Exploration and discovery at Yunnan's Erhai Lake

My sailings on Erhai have included everything from metal-hulled fishing boats to quite luxurious vessels mainly used by tour groups. Every voyage continued to reveal the sheer physical, human and historic beauty of the area. Cruises towards the north of the lake often start from Xiaguan, heading first to Jinsuo Island. Around 200 Bai households lived there, mainly in and around the small villages of Jinsuodaocun where the boats dock. It was a perfect location for walking along narrow alleys lined with Bai-style homes before emerging towards fertile fields surrounded by flowers and trees. I managed to visit an active local temple before rejoining the boat. Cruising over to the Tianjingge Scenic Area a steep climb led ultimately to a pavilion providing stunning, indeed panoramic views of the lake and of course, Cangshan Mountain.

Continuing by boat, following the eastern shore near to Wase, Little Putuo Island came into view. Amazingly, a petite Ming-dynasty temple almost covered its entire surface. With a backdrop of the snow-capped peaks rising above Erhai’s western shores, it was amazingly photogenic.

My first visit to the Erhai Lake area in 1995 involved a lengthy bus journey from Kunming. On my final visit, I departed by air to Yunnan’s tropical Xishuangbanna. Dali Airport sits atop a flattened hill. Immediately after take-off the ground drops away to reveal stunning views of the lake, the islands, Cangshan and of course, Dali — my personal “Heaven-on-Earth”.