Break wine at Erhai Lake, discuss swordplay at Cangshan Mountain, and spend a lazy day touring Erhai Lake

Number of days: 2 days
Time: November
Average cost: 500 yuan
With whom：a person
Updated: 2025.01.06

Anyone who comes to Dali for a trip must not miss a tour around Erhai Lake. In ancient times, Erhai Lake was called Yeyuze. To its west lies the oppressive Cangshan Hengduan Mountains, while to its east lies the ever-present Yu'an Mountain. Brewing wine at Erhai Lake and discussing swords on Cangshan Mountain, the Erhai and Cangshan complement each other, creating the ultimate display of Dali's natural scenery.

A tour around Erhai Lake can include many destinations along the Erhai Lake, including Dali Ancient City, Xizhou Ancient Town, Shuanglang Ancient Town, Wase Ancient Town, Xiaoputuo, Yuji Island, etc. Along the way, you can see the islands, wetlands, Bai ethnic minority dwellings, and ancient villages, which will allow you to experience the most authentic and magnificent Erhai Lake scenery. Shuanglang Ancient Town is located on the northeastern shore of Erhai Lake, directly adjacent to the shimmering waters. From Shuanglang, one can overlook the Nineteen Peaks of Cangshan Mountain across the lake, a culmination of the best of Cangshan and Erhai scenery. The town's main attractions, Yuji Island and Nanzhao Style Island, are perfect spots for watching the sunset. The town's diverse Bai ethnic minority dwellings are also worth seeing. Dancer Yang Liping's Sun Palace and Moon Palace, and painter Zhao Qing's Qinglu, are must-see attractions in Shuanglang Ancient Town. During my road trip around Erhai Lake, I stopped at the Floral Luxury Daishuihe Seaview B&B (Dali Shuanglang Ancient Town Branch), just a few kilometers from the town.

It’s winter, and Dali’s most beautiful winter cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Every snapshot along the way is a beautiful sight.

Floral Hotel Shedai Water and Sea View B&B (Dali Shuanglang Ancient Town)

It was 4:30 pm when we arrived at the hotel, and the light was just right.

After listening to the owner's introduction, we decided to go to the hotel's rooftop infinity pool with sea views first.

The rooftop sea view swimming pool is the hotel's most unique selling point. Looking out, you can take in the beautiful scenery of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. Listening to music and sipping fragrant tea, this is the most pleasant moment of the trip.

The swimming pool is heated, so you can take the most beautiful photos in the water even in winter.

After careful consideration, I decided to stay at the Huazhu Shedaishuihe Seaview B&B. The hotel, recognized as "Shuanglang's Most Beautiful Accommodation" for its unique design elements and exceptional quality, is located in Group 2, Changyu Village, Shuanglang Town, east of Erhai Lake in Dali. The hotel is divided into two sections, East Garden and West Garden, just a few dozen meters apart. Both are top-tier seaview B&Bs, separated by a road. I stayed in the West Garden section. The West Garden, renovated from a Bai ethnic minority dwelling, retains the traditional white-tiled Bai architectural elements, while the interior is breathtaking. The overall decor blends Eastern and Western influences, embellishing classic ethnic elements with a touch of Western minimalist luxury. Furthermore, the hotel has incorporated some of the most popular elements: a light and music corridor on the second floor, a heated infinity pool with sea views on the rooftop, and a full moon viewing spot across the river from the main entrance. Each of these features is sure to captivate passersby.

I stayed in a sea view king room on the second floor - "Shuimanhai".

When I opened the door, the first thing that caught my eye was the azure Erhai Lake outside the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows. Looking out, the view was wide and the magnificent scenery of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake was unobstructed.

The style of the room is simple and elegant, divided into an independent lounge area, a washing area with separate dry and wet areas, and a tea tasting area by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The rooms are equipped with advanced technological smart devices, including a cinema-level projection viewing experience, Kohler bathroom fixtures, Dyson hair dryers, goose down bedding, a fully intelligent sterilization toilet, a German constant pressure bathing system, smart voice control, and more. This full set of smart devices comprehensively upgrades the stay experience.

Sit on the rattan cushion by the floor-to-ceiling window, sip a cup of fragrant tea, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and enjoy a lazy vacation.

Fragrant bathrobe

Brand name toiletries~

Next to the guest rooms is the hotel's light and music corridor.

The lights change constantly with the music, and the floor beneath your feet changes with the lights, emitting pleasant musical notes.

Shuanglang Ancient Town borders Jizu Mountain, a renowned Buddhist mountain, to the east, Erhai Lake to the west, Wase Town to the south, and Shangguan Town and Huangping Town in Heqing County to the north. Facing the azure Erhai Lake and overlooking the 19 peaks of Cangshan Mountain, Shuanglang Ancient Town embodies the essence of Cangshan and Erhai Lake scenery, earning it the reputation of "Dali's scenery lies in Cangshan and Erhai Lake, while Cangshan and Erhai Lake's scenery lies in Shuanglang."

The view from the hotel.

Around Erhai Lake, numerous natural landscapes complement the shimmering waters of the lake. The Dongju Mountain area boasts the Great King Temple, Yujin Temple, the Dharma Protector Temple, Xinyi Bridge, Tiansheng Bridge, Shiniuping, Sanduozhuang, and Jinyu Bridge. Thanks to its unique geographical environment and rich ethnic customs, Shuanglang Ancient Town is known as the "No. 1 Town for Cang Erhai Lake Scenic Spots."

The hotel has created "crescent moon" and "full moon" photography elements by the Erhai Lake at its entrance.

The main entrance of the hotel's West Garden, the blue on the third floor is the heated sea view swimming pool.

Christmas is coming, and the hotel has prepared many Christmas decorations and planned related holiday activities. There are many books in the lounge area on the first floor. You can order a cup of coffee in the afternoon, read a book here and bask in the sun. There is a small bar next to the swimming pool on the rooftop of the hotel.

The hot air balloons by the pool are also a thoughtfully created photo element for the hotel~

At sunset, sit on the floating bed in the swimming pool and experience this unique vacation time~

In the evening, boating on the lake and watching the shimmering light and shadows is a unique experience. Staying by Erhai Lake in Shuanglang, how can you miss the stunning sunsets over Erhai Lake? In the evenings, you can witness the magnificent sunset and glow from the hotel's rooftop swimming pool. The pool's surface reflects the vibrant sunset glow, creating a vibrant and ethereal visual experience that can only be felt but not described.

As night falls and the sky darkens, the lights of the swimming pool light up, creating an immersive experience like being immersed in a deep blue ocean.

The sunset glow gradually faded, but the surface of Erhai Lake was dotted with stars. The fishing lights in Dali made the tranquil Erhai Lake sparkle with stars, as if stars had fallen into the sea.

As night fell, patches of fishing lights lit up, dotting the tranquil surface of Erhai Lake. This dreamlike scene was deeply ingrained in my mind.

After watching the sunset, we went back to the hotel for dinner.

The "full moon" photography element at the hotel entrance looks like a big moon~

HK Music Seaview Restaurant is a culinary IP created by the hotel with great care. The environment is superb, and Erhai Lake is visible outside the window. After dark, listening to wonderful music and tasting exquisite food is truly the ultimate experience of the trip.

It can be seen that the lighting and decoration style of the restaurant are carefully designed, and the hotel's intentions can be seen at a glance everywhere.

The restaurant specializes in the classic Italian Caesar salad, which is very refreshing, nutritious and healthy.

The spicy beef and mushroom pizza is very fragrant. The spicy beef and the taste of fresh mushrooms mixed in the mouth are so delicious that you can't stop eating.

Christmas is coming, and the restaurant has been decorated with many Christmas elements.

After enjoying the musical dinner by the Erhai Lake, I prepared to return to my room and enter my own gentle paradise. The East Garden of Huazhu Shedai Shuihe is just a few dozen meters away from the West Garden, but it boasts a different design style. Renovated from an independent Bai ethnic minority manor, the East Garden is slightly larger than the West Garden and offers excellent photo opportunities.

The main gate of Dongyuan

The green plants in the courtyard are particularly eye-catching.

The public embedded booths in the Dongyuan courtyard are very comfortable and have a great view. Order a cup of coffee or a pot of tea, sit here for an afternoon, and experience the slow pace of traveling in Dali. The entrance to Dongyuan is also a good place to feed seagulls. If you want to feed seagulls, you can tell the guy at the front desk and he will help you attract them to feed.

Different from the style of West Garden, the rooms in East Garden are more elegant and simple, giving people a very comfortable feeling.

The best place for taking photos in Dongyuan is the 360-degree unobstructed panoramic balcony on the second floor. Sitting here, you can enjoy an extremely broad view and really see all the mountains below.

After spending two pleasant days and one night at Huazhu Shedai Water and Seaview B&B, I will continue my self-driving tour around Erhai Lake today. The beautiful Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and the simple and quiet Shuanglang Ancient Town, will be a great experience for you next time!