On the Erhai lake: Shuanglangzhen
We made a detour off the tourist trail and spent one day on the shores of Lake Erhai. We stayed in a little village on the opposite side of the lake from Dali: Shuanlangzhen.
Shuanglang, a fishing town with a history of over one thousand years, is located in north Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, about 30 minutes drive from Dali.
It is easily reachable by DIDI.
Erhai comes from Hai which is Chinese for sea and for local people the large lake represents the sea.
Although alive with some domestic tourism, it had a slower and relaxed vibe than Dali and it offers people with its most charming sceneries.
Wondering through the cobblestone-paved streets, with old dwellings of the Bai people, tourists can be treated to beautiful surroundings but also a sense of peace.
People here live a simple but happy life: local Bai grannies, dressed in their traditional attire, were weaving baskets or preparing the ubiquitous Yunnan rose cakes.
Men played cards or mahjong sitting in a cluster on the street.
The jacaranda trees were all blooming and offered shade, colour and a sweet, memorable smell.
It was idyllic. There is not a lot to do apart from strolling around, watch the sunset on the lake with a drink and chill.
And people, who had not seen many western tourists, were super sweet and curious to know where you were from.
There are numerous restaurants, Chinese and Western styles and old grannies selling the best roasted sweet potatoes.
We ate at this restaurant and it was one of the best meals we had in China. Don’t ask me the name, I have no idea!
It’s a nice place to get away from the crowds and chill or even as a day trip from Dali.
We stayed at this hotel and it had a fantastic view over the lake!
Zijinhua Inn(大理紫荆花艺术度假酒店) Dali
The next day, we had an early start, and after taking a DIDI to Dali airport, we flew to Chongqing.
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