07/20/2025 - 07/21/2025
View Asia 2025 on zzlangerhans's travel map.
After trying out a three-wheel taxi, we concluded it was the ideal way to reach the shore of Erhai. The ancient town was located two miles from the lakeshore, which was too far for us to walk. This positioning was due to the marshy and flood-prone land by the lake, suitable for agriculture but not ideal for living. Additionally, the town's site at the foot of Cangshan provided protection from potential attacks from the west. We traveled through expansive rice paddies and legume fields with the hazy Cangshan ridges in view. When I first began planning our trip to Dali, I noticed the long, narrow Erhai and assumed there would be a thriving ferry and shuttle service for residents across the lake. I had pictured an entire day spent exploring the lakeshore by boat and taxi. Our initial taxi driver quickly dispelled that idea, explaining that ferries mainly catered to tourists rather than local exploration. We had done well during our single day driving around Erhai, though we only managed to cover less than a third of the lake's circumference. I still yearned for the opportunity to get out on the water, and this final free afternoon presented the perfect chance. Our driver dropped us off at a wharf named Caicun, where a few small operators offered boat trips to the eastern shore of the lake. Luckily, it was easy to purchase tickets on short notice, and soon we found ourselves on the water. It became clear that the main urban area was Xiaguan at the southern end of the lake, with all other towns appearing relatively small. I had mistakenly thought the boat was headed to Jinsuo, the only sizeable island on the lake. I didn’t know much about the island, but it was said to have several resorts as well as a cave and a temple of dubious authenticity. I could see the island ahead, but before we reached it, we altered our course towards a promontory on the eastern shore that showcased a tall pagoda and a temple pavilion. Consulting Google Maps, I discovered this short peninsula was called Luoquan and designated as a scenic area and cultural park. The boat docked at the wharf, and we were told we had an hour and a half to explore the two buildings before the boat returned to the western shore. Everyone quickly started moving up the paths and stairs that led to the top of the headland. A sign informed us that the temple building was Tianjing Pavilion, originally constructed during the medieval Song Dynasty alongside three other pavilions that marked the four compass points around the lake. Only the Tianjing Pavilion survived into modern times but was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, a fact the placard conveniently omitted. The pavilion was reconstructed in the 1990s, like many other invaluable pieces of Dali's heritage that had been lost. Tianjing means "sky mirror," reflecting the clouds and mountains on the lake’s still surface on windless days. The original eighth-century Luoquan Pagoda was also demolished along with the Tianjing Pavilion and reconstructed around the same time. I found it quite astonishing that a whole society could convince themselves that destroying their ancient heritage was somehow a path to the future. I hoped the structure we were looking at was nearly an exact replica of the original; of course, there was no way to confirm that. Each face of the tower displayed a statue of the warrior monk Luoquan as a Buddha, symbolizing different aspects of his virtuous character. One advantage of visiting a modern replica was the availability of an elevator that quickly took us to the top level of the pagoda. Before us stretched the gently rippling expanse of Erhai, framed on both sides by forested hills that nearly touched the shoreline. It reminded me a lot of the view over Lake Como the summer before. I noticed several large resorts on Jinsuo and along the eastern shore, many designed in a Santorini style with rounded white walls and navy blue domes. For the descent back down to the wharf, I took the boys down a water slide likely installed during the temple buildings' reconstruction. It was an enjoyable ride with excellent views of the lake.
Our initial departure from Luoquan was interrupted when three additional passengers rushed down from the temple just as the boat was leaving the shore. The captain kindly turned back to pick them up, despite our warning that if we missed the return boat, we would have to wait several hours for the next one. We disembarked at the first stop on the western shore, a lakeside village named Longkan, as we hadn’t found much of interest at our point of departure. As soon as we left the dock, we realized we had made the right choice, landing on a busy main road filled with a lively street market. We sampled several tasty snacks
07/20/2025 - 07/21/2025 View Asia 2025 on zzlangerhans's travel map.
07/20/2025 - 07/21/2025 View Asia 2025 on zzlangerhans's travel map.
07/20/2025 - 07/21/2025 View Asia 2025 on zzlangerhans's travel map.