The Most Charming Hidden Gems in Yunnan: Tiny Islands Just 100 Square Meters
Although Yunnan is an inland province, it's one of the places with the most vacation destinations in China.
Which city in Yunnan is most worth visiting and vacationing in? Personally, I prefer Dali.
Dali's main scenic areas are along the (E'erhai –) coast. Besides the various ancient towns, there's also Xiaputuo, a tiny island in the east bank of, covering only about 100 square meters and with a circumference of just over 200 meters. It's considered the smallest and most miniature island in Yunnan. The island has only one similarly tiny Guanyin Pavilion and a small pier extending into the lake center. Otherwise, there's no land.
Xiaputuo is a major attraction on the (E'erhai) sightseeing line. In winter, flocks of seagulls from the cold Siberian south come to here and gather by the shore waiting for tourists' snacks. They sometimes fly, sometimes wander along the shore, and sometimes swim in the lake, becoming the most special seasonal landscape of (E'erhai). In spring, the northern climate gradually warms up, and these seagulls will (luìshù – successively) fly north and south, experiencing at least twice a year long-distance migration, which is a natural wonder.
Xiaputuo's opposite has a viewing platform, where tourists typically stop to take photos and pose. There's a stone on the platform with the words ' (Xiǎpútuo – Xiaputuo)' inscribed on it. This is the main photo spot, and many tourists choose to take photos here, which can capture both the iconic stone and the island itself.
Xiaputuo is a limestone island, elevated about 12 meters above the water surface, like a golden seal floating on the water. Such a low height, if it were in the true ocean, it would be extremely likely to be submerged during high tide. Fortunately, (E'erhai) is a highland flat lake, with little tidal change.
It's said that Xiaputuo is the ' (zhèn hǎi yìn – – –)' left by Guanyin Bodhisattva to suppress the frequently causing strong winds and giant waves (jiāo lóng – –). The shape of the island and the buildings on it are all similar to Putuoshan.
The Guanyin Pavilion on Xiaputuo was built during the late Ming Dynasty, (chóngzhēn niánjiān – –), with two floors.
Near Xiaputuo, there's a natural fishing port, and a fishing village called (Hǎi yìn – – –), where the residents are all Bai people, with a rich ethnic minority flavor.
Because of its small area, most tourists visiting Xiaputuo are just taking a few photos before leaving. It's a good place to admire the (E'erhai) sunset, admire the (cāng shān – –) mountains in the distance, and also a good place to admire the (E'erhai) moon. The key is to live nearby.
