Er'hai Lake

Erhai Lake, also known as Yeyuze or Kunming (Kunmi) Lake in ancient times, is named after its ear-like shape. It is a freshwater lake in Yunnan Plateau at an elevation of 1,972 meters above the sea level. It starts at Dengchuan in the north and ends at Xiaguan in the south with a length of 42 kilometers and width of 8 kilometers. It is 116 kilometers in circumference and covers an area of 250 square kilometers. With an average depth of about 11 meters and a total water capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters, Er’hai Lake is the second largest lake in Yunnan Province, abundant in water resources. Miju River and the Mici River in the north, Bolou River in the east and 18 brooks from Cangshan Mountain in the west converge into this lake. In the south, Yangbi River is the outlet and finally converges with Lancang River (Mekong).

Er’hai Lake is a fault lake formed after the foundering of the earth’s crust. In the lake, there are there islets, four sand beaches and eight famous sights. “Er’hai Moon” is one of the best sights because one can enjoy the moon mirrored in the lake on a clear night. Er’hai Lake is also rich in aquatic animals.