I don't know when Lijiang started to ignite, although he was constantly increasing his business year after year, but he still had a reason to make you want to revisit. A lifetime should go to Lijiang once to be considered complete, counting the full amount, and in the past ten years, I've been there at least five times. Each time, with different people, with different harvests. The Cangshan and Erhai Lakes have always attracted me, circling them again and again. Perhaps it's the good weather by the Erhai Sea, perhaps it's the rolling clouds and permafrost snow on Cangshan Mountain, or perhaps it's the integration of white ethnic houses along the seaside highway.

Let me tell you how to play Lijiang cheaply. All the attractions introduced here are free of ticket fees. Just rent a small electric scooter, and you can see all the beautiful scenery around the Erhai Sea in one day.

Lijiang Ancient Town

The best time to visit Lijiang Ancient Town is not at night, but in the morning. After a night of hustle and bustle, the morning awakening of the ancient town is the most authentic Lijiang town. Travel groups are still having breakfast in hotels, and tourists staying in the ancient town are still waking up late. The main streets of the ancient town have early markets, where you can see white ethnic grandmothers selling fresh vegetables. There are also many edible fungi depending on the season.

At this time, the ancient town is not crowded, there are no vendors shouting, there are only greetings between neighbors and the warm sunshine has not yet climbed to the top.

Tips

Accommodation: People generally find accommodation around the ancient town. It is ideal to find accommodation around the Erhai Sea, not only convenient for transportation but also with plenty of good food.

Food: Stone-grilled food in Lijiang Ancient Town is very famous. Our family drove there and ate stone-grilled food for two days. The recommended barbecue shop is called 'Youheng Fengcheng', it's cheap and tastes good, and it's not well-known in major food rankings, but because of this, it hasn't become rotten or commercialized.

Transportation: There are many rental electric scooters near the Erhai Sea. You can charge a few dollars, and it will take a week to drive around. But it's not necessary, because once you get to Shuanglang, you'll get tired. Just charge enough batteries to go back and forth to Shuanglang.

Erhai Sea Shore Fields

Between Erhai Road and Dali Road is a piece of farmland after another. Riding companions, don't listen to the navigation, go to Dali Road, directly drive to the seaside, walk along the seaside, there are local farms, ethnic houses, and many shooting points by the seaside. If you go to Dali Road, you will miss all of them. In winter and spring, you can mainly eat strawberries. When you pass by, the whole road is filled with the fragrance of strawberries. Of course, I also encountered leek flowers and rapeseed flowers. If you go in spring, don't miss the rice fields. You can see the distant white ethnic houses reflected in the rice fields. Don't say it's beautiful, it's really beautiful.

The canals are frequently seen along the Erhai Sea and are also a photo weapon.

Erhai Sea Shore Trees

Erhai Sea has many strange trees on the shore, either planted in the water or a single lawn with only one tree... Find a tree you like and take a photo, and in the distance is the Erhai Sea, and near you...

Xishiyang

Xishiyang is another place to visit by the Erhai Sea besides Lijiang Ancient Town. Here there are several must-visit spots, one is 'Corner Telephone Booth', and the other is 'Yang Pingxiang Residence'

Walking on the streets of Xishiyang, you can encounter Ming and Qing-style buildings from time to time. Just walking around can find historical and cultural relics of the white ethnic people. These buildings are decorated with intricate carvings, overlapping props, soaring eaves, gates, mirrors, and well-preserved three-entry one-mirror residences can be seen everywhere.

Tips

Xishiyang is particularly delicious. If you don't stay in Xishiyang for a night, you must eat there. The best ones are mostly snacks.

Pea Jellybeans: Hand-made pea jellybeans, made daily, must be made fresh otherwise they won't be fresh. There are many kinds of seasoning, you can choose pea jellybeans, jelly beans and noodles.

Xishiyang Breads: Because it was listed on the '' (Delicious Food on China's Lips), and its popularity has been increasing rapidly, the price has risen rapidly. Every time I go, the price rises. There are both salty and sweet ones, salty ones with meat and eggs, and ordinary ones cost 10 yuan.

Shuanglang

Before talking about Shuanglang, let me show you the picture below. This is the scene I saw in the north of the Erhai Sea in December 12, 2019. Everyone says that the Erhai Sea is polluted, I haven't found any pollution, I've been here so many times, I haven't found any pollution. But after the peak season of summer tourists, the Erhai Sea in autumn and winter has become like this, the sewage from Shuanglang really polluted the Erhai Sea, a thick layer of green algae, many local people are on the shore or on small boats to salvage these green algae.

The Erhai Sea's eastern shore has many strange trees on the shore, either planted in the water or a single lawn with only one tree... Find a tree you like and take a photo, and in the distance is the Erhai Sea, and near you...

Erhai Sea North Shore

Compared to Xishiyang, the Erhai Sea north shore has higher terrain, so the scenery here is different from Xishiyang. Generally, you arrive at Erhai Sea in the afternoon, and the light is also very favorable for shooting. Here you can often find good reflections. Blue sky and white clouds plus the background of Cangshan Mountain, take a photo at will is a fantastic scene.

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