Erhai
(literally, Ear Lake),
just as its name
implies, is similar in
form of an ear. Two
kilometers east of Dali,
it is a fresh water
lake, and in the middle
of it, there are islets
and sandbars. Covering
250 square kilometers,
the blue, rippling lake
and the snow-covered Mt.
Cangshan add radiance
and beauty to each
other. The scene is,
therefore, described as
"Silver Cangshan and
Jade Erhai".
Three main islands and
several temples and
villages along the
lake’s dry eastern shore
are worth visiting.
About an hour by boat
from Xianguan is Golden
Shuttle Island (Jinsuo
Dao), with a small
fishing community on the
east side and a cave for
exploring. On the shore,
directly north of the
island, is a rocky
peninsula crowned by a
pavilion and temple.
Sacred Buddhist
buildings, destroyed and
rebuilt many times, have
stood on this spot for
nearly 1,500 years.
Luoyuan Temple was badly
damaged during the
Culture Revolution but
has been put back
together and has great
charm. Visitors can have
their fortunes told by
an old priest who guides
them in shaking and
selecting a single
bamboo stick from a
bundle of 100. The
numbered stick
corresponds to a
specific fortune.
A tiny, picturesque
temple island, Xiao
Putuo Dao, dating from
the 15th century, is
devoted to Guanyin, the
Goddess of Mercy. The
outside walls have been
restored with pointed
caves is especially
nice. On the shore
nearby is the fishing
village of Haiyin, whose
boatmen are steeped in
the lore of the lake.
One of their specialties
is night fishing for the
huge 40-kilogram
(88-pound) ‘green fish’. |