A super detailed guide to Erhai Lake in Dali, Yunnan! ! !

👍🏻Recommendation reason: Dear friends, I strongly recommend going to Erhai Lake in Yunnan! There, you can ride along the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor 🚲, feel the fresh sea breeze gently blowing across your face, and enjoy the beautiful lake view, as if all your worries have been thrown away. You can also stroll in the quaint Xizhou Ancient Town and experience the unique and charming Bai ethnic customs. The romantic S Bay and Longkan Pier where you can watch the beautiful sunrise are all blockbuster photos. It is definitely a great choice to enjoy a pleasant time "in a windy place". Come and experience it! 😎 🗺Attractions introduction: - Longkan Wharf: A great place to watch the sunrise over Erhai Lake. The red metasequoia trees beside it change color throughout the seasons, and are even more fiery red in autumn and winter, which contrasts with the flying seagulls, like a dreamlike painting. It is a paradise for photography enthusiasts. - Hanxi Village S Bay: Extremely romantic, especially suitable for couples to check in 👫 The long bend is matched with the beautiful scenery of Erhai Lake. Any shot will be super photogenic, and every frame can be sweet to the heart~ - Xizhou Ancient Town: It is quaint and has delicious Xizhou Baba🥧 and literary streets. It faces Erhai Lake in the east and Cangshan Mountain in the west. The Bai ethnic minority houses with grey tiles and white walls are scattered around in an orderly manner. On one side are quiet natural fields, and on the other side is the bustling small town life, full of fireworks and poetry. - Xiapoting: There is a small S bay and an artistic dead tree forest 🌳, which adds a unique artistic atmosphere to the photos and makes it easy to take atmospheric photos. - Panxi Village: Panxi S Bay is a popular spot for watching the sunrise 🌄 However, there are many tourists, so you have to get up early to grab a good spot, otherwise you will miss the beautiful view! - Covered Bridge: Elements such as the bridge arch, lonely big tree, and crooked tree create a sense of atmosphere and are a paradise for photography enthusiasts. No matter how you take photos, they will turn out great. 🚗 Transportation to attractions: - Self-driving or chartering: Start from Dali Ancient Town → Cang'er Avenue → Longkan Wharf → Caicun Wharf → Xiaboqing → Panxi Village → Covered Bridge → Xizhou Ancient Town. Self-driving allows you to arrange your itinerary freely and enjoy the scenery along the way🚙 - Cycling: You can choose shared bicycles or electric vehicles, starting from Dali Ancient Town, cycling along the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor, passing Longkan Wharf, Caicun Wharf, Panxi Village and other scenic spots in turn, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and exercise your body 💪 But pay attention to the power and physical strength. In addition, since motor vehicles are not allowed inside the ecological corridor, it is recommended to use sightseeing buses or shared electric vehicles for sightseeing. 🗺Travel route: - Cycling route: Start from Cai Village, pass S Bay, arrive at Xizhou Ancient Town, and finally return to Dali Ancient Town. The scenery along the way is breathtaking, especially on the way from S Bay to Xizhou Ancient Town, you can enjoy the sea breeze and the scenery along the way🌊 - **Secret Cycling on the West Line of the Sea (20km Highlight Section)**📍Starting and ending point: Longkan Wharf → Xizhou Ancient Town. It is recommended to arrange a full-day immersive tour⏰ There are many check-in points with a 200% film output rate along the way, such as the Orange Sea Sunrise at Longkan Wharf🌅 The movie-like camera position of the lonely tree in Xiaboying🎬 The perspective of Monet's garden from the arch of the covered bridge, and the limited edition S-bends that appear randomly along the way. - One-day self-driving route: depart from the city ➡️Fengyang County ➡️Longkan Wharf ➡️Xizhou Ancient Town ➡️Zhoucheng ➡️Erhai East Road ➡️Yunxiang Mountain to watch the sunset 🌇 If time is tight, you can divide the tour into two days, or skip some attractions that you are not interested in. 🍱Food recommendations: - Xizhou Baba: A specialty food of Xizhou Ancient Town, with a crispy crust and rich fillings, it has both sweet and salty tastes. You must try it🥧 - Roasted Breast Fan: Don’t hesitate when you see the Bai grandma’s roasted breast fan! You can get the same style as Nicholas Tse for 5 yuan, full of milky flavor, sweet but not greasy😋 - Shredded Rice with Braised Pork: Have a bowl of shredded rice with braised pork for breakfast. The soft and glutinous shredded rice is paired with delicious braised meat and rich soup, which is super satisfying. 💰Cost related: - Car rental fee: Electric cars are about 50 yuan/day, and good-looking bicycles are 15 yuan/day. Some homestays also provide vehicles for free. The sightseeing bus is suitable for short-distance tours and the price depends on the actual situation. - Parking fee: The parking lot at each scenic spot is generally 10 yuan per time, with no time limit. - Other expenses: The cost of food, shopping, etc. varies from person to person. It’s up to you to decide how much you want to spend. 📌Other tips: - Seagull viewing time: Seagulls usually appear from the end of October to the beginning of April of the following year. Friends who want to see seagulls need to go during this period🕊️ - Sun protection and warmth: The ultraviolet rays in Dali are strong, and the temperature difference between morning and evening is large. Be sure to take sun protection and warmth measures, bring sunglasses 🕶️ ice sleeves, SPF50+ sunscreen, a bucket hat with a rope or a windproof scarf. - Tips for avoiding pitfalls: There are too many people at the S-bend in Panxi Village. In fact, there are many similar S-bends with no people along the way, so you don’t have to squeeze in with the crowds when taking photos; don’t rent a car outside the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor, as it is prohibited to enter🚫 - Photography tips: Take pictures of the lonely tree in the reflection (you can bring your own mineral water to water the ground); choose 17 holes for the corridor bridge; wait for the wind to come in the S-bend (the wind in Erhai Lake comes every 7 minutes)📸 - Practical schedule: 06:00 departure from Cai Village to watch the sunrise 🌅 07:30 silhouette shooting at Longkan Wharf, 09:00 start cycling (avoid midday sun exposure), 12:00 picnic in the shade of the bridge, 15:00 encounter seagulls (November-March only), 18:00 sunset easter egg at Xizhou Corner Tower. - Local tips: There is a toilet every 3 kilometers along the way, look for the blue background and white letters; motor vehicles are prohibited on the cycling path, the safety factor is MAX👍 Don’t miss the roasted milk fan made by the Bai grandma; the Puzhen Tie-Dye Museum is free to visit, and you can also experience tie-dyeing.