Although Yunnan is lack of sea, but you can find many beautiful lakes in this place. Here we have listed six famous lakes you cannot miss while you are in Yunnan. 

 1. Lugu Lake: Love Above All 

Lugu Lake is a natural pearl on the plateau, while her picturesque scene, along with the customs handed down from the unique ancient matriarchal clan, attracts more and more tourists.

Route: Gecun Village - Nisai - Xiaoluoshui - Dazui - Mukua - Zhaojiawan - Luowa - Wuzhiluo - Boshu - Caohai - Shekua - Langfang - Sanjia Village - Luoshui - Lige.

Food: Pork, dried beef, buttered tea, Sulima liquor and grilled fish. 

2. Erhai Lake: Literary Style 

Dali is a place yearned for by the literary youth, and the Erhai Lake in Dali is born to be a master among storytellers. It is repeatedly telling the story of Husband-Longing Stone and the story of Wind, Flower, Snow and Moon to tourists from all corners of the world.

Route: Ancient City - Xizhou - Shangguan - Shuanglang - Wase - Haidong - Xiaguan - Ancient City. It is suggested to ride in counterclockwise in winter and autumn, and in clockwise in summer and spring.

Food: Erhai carp, dried beef and wild fungus 

3. Jianhu Lake

Jianhu Lake, with moderate water temperature, keeps an annual average temperature at around 11 ℃, merely a few thin ice at the lakeside before dawn in deep winter. The water quality of Jianhu Lake is exceptionally clean and pleasant, which brings the lake a renowned reputation as a bright pearl on the plateau in northwest Yunnan.

Route: Sword Lake, Jinhua Mountain

Food: Hot and sour fish of Bai people, bolete and pine mushroom

4. Fuxian Lake: Among Mountain and Stream 

Fuxian Lake, located in Chengjiang in south Yuxi City, Yunnan, becomes a summer resort for its unique climate - warm in winter and cool in summer. It is called the back garden for Kunming. As the lake water is clear enough to see bottom, glittering and translucent, the ancients described it as "a colored glaze as long as ten-thousand miles". 

Route: Cherry Valley - Hot Water Pond - Fairy Lake - Jieyu Stone - Gushan Island - Sunshine Coast - Star Fish Cave - Biyun Temple - Luchong Village - North Shore Wetland Park

Food: Chengjiang lotus root, copper pot fish and potato stewed with rice 

5. Dianchi Lake: A pearl in the arms of the sleeping beauty

The 500-mile long Dianchi Lake is vast, beautiful, and elegant amidst mountains, like a sleeping beauty lying on the lakeside. Vast blue water bring the tourists an intoxicated and joyful mood. Run along the lakeside with childlike innocence with gulls startled and fly away in a group.

Route: Guangfu Road - Fubao Road - Huanhu East Road - Chenggong - Jincheng - Kunyang - Huanhu South Road - Haikou - Xishan - Haigeng Dam - Hongta East Road - Guangfu Road.

Food: Crossing-bride rice noodle, four-stuffing sweet dumplings, Taishi cake and shepherd's purse dumplings

6. Napa Lake: An unpredictable beauty 

Napa Lake, located in the northwest of Shangri-La County, 8 km away from downtown and at the elevation of 3,266 m, is a seasonal highland lake. Napa Lake shows different scenery in four seasons. Rainy season starts from late summer to early autumn. With large water amount, Napa Lake grows larger in water area, accompanying a small grassland on the lakeside. In summer, plump water plants, flowers, and sheep, cows are fed on the grassland, forming a harmony scene. In autumn, the grassland turns yellow, and pure white snow mountain reflected in the lake water, forming a pleasant scene. While during the dry season in winter and spring, the lake shrinks, even dries up, and turns into swamp meadow - Yila Grassland. 

 (Source: wanzhuanyunnan)