[Dali Erhai Lake] A simple and pure encounter, a lingering memory

Number of days: 4 days
Time: August
Average cost: 4,000 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Tour types: self-driving, independent travel, semi-independent travel, budget travel, weekend travel
Updated: 2021-11-01 09:57

1. Erhai Lake experiences minimal temperature fluctuations year-round, creating a picturesque landscape.

2. Erhai Lake's rainy season runs from June to September, with an average of over 15 days of precipitation per month.

3. Erhai Lake enjoys clear skies in winter and spring, with more sunshine hours, while summer and autumn offer fewer hours.

Some journeys you don't embark on now will never be completed; some dreams you don't act on now will eventually be shattered.

Anyone who has been to Yunnan cannot avoid visiting Erhai Lake in Dali, and anyone returning to Yunnan will continue to visit it. Erhai Lake is a place you want to visit again, a place you never want to leave, a place that haunts your dreams.

1. To visit Erhai Lake, you must first understand its characteristics.

Erhai Lake is one of China's seven famous freshwater lakes, known as the "Pearl of the Plateau." It stretches 42 kilometers from north to south and measures a maximum of 8.8 kilometers from east to west, with a minimum width of 3.05 kilometers. Located in the mid-subtropical southwest monsoon climate zone, Erhai Lake has distinct dry and wet seasons but no four seasons. The average annual temperature is 14.8°C, with an average maximum of 21.9°C and an average minimum of 10.2°C. Erhai Lake is located on a low-latitude plateau. This low latitude and high altitude contribute to its climate, characterized by minimal annual temperature fluctuations and indistinct seasons. The extreme high temperature ranges from 32°C to -4.2°C, and the lake never freezes. Erhai Lake receives abundant rainfall, ranging from 1,000 to 1,100 millimeters annually, though this rainfall is unevenly distributed, with 95% falling between May and October. August receives the most precipitation, at 209 millimeters, followed by July at 186 millimeters, and December at 10.8 millimeters.

June to September has the most rainy days of the year, with an average of over 15 days per month.

Erhai Lake has distinct dry and rainy seasons. During the rainy season from July to September, the average monthly humidity exceeds 80%. February is the driest month, with humidity below 60% for the two months before and after. The average annual wind speed is low and stable, at 2.6 m/s. Strong winds prevail in winter and spring, with an average speed of 4.1 m/s and a maximum annual speed of 5.9 m/s. Strong winds can reach 12-14 m/s.

Second, Visit Erhai Lake: These Places Need to Be Experienced Slowly

Like a crescent moon, Erhai Lake rests quietly beside Cangshan Mountain. Erhai Lake boasts the remarkable beauty of "Three Islands," "Four Continents," "Five Lakes," and "Nine Bends." Its crystal-clear waters have earned it the nickname "the flawless jade among the mountains."

Erhai Park, located at the southernmost tip of the lake, is an excellent place to admire the breathtaking views of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. Fengqing Island, one of the three Erhai Lake islands, is located in Shuanglang. It's nestled against the renowned Buddhist sanctuary of Jizu Mountain to the east, bordered by Shibao Mountain to the north, and faces Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake to the west. Due to its unique tourism resources, it's often praised as "Dali's most beautiful scenery lies in Cangshan and Erhai Lake, while Cangshan and Erhai Lake's scenery lies in Shuanglang." Haishe Park, jutting out into the sea like a tongue, adds a unique touch to Erhai Lake. The expansive views from the west, north, and east, along with the diverse trees along the road, create a truly captivating experience. Dali Ancient Town is one of China's first 24 historical and cultural cities. For over 500 years, during the Tang and Song dynasties, it served as the political, economic, and cultural center of Yunnan, carrying the history, religion, and ethnic culture of the ancient kingdom of Dali. Xizhou Ancient Town, Wase, and Xiaoputuo Temple shimmer like stars on the shores of Erhai Lake. Mountains on one side, sea on the other – this combination is truly beautiful. Such beauty requires a moment to savor and experience.

Third, a wonderful journey always leaves a lasting aftertaste.

Some places are destined to be encountered: the sea, the grasslands, the snow-capped mountains. There's no need to describe the scenery with words. Each arrival, though the purpose, is similar, the state of mind is profoundly different.

When inner joy permeates the journey, when peace settles within like the sea, when the beautiful feeling has become natural, you'll find that the surrounding flowers, trees, and distant snow-capped mountains and the vast sea have become inseparable, becoming an inseparable part of your being, indelible.

Lying in bed at night, gazing up at the starry sky, a touch of moonlight quietly shimmering, and gazing at the tranquil waters before me, the scene feels like being transported to a painting. Listening to the gentle whisper of the wind, the rustling of blossoms swaying in the breeze, it's as if one is asleep in a dream, or even an admirer beyond it.

The morning sunrise over Erhai Lake is more gentle than anywhere else. The morning glow transforms the dark sea into a diffused mirror of color. Everything quietly transforms in this colorful world. Suddenly, the sky seems to brighten, and I suddenly realize that I have just experienced the most beautiful scene.

Parting always brings sadness. When refusal becomes impossible, one can only endure and continue on the road. Facing the drawing board, immersed in a fairyland, suddenly having to leave, the reluctance in my heart is beyond words. As the car slowly moves forward, the blue sky and vegetation in the distance gradually recede, as if I had already missed it before I even left.

Fourth Special Cuisine

Dali Clay Pot Fish

Dali Clay Pot Fish is made in a clay pot produced in Xiangyun, stewed with bowfish, yellowtail fish, or carp caught in Erhai Lake, and a variety of other ingredients.

Chicken Wing Rice Wraps

Chicken Wing Rice Wraps are popular in the Wuliang Mountain area of Nanjian County, Dali. They are made with boneless chicken wings, stuffed with glutinous rice, peanuts, and other ingredients, marinated with local spices, and then gently roasted.

Gantong Tea

Gantong Tea is produced in the nearly 10 square kilometers surrounding Gantong Temple in Qiliqiao Township, Dali City, at the foot of Shengying Peak and Malon Peak, between Mocan Creek and Longxi River. Gantong Tea is a premium tea for entertaining guests and a pillar of the Bai ethnic group's three teas.

Erhai Seaweed

Seaweed is a type of aquatic green algae found in Erhai Lake. Its stems are four to five feet long, soft and brittle, as thick as a rope. They bear flowers in buds, each containing four to five white flowers with four petals. Hence, it is also known as seaweed flowers.

I hope to compose a song of romance and freedom for the rest of my life. I hope to meet you at Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and get drunk with you at the bridgehead on the coast. Let's cast aside the starry sky full of worries of past and present lives, and chant a song of "Spring River, Flowers, Moon Night" together. Intoxicated by the light clouds circling the moon, I will feel relieved and happy again.