Lugu Lake
A pristine highland lake straddling Yunnan and Sichuan — glide across the blue water in a Mosuo dugout canoe.
A highland lake straddling the Yunnan–Sichuan border, its surface at 2,690 m, covering about 48.45 km² and reaching 93.5 m deep. The shoreline is roughly 48 km, while the road around it runs 70–80 km — the two figures are often confused. Nearly everything sits along that ring road. The Mosuo people's walking-marriage tradition and the dugout canoes are what set the lake apart.
- Best season
- Distinct wet and dry seasons with wide day-night temperature swings; the lake almost never freezes. The reed marsh is at its best in June and July — which is also the rainy season, when the mountain roads are hardest.
- Tickets (approx.)
- Entry ¥70; half price (¥35) for ages 60–70, free for over-70s and children under 1.2 m. Entry does not include the dugout boats, cableway, bonfire evening or shuttles — the most common source of surprise. Boat trips run roughly ¥70–150.
- Time to allow
- Two days minimum. It is a long way from both Dali and Lijiang, and a single day turns into pure driving.
- Altitude
- 2690 m
Know before you go
There is no complete public transport around the lake, so circling it is on you. The bus from Lijiang (about ¥80) only reaches the lakeside; you still need to get around once there. From Dali it is roughly 5 hours — not advisable unless your trip starts there.
- Destination
- Lugu Lake
- On these routes