit takes three to four hours at an easy pace and passes through countryside that feels genuinely rural — this is working farmland, not a scenic reserve. The migratory birds that use Xingyun in winter include several species of duck, geese, and waders that are worth the visit for birdwatchers from November through February.