Lashi Lake

Basic Facts of Lashi Lake

Chinese Name: 拉市海 Pronunciation: lāshìhǎi

Suggested Visiting Hours: 3-4 Hours

Altitude: 1,519 meters

Occupied Area: 65.2 square kilometers

Water Area: 53.3 square kilometers

Address: Lashi Lake Wetland Park, Haidong Town, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China

Admission Ticket Fare

Opening Hours

What You Need to Know about Lashi Lake

Lashi Lake

There is one saying goes, “Yunnan has eighteen strange things, one of which is to call a little lake as a sea.” In ancient times, people in Yunnan thought that lakes were all seas, so they named many lakes as seas. Time goes by, and these names have been passed by generations; therefore, Lashi Lake is still called Lashi Sea in Chinese nowadays. Lashi is actually translated by old Naxi language (the local language in ancient times). “La” means a barren dam, and “shi” means new, so “Lashi” altogether means a rejuvenescent barren dam. 
 

Lashi Lake is a place with plenty of water and lush glass, being praised as the cradle of life. Due to its picturesque scenery, it is listed as an ecological conservation project base by The Nature Conservancy. Water of Lashi Lake originally runs out from karst caves in northwest. However, after water conservancy projects have been successively set up since the 1980s, Lashi Lake has turned form a seasonal lake into a plateau lake which can keep its water level still. The lake is so clear that its surface can even reflect Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain, and the birds tranquilly sit in the lake or soar in the blue sky: all of these scenes compose the special atmosphere of the plateau wetland.
 

Lashi Lake Wetland Park, one of the main scenic sites of Lashi Lake, is the first nature reserve of Yunnan Province. Every winter, thousands of migrant birds trek thousands of miles to come and perch. Delamu, also called the Tea-Horse Road, is known as an essential ancient international trade road. As the protective development of Lashi Lake has been working on these years, Lashi Lake, which is exactly located in Delamu, has become a core place of interest of Lijiang tour. Tourists even recommend Lashi Lake as the first place of the journey to Lijiang.

Lashi Lake Top Amazing Sights You Should not Miss

 Lashi Lake Wetland Park

Lashi Lake Wetland Park

Lashi Lake Wetland Park is a national wetland park with crystal-clear water and lush pasture. The park is about 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) away from downtown. Although it isn’t that well-known as the other scenery sites in Lijiang, it is the first wetland conservation park in Yunnan Province which is named after the wetland. Lijiang thus becomes one of the best summer resorts due to the climate regulation of the wetland. This place is the lung of Lijiang, as well as the land of fruits and flowers of Lijiang.
 

The wetland park is a place to travel for all seasons. The spring of Lashi Lake can be a lady coming in late, for she takes time to use colorful flowers to dress up as a fairy. The tranquil lake may be her mirror and the bending bays cut by pieces of wetland may be her veil. In summer, cold wind has gone, and bright sun shines to let fish and shrimps enjoy a great time. The scent of grass field makes people want to embrace the earth. During the autumn, the air is full of the aroma of all kinds of fruits to make you hanker for, and roasted fish hung on the grill as well as the special chicken hotpot makes your mouth watering. When winter comes, the migrant birds also come to have a rest, brushing their beautiful feather. Thousands of kinds of birds sings and hovers around the lake, constituting a poetic scene of the wild nature.

Delamu: The Tea and Horse Road

Stud Farm of Delamu

Wingding in the mountain-gorge region of Hengduan Mountain through the forest and marsh of Yunnan-Sichuan-Tibet triangle area, a mysterious dragon coils here. That dragon is Delamu, an ancient culture exchange road with the highest elevation in the world. Lashi Lake surrounding of Lijiang is one of the well-preserved Delamu relics.
 

Take a horse ride on Delamu, you can experience different emotion and different scenery. Horses are veterans when crossing Delamu. Sitting on their back, you can take the whole picture of the unique and quaint Naxi village. Riding on the bumpy, rough road, and passing forests, hills and streams, you can get a taste of the legend of the ancient horse team, feeling the existing traces of the history.
 

Strolling on Delamu, the fragrance of Galsang flower can make you intoxicated, and the idyllic scenery makes you feel at ease. There is no sense of urgency like in cities; sunshine and breeze comfort your heart with peace. Hearing someone humming a Naxi folk song in the distance, you may feel the time nearly stop at that moment.
 

Zhiyun Monastery

Zhiyun Monastery

The ancient temple Zhiyun Monastery, one of the holy lands of Lijiang, is located at the southeast of Lashi Lake surrounded by verdant mountain and clear water. Built in 1727, Zhiyun Monastery is one of the five biggest temples in Lijiang. After being rebuilt and enlarged in 1879, the temple becomes lofty and splendid with magnificent aura. 
 

When you approach Zhiyun Monastery, a building with unique Tibetan characteristics comes into view. Like a pearl serenely embedded on the shore of Lashi Lake, this place is definitely for you to make meditation. In the temple there is a cave where eminent monks once cultivated themselves and a giant holy rock which is engraved Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit. Tourists especially Buddhist disciples usually come to visit with reverence and pray for luck.

Suggested Travel Route

Take the cable car from the downtown Ancient Town of Lijiang to Lashi Lake Wetland Park → enjoy the scenery of the park → take a horse-ride down by Delamu → have a good meal with local characteristics and take a canoeing on the Lashi Lake → get down to the entrance gate on foot → change to a shuttle bus for downtown

Best Travel Time

Lashi Lake is worth visiting all the year round. There are more travelers in spring and winter, followed by summer and autumn.

Winter (December to February) is the best time to travel to Lashi Lake. At that time, hundreds and thousands of migrant birds come to stay, showing their magnificent feathers and beautiful tweeting.

How to Get to Lashi Lake

 By Bus

Take Bus No. 32 or 31 in Lijiang City, get off at Anzhongcun Station. Walk for about 800 meters and you will get to Lashi Lake Wetland Park.

 By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去拉市海。English: Please take me to Lashi Lake.

If you go to Lashi Lake Wetland Park from downtown area in Lijiang (Lijiang People’s Square), it takes about 35 yuan for 25 minutes. 

If you go to Lashi Lake Wetland Park from Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, it takes about 120 yuan for about 55 minutes. 

If you go to Lashi Lake Wetland Park from Lijiang Railway Station, it takes about 55 yuan for about 40 minutes.

Caohai Lake in Spring

authorName23241: Chunhui Lv

Date: 15/04/2022

Email: info@chinatourstar.com

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