1. Tour Overview
Lashi Sea, located in Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, is the first nature reserve named with "wetland" in Yunnan Province. It covers an area about 6,523 hectares, and the lake surface is 2,437 meters above sea level, so it is the largest plateau lake in Lijiang City.
It attracts many tourists with its unique natural scenery and rich ecological resources. Here is a paradise for overwintering birds. Every winter, tens of thousands of birds with dozens of species come here for overwintering, bringing endless vitality to the beautiful countryside, villages, streams and meadows covered by green shade under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It also makes Lashihai an important overwintering place for waterfowls in Yunnan Province.
The best tourist season: Lashi Lake is suitable for visiting in all seasons, but December to March is the best time for bird watching. At this time, a large number of migratory birds live through the winter, providing tourists with a unforgettable bird watching experience.
2. Why Should We Go To Lashi Sea?
Lashi Lake is a paradise for bird watching and it also offers a variety of tourist activities such as boating, horseback riding and exploring the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, which enables tourists to have an in-depth understanding of the local culture and history.
2.1 Natural Scenery And Ecological Resources
Lashi Lake has vast wetlands and clear lakes, attracting many migratory birds to inhabit here, including rare birds such as bar-headed geese, Chinese merganser and black-necked crane. In addition, the hills and forests around Lashi Lake also provide beautiful natural landscapes for tourists.
2.2 Tourist Activities
Tourists can rent boats and row on Lashi Sea to enjoy the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains; they can also ride horses through the forest to experience the historical charm of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road; they can even visit Naxi villages to deeply understand the local culture and history.
Therefore, as a treasure trove of natural landscapes, Lashi Lake is an excellent place to understand Naxi culture and history. No matter you are a nature lover or a cultural explorer, Lashi Sea can fulfill your needs and provide you with an unforgettable tourism experience.
3. Travel Tips For Lashi Sea
The transportation modes to Lashi Sea mainly include three ways: Taking a shuttle bus, vehicle renting for self-driving and taking a taxi.
Bus: Take bus No. 3132 and get on at Zhongyi Market Station and then get off at Lashi Lake Wetland Park Station. It takes about an hour for you to get there.
Self-driving: Starting from Old Town of Lijiang, it takes about 30 minutes.
Taking a taxi: Starting from Old Town of Lijiang, it takes about 40 minutes and the fare is about 50 yuan.
In addition, Lashi Lake is situated in the middle of Lashi Dam, 10 kilometers away westward Lijiang City. If you go there by self-driving, you can drive about 30 kilometers toward the south of Lining highway to reach it. After arriving in Lijiang by plane or train, you can also choose a taxi or bus to go to the destination and the distance from the airport is about 30 kilometers.
4. Top Attractions In Lashi Lake
The Lashi Sea Wetland Park is rich in natural resources, including rare birds and beautiful natural scenery. Here is a habitat for migratory birds to overwinter. From December to February, dozens of migratory birds fly here for the winter. The landscapes in the park include Ancient Tea-Horse Road, Wetland Museum, Bird Watching Corridor, Lake View Plank Road, Glass Plank Road, Wild Duck Lake, etc.
In Lashi Sea Wetland Park, tourists can participate in a variety of tourist activities, including taking a wooden boat in the lake and enjoying the beautiful scenery where the water and sky merge into one; hiking along the lakeside path to feel the glamour of nature; visiting Naxi villages to understand the history and culture of the Naxi people. In addition, you can also ride a horse on Ancient Tea-Horse Road to experience the ancient caravan culture. There are also Naxi residential buildings as well as live performances in the park, allowing tourists to feel a strong cultural atmosphere while enjoying the natural beauty.
On top of this, people travelling in Lashi Sea can also visit the Naxi Dongba Sacrificial Office Museum and the Memorial Hall of Chinese Minority Villages, which allows tourists to have a good mastery of the cultoms and history of the Naxi people while appreciating the natural beauty.
4.1 The Ancient Tea-Horse Road
The Ancient Tea-Horse Road in Lashi Sea is a tourist attraction that combines history, culture and natural landscapes together.
History And Culture
Ancient Tea-Horse Road is an important trade route in the southwest region of ancient China, it is mainly used for trading tea and horses, thus connecting Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet and other provinces together. Also, it retains the rich historical traces and cultural connotations. Consequently, tourists can ride horses to experience the caravan culture of the ancient routes on horseback, visit ancient villages and get a better understanding of the lifestyles and customs there.
Natural landscapes
The Ancient Tea-Horse Road is located in the wetland park, there exist a variety of natural landscapes such as mountains, canyons, forests and lakes. It has rich ecological resources and is a habitat for migratory birds. Tourists can enjoy the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains here and experience the beauty and tranquility of nature.
Tourist activities
In addition to enjoying the natural scenery, the Ancient Tea-Horse Road in Lashi Sea also offers rich tourist activities, including horseback riding, boating and bird watching. Horseback riding is one of the characteristic experiences here. Tourists can ride the unique small short-legged horses in Yunnan, cross the jungle and enjoy the panoramic view.
Opening Information
The Ancient Tea-Horse Road is open all day for free. The scenic area provides telephone consultation services to facilitate tourists to obtain more information or make reservations.
Overall, Ancient Tea-Horse Road in Lashi Sea is not only a good place to know more about China's ancient trade history and culture, but also a good place to enjoy natural beauty and outdoor activities. No matter you are a history and culture enthusiast or a natural explorer, you can always find a satisfactory experience here.
4.2 The Bird Watching Corridor
The Bird Watching Corridor in Lashi Sea is a bird watching paradise located in the Lashihai Plateau Wetland. Every year, a large number of migratory birds are attracted here for hibernation, making it a popular place for bird watching enthusiasts. From November to March, it is the best time for bird watching, approximately 80,000 migratory birds fly here to overwinter. The biodiversity here is extremely rich, there are 236 species of birds recorded, including first-class national protected animals such as black storks, Chinese mergansers, black-necked cranes, as well as second-class national protected animals whooper swans and common cranes. These rare birds and many other bird species constitute the unique bird watching landscape of Lashihai. Visitors can bring binoculars to better observe the birds, you’d better prepare your camera (preferably with a telephoto lens) to record beautiful moments.
The establishment of Bird Watching Corridor in Lashi Sea not only provides an excellent bird watching platform for bird watching enthusiasts, but also promotes the development of local tourism and forms a unique "bird watching economy". In addition, the good ecological environment and rich biodiversity of the Lashihai wetland also benefit from the strict management and maintenance of the local government and the management department of the reserve, ensuring a safe overwintering environment for migratory birds and providing high-quality bird watching experiences for tourists, thus it is a perfect place not to be missed.
4.3 The Lashi Sea Wetland Museum
The Lashihai Wetland Museum is the only museum in Yunnan Province with wetland as its theme. The museum displays specimens of 83 important bird species as well as pictures of the rare birds. It also shows a sand table of Lashihai wetland reserve, comprehensively popularize wetland knowledge and rare birds knowledge. As a result, tourists have a good grasp of the distribution and characteristics of wetlands in China and the world. This museum is an important window for preaching to tourists about protecting wetland ecology and environment.
4.4 The Water Plank Road
The Water Plank Road in Lashi Sea is located in the center of Lashihai Wetland Park. It includes The Lake View Plank Road and The Glass Plank Road, the construction of The Water Plank Road in Lashihai provides tourists with more water entertainment projects. Tourists can stroll along the plank road to enjoy the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains. Currently, it has become a major tourist attraction in Lashi Sea. Apart from this, the park offers rich activity projects, such as horseback riding around the lake and taking a small boat to roam in the lake, allowing tourists to deeply experience the natural beauty of the plateau wetland.
4.5 The Wild Duck Lake
The Wild Duck Lake is located in Lashihai Wetland Park. It is another popular tourist attraction and is known for its abundant waterbirds and peaceful environment. Tourists can easily reach the Wild Duck Lake on foot from the bird watching corridor or taking public transportation in the park to enjoy more natural beauty.
5. Food Provision Around Lashi Sea
5.1 Naxi Barbecue
It is one of the characteristic delicacies in the Lashihai area. It is loved by tourists for its unique cooking method and taste.
5.2 Lijiang Baba
This is a traditional cuisine of Naxi ethnic group, a bit like an oil cake or a stuffed pancake with sweet and salty flavors. It is crispy and delicious with a golden color, thus making it one of the characteristic snacks in Lashi Sea.
5.3 Black Goat Hot Pot
The black goat hot pot with the half-fat and the half-lean is another local delicacies. It is highly praised by tourists for its delicious meat and unique seasoning.
5.4 Home-cooked dishes
Tourists can taste diverse home-style dishes in the restaurants of Lashi Sea. Although these dishes are simple, they are full of flavor and leave a lasting aftertaste, thus it is the food not to be missed.
In addition, the Lashi Sea also offers traditional drinks such as buttered tea, providing tourists with a unique dining experience.
6. Travel Tips For Lashi Sea
When travelling in Lashi Sea, the choice of clothing is crucial for comfort and safety. The following are clothing suggestions based on different seasons.
Spring (March to May): It is recommended to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and a coat, having a sweater on standby. Since the spring temperature is between 6℃ and 20℃, this kind of outfit can provide sufficient warmth and prevent the chill in the morning and evening.
Summer (June to August): It is recommended to wear T-shirts and long pants, and prepare sunscreen products such as sunglasses. Since the summer temperature is between 15℃ and 26℃ and it is relatively hot during the day, sun protection is necessary. Meanwhile, rain may be encountered in the rainy season, so you’d bettet carry rain gear.
Autumn (September to November): It is recommended to wear T-shirts, long pants, and have a coat as well as sweater on standby. The temperature is between 10℃ and 23℃, mostly rainy days. This kind of outfit can adapt to temperature changes and possible rainy days.
Winter (December to February): It is recommended to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, a sweater and a coat, having a down jacket as a backup. The winter temperature is between 0℃ and 12℃, so it is relatively low and sufficient warm measures are needed to withstand the cold .
Lastly, since Lashi Sea is located in Yunnan Province and the ultraviolet rays are very strong, no matter when you go there, you should prepare sunscreen, sunglasses and sun umbrellas to protect your skin from strong ultraviolet rays.
