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 Erhai Lake, also known as Yeyu Pond, Xi'er River
and Kunmi River in old times, is named after its shape and
expanse. "Er" in Chinese means a human ear and "Hai" means a sea,
hence its name Erhai. It is one of the seven biggest fresh water
lakes in China and the largest highland lake next to Dianchi Lake
(in Kunming). So it was called "Plateau Pearl". The dimension is
41.5 km. by 6.9 km. It starts from Jiangwei of Eryuan County in
the north and ends at Xiaguan in the south. The total storage
capacity is 3 billion cubic metres and its elevation 1,972 metres.
Erhai Lake is a barrier lake formed after a fault
foundering of the earth's crust. It originates in Heigushan
Mountain of Er'yuan. The water mainly comes from the Miju River
and Luoshi River in Er'yuan County, the 18 brooks of Cangshan in
the west, and the Boluo River, Fengwei Brook, Yulong Gully and
Shitou Brook in t he southeast, which converge into a mighty
torrent and then flow into Erhai Lake. After that, it again flows
into the Lancangjiang River by passing through Tianshengqiao
(Natural Bridge) of Xiaguan, where a multistage power station of
medium size stand, and the Yangbi River in the west over a
distance of more than 20 km.
The beautiful scenery and limpid waters of Erhai
Lake are charming and attractive. On the boundless expanse of the
lake, there are steamers, sailing boats, flying birds, the Three
Islets, the Four Sand Bars, the Five Miniature Lakes and the Nine
Curvatures, with their reflections in the placid water,
accompanied by Bai girls in bright-coloured costumes on the shore
or in fishing boats singing the praises of their life. The
picturesque scenery makes you feel relaxed and happy. The white
snow over the green Cangshan Mountain and the limpid water of
Erhai Lake have earned Dali the fame of "Jade Erhai and Silver
Cangshan." During a clear night, the moon is mirrored in the lake
and people call it the "Erhai Moon" which is one of the four best
sights of Dali. It would be a great p ity if people travelling to
Dali do not go for a boat ride in the lake, just like people travelling to Kunming without having a glance at the scenery of Xishan (the Western Hills).
The Scene of Shuanglang
Shuanglang (double Corridors) locates at the northeast shore of
Erhai Lake. It is famous because of two beaches. Lianhua and
Luoshi. This two beaches look like two corridors so that they are
named after their shapes. Sand here is bright and clear, as soft
as a piece of cotton. Looking at the lake from here, one can see
the endless lake surface, so green and so clear, with wave
reflecting sunshine. The white clouds are above the lake with
white sails coming south and going north. The most beautiful
islands, Yuji Island (or Tianshengying) and Shuanglang Jinsuo
Island, look like a pair of mandarin ducks, floating still on the
surface of the lake. If one looks up, one can see 19 peaks of
Cangshan Mountain with green trees, standing erect, as high as if
they touch the sky. Their shadows are reflected in the lake,
looking so stately and solemnly. A picture so charming , so
grandiose that one will not want to leave.
Erhai Park
 Erhai Park is located at Tuanshan Mountain, 2.5km
away from Xianguan. It was once a royal deer ranch of the Nanzhao
Kingdom. Built in 1976, the park covers 1700 mu of land. Climbing
along the path up to the mountain, one can see green pine trees,
famous flowers like camellia, magnolia primose, michelia alba and
azalea. On the top are the Observation Pavilion and the Long
Corridor overlooking the lake, the zoo and the garden. Standing
high on the top, one will have a pleasant view of the jade-like
Erhai Lake dotted with sails here and there and the silvery
Cangshan Mountain. At the shore, there are entertainment
facilities such as the aqua park, swimming area, etc. On a clear
night, when the moon is mirrored on the lake, one will enjoy one
of the most magnificent sights (Wind, Flower, Snow and Moon)-the
Erhai Moon in Dali.
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