Erhai Lake West Coast and Xizhou Ancient Town (Part 1)

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Woke up naturally today. It didn’t look like a sunny day—the weather forecast said it would rain. No matter, it’s a good chance to see what Erhai Lake(Dali City, Yunnan Province, China) looks like under overcast skies.

Though it was cloudy, the light was actually quite glaring, perfect for wearing my new wide-brimmed hat. The “Red River Girl” outfit I bought two years ago (a fusion of modified hanfu and Yunnan Honghe ethnic clothing elements) got its second outing, even though I didn’t make it to Honghe this time.

Took a taxi to the starting point of the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor (Yangnanxi). There were rows of electric scooters ahead at various price points. Fortunately, it was still off-season—only 15 yuan for half an hour. In a few days they’d switch to peak-season pricing, which would be a bit more expensive.

Along the way, I noticed some new wooden fence planters—the flowers inside were blooming beautifully.

Suddenly it started raining, so I quickly flagged down a sightseeing bus to the next stop. 10 yuan per segment, just wave and it stops—quite suitable for rainy days. Not long after the bus started, I saw a white building with people taking photos on top. After getting off, I looked up and saw that each compartment up there had a beautiful woman posing.

This was Longkan Wharf. I was surprised to find that the entire lakeside was lined with people taking wedding photos. They must have booked in advance—on such a cloudy day, who would have scheduled a shoot for today?

There didn’t seem to be any particularly good scenery here, so I decided to move on. I passed by that long path leading to the pavilion where I took photos last time, but on a cloudy day, the photos wouldn’t turn out well. I’ll save it for next time.

Although I’d had breakfast, I was hungry again. I headed to Caicun to eat, returning to that same shop for the Xizhou Baba I’d been craving!

This shop’s pea porridge was also delicious. Though the chicken rice noodles were just average—far less tasty than the ones at Lijiang Zhongyi Market.

After eating, I got back on the sightseeing bus. The rain grew heavier, and both sides of the road became a bit foggy. Suddenly, an elderly lady behind me said she was from Taiwan and didn’t know how to pay the fare. The driver patiently walked to the back to help. It was noisy with the rain, so I couldn’t hear clearly, but it was eventually resolved.

The old lady even apologized for holding us up, haha. Actually, there was no need to apologize—I don’t think anyone minded such a small thing.

The rain was still pouring down heavily, but I remembered that I was heading to the small stone beach at Xiabopeng Village, haha. I feel like most people wouldn’t notice this incredibly beautiful stone beach because it’s somewhat hidden. However, I remember there’s a building like a small temple by the riverbank—you just walk over there.

We called out “Stop!” and the other passengers seemed confused, as if they didn’t know about this place. They probably thought it was just a grassy area?

Haha, but on a cloudy day, it didn’t look as impressive.

It was far from the effect of my last visit. Last time it looked like this:

But, there were still people taking wedding photos, and I heard those two had been shooting for at least 2 hours and still hadn’t left, haha.

Fortunately, after resting at this temple for a short while, the rain stopped. Interestingly, the temple enshrines a royal consort’s husband, but I couldn’t find the name.

We wandered around the area for about an hour and then left. When we departed, the wedding photo people were still there.

Back on the sightseeing bus to the next stop, I saw two long wetlands in the lake with several short trees growing on them—a magical sight.

If it looked this beautiful on a cloudy day, I can’t imagine how stunning it would be on a sunny day—what incredible photos you could take here.

Continuing to ride forward, there were almost no tourists on the road. It seems many people lack the spirit of exploration, haha.

I spotted a cluster of strange trees and immediately stopped to take a look.

Walking to the riverbank, I heard a few bird calls—it felt like a hidden paradise. I took out my camera and phone and kept shooting.

After a few minutes, two women came over to take photos. It was that familiar feeling again—whenever I go to a secluded corner with no one around, within minutes, someone always follows suit, haha.

As it was getting darker, I took a taxi to Xizhou Ancient Town to find something delicious to eat…

I enjoy slow-paced travel and never do rushed, check-the-box sightseeing. If you also like this style of traveling, feel free to follow, like, save, comment, and share. Thank you for reading this far~