Tips & Stories

After wandering through the tropical forest and experiencing the hot air of Xishuangbanna in April, you wouldn’t like to miss Lugu Lake, a place that is full of refreshing air and crystal-like clean water, and also the most ideal destination for you to visit when travelling to Yunnan in May.

Located in the high mountains bordering Yanyuan County, Liangshan, Sichuan and Ninglang Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan, Lugu Lake is like a pearl inlaid on the southwest plateau of China. Lugu Lake is a plateau freshwater lake shaped like a horseshoe. There are six islands in the lake, lush forests and flocks of wild ducks.

The best time to visit Lugu Lake is from May to September. May is the best month to visit Lugu Lake for it will not be too hot or too cold in this period. Various natural and cultural touring sites are distributed along the Shore of Lugu Lake. Therefore, the best way to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lugu Lake is to have a lake tour that is touring along the Shore of Lugu Lake. The general route is to start from Daluo Shui or Lige Island and circle the lake in a clockwise direction to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.

Check out this Classic Minorities Tour of Yunnan – 3 Days in Lugu Lake 

Daluoshui Village

Daluoshui Village is a must-visit place for most tourists to Lugu Lake. It is also a bus stop from Lijiang to Lugu Lake, with convenient transportation. In Daluoshui Village, along the lakeshore are wooden houses of Mosuo people, most of which are now converted into hotels that can provide accommodation. In the evening, the local Mosuo people always wear their traditional costumes and barbecue beside a tent set up by the lake. They will hold a bonfire party, singing and dancing, and it will be very lively.

Xiaoluoshui Village

Xiaoluoshui Village is the last Yunnan village beside Lugu Lake. The border between Yunnan and Sichuan is at the entrance of this village. The road along Lugu Lake is cut in two halves here: the gravel road belongs to Yunnan, and the asphalt road belongs to Sichuan.

Houlong Mountain

For many tourists, Houlong Mountain in Lugu Lake is a relatively unfamiliar attraction. In May, the spring scenery in many places has faded, but the spring in Houlongshan is growing. In this mountain, various flowers are blooming beautifully. It is a good time to wander through this sea of flowers.

Mountain is a long island wedged in the heart of Lugu Lake. It has a length of about 4 kilometres. Houlong is the male mountain god in the mythology of Mosuo. He and Goddess Gemu are a beloved couple. They turned into mountains and islands, facing each other across the lake during the day and to spend the night together by “walking marriage”. Houlong Mountain is also a wetland among the villages of the Mosuo Awa tribe, with dense aquatic plants and abundant fish and shrimps.

Goddess Bay

Goddess Bay is facing Goddess Gemu Mountain. Sitting at the end of the road, it is the quietest village on the Shore of Lugu Lake, and it is also a good place to watch the sunset. Goddess Bay is very pure and peaceful. Here, you can even feel the stagnation of time. This is also the best place for swimming.

Tips: The water temperature of Lugu Lake is quite low, even in the summertime; long-term soaking in the water is enough to freeze people. Moreover, the terrain around the lakeshore is complicated, so to avoid accidents, it is recommended not to swim rashly in the lake without consulting locals.

Caohai Wetland

8 kilometres east of Dazui Village is the wetland Caohai of Lugu Lake. In spring and summer, the Caohai Wetland is full of green bushes, which makes it looks like endless grassland. Only when you see the “zhucao” boat sliding gently in the green water, you will see that it is still a pool of water but lush in green grass. In the autumn and winter season, the grass leaves gently fall on the lake, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds on the plateau, making people love this golden sea of grass even more.

The bridge of Walking Marriage

The bridge of Walking Marriage is the place where Mosuo people dating each other.  The Mosuo tribe maintain the matrilineal system so Mosuo people do not marry and fathers do not live with, or support, children. The bridge of Walking Marriage is also surrounded by Wangfei Mansion, Wangfei Island, and Luowa Wharf. If you are lucky enough to encounter clear weather and calm waves, you can see the reflection of the mountain on the lake opposite Wangfei Island, forming a peculiar sight of a Buddha statue.

Lige Island

Lige Island is a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides with stunning scenery. There are many elegant inns and unique bars, so it is also a perfect combination of fashion and ancient times. Looking down from the Lion Rock, Lige Island is like a pearl inlaid on the lake.

There are many well-preserved Mosuo houses on this island for people to visit and experience the lifestyle of the Mosuo family.

The Mosuo building is a wooden structure as a whole, mainly in the form of a courtyard house. According to their functions and uses, the houses in Mosuo dwellings are mainly divided into grandmother’s room and Jingtang room (Jingtang is the tallest building in the Mosuo courtyard and represents the faith of the Mosuo people. Yak horns are usually painted in colour and hung in front of the house, it represents “auspicious”.), Hualou room (The daughter in a Mosuo family always lived in the grandmother’s room with her grandmother when she was a child. After the girls held the “Cheng Ding ceremony” at the age of 13, they could have a separate room. The rooms where they live are called Hualou, which literally means a flowery building) and Caolou room (Caolou is the residence of an adult but unmarried Mosuo man).

The layout structure of the Mosuo residential quadrangle fully reflects the relationship hierarchy of the Mosuo matriarchal family. As the only territory in China that completely retains the social structure of the matrilineal system, the Mosuo courtyards scattered surround Lugu Lake outline the mysterious Mosuo culture.

Lugu Lake is a place where you can enjoy life at a slower pace, a place where you can enjoy the scenery like a dream. In the early summer of May, you may wake up slowly in the morning light and enjoy breakfast in comfort. At noon, basking in the warm sunshine, you can choose to walk on the lakeshore or go boating on the lake. Even if it encounters a shower of rain, this occasional misty rain will only add hazy and beauty to Lugu Lake. After the rain has passed and the sky is clear, the surface of Lugu Lake is so peaceful and smooth like a mirror. The blue sky and the blue lake water reflect each other, which form a poetic picture. The scenery of Lugu Lake continues. After enjoying the soft sunset in the evening, you can continue to enjoy the peaceful night of Lugu Lake and the bright starry Milky Way up in the sky.

This May, come and enjoy a relaxing time in Lugu Lake in Yunnan!

【Tips】

1. Lugu Lake has a plateau monsoon climate with large temperature differences between day and night, so it would be better for you to bring enough warm clothing.
2. The weather on the plateau is changeable, so get your sunscreen, sunglasses, and rain gear ready. Sunscreen is very necessary here; for it can help you avoid sunburn.
3. During the prevention and control period of COVID-19, face-coverings are still a mandatory measure in the public area. It would be better if you can also preparer some hand sanitiser, alcohol wipes, etc.

In May, Lugu Lake is the best destination to visit in Yunnan. LuGu Lake is a place that rich in natural sceneries, which would make tourists from all over the world emotionally moved. In here, flowers are blooming vigorously, while forests and bushes are lush. The water of LuGu lake is clear and limpid. It sprinkles when sunshine spreading on. Islands in all different forms are scattered all over in the lake just like stars in the sky. Wandering on its silky like and vast smooth beach, gazing into the winding and pretty rolling hills in a far distance, you would be amazed by the beauty and pure of LuGu Lake.