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Erhai Lake
 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'.
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