Yunnan Fuxian Lake Travel Guide

Fuxian Lake in Yunnan is located in Yuxi City, a place with better natural ecosystem protection. The lake here is crystal clear, the creatures in the water live perfectly, and the surrounding environment is also very impressive. Very suitable for self-driving travel. Here is a detailed travel guide for you.

When traveling by car in Yunnan, I am very picky when choosing scenic spots. In addition to Luoping, which is a must-go place, other places such as Puzhehei, Bamei, Dongchuan Red Earth, Yuanyang and so on have been considered. But later I felt that the Spring Festival is still mainly about leisure, so I chose a relatively unpopular place - Fuxian Lake in Yuxi, and then took a bath in a hot spring. After all, driving is a bit tiring. Facts have proved that this choice is a good one, and Fuxian Lake is really a good place worth visiting.

Fuxian Lake is a place I have never heard of before. I knew this place mainly because we wanted to go to the hot springs. We checked out hot springs near Kunming. The better ones are Maitreya, An Ning, and Yuxi. I just saw a large lake on the map and wondered where it was and why it looked bigger than the Baihai Sea.

It turns out that this lake is called Fuxian Lake and is located in Chengjiang, Jiangchuan and Huaning counties of Yuxi City. It is the largest freshwater lake in China and the source of the Pearl River. Its water quality is first-class and the best. It looks like a normal area, but it's very deep. The amount of fresh water accounts for nearly 10% of the country's total, and one lake accounts for 1/10 of the country's total. Boy, take a quick look.

There are not many guides about Fuxian Lake on the Internet, but it is still very clear, so I immediately decided to set off and looked for a map.

Best travel itinerary

Day 1: From Kunming Lake to Fuxian Lake, stay at Luchong Scenic Area, travel around Hubei that day, and shoot the sunset near Yuechun Hotel.

The next day: Climb Bijia Mountain, take photos of the sunrise, then go to Gushan Scenic Area on the edge of Hunan, go to Yuxi Hot Spring in the afternoon, and stay in Yuxi that night.

Day 3: Take another hot spring bath in Yuxi and then return.

All in all, it was a very relaxing trip and the driving time was not long. Mainly for leisure.

The transportation to Fuxian Lake is very convenient, because Fuxian Lake is only more than 70 kilometers away from Kunming, and it only takes one and a half hours to drive. Therefore, Fuxian Lake has become the favorite place for locals in Kunming to go on vacation.

Although it is very close to Kunming, it is still necessary for us outsiders to drive. This time, I was the dual navigator. My mobile phone uses Baidu Maps, and my PAD uses Amap. We have all downloaded offline maps and navigation in advance, entered "Fuxian Lake" in the map, and then set off.

It turns out that in Yunnan, Baidu’s map is better than Amap’s. AutoNavi seems to have a lot of issues with speed checkpoints and speed limits on the road. Baidu's map is basically the same as what's marked on the road signs.

It went smoothly. We passed Chengjiang County at 12 noon and arrived near Fuxian Lake. When I arrived I was a little confused. This lake is really big. In fact, there is a well-constructed expressway around Fuxian Lake. The road condition is very good. The speed limit is 70 kilometers, and some corners will be slower.

However, we still made a small mistake. I checked out Fuxian Lake Park so when we arrived we didn't go directly to Luchong Scenic Area which we most wanted to go to. We should check the road rush directly. Of course, there is not much difference between the two places.

I will list the main attractions of Fuxian Lake for you, which will make you want to stop.

The drive around Fuxian Lake takes about two and a half hours. You can imagine how big it is. The main attractions are concentrated in the north. Among them, the more famous ones are as follows:

1. Yuechun Hotel Wetland Park: Currently the only five-star hotel in the local area, the price is very affordable at ordinary times, but it will be more expensive during the Chinese New Year, 700-1000 Yuan. We originally wanted to be rich, but we couldn't book here without booking in advance during the long vacation.

2. Bijia Mountain in Luchong Scenic Area: Personally, I think it is the most interesting scenic spot. There are many accommodations and the price is quite affordable. During the Chinese New Year, we only spend 120 yuan a night. Most hotels are in average condition and the prices are below 200 yuan. The scenery is nice and you can watch the sunrise.

3. Gushan: There is an island here with a large beach and a high-end hotel on the Gold Coast next to it.

4. Sakura Valley: This place has not been built yet this year. Maybe it will be built next year.

5. Wanghai Park: Just north of the lake, there are more places to eat and they are more affordable. It tastes good and of course there is accommodation. The scenery here is relatively average.

Of course, after several investigations, I decided to go for Ludong.

First arrival at Fuxian Lake

First of all, we have no plan where to go, but if we come from Chengjiang, the nearest one is Wanghai Park. Listen to the name. Look at the sea. The lake is as big as the sea.

It really looks like a park with many people. Let's eat here first. The local delicacies of Fuxian Lake are copper pot fish and copper pot potato rice. We ordered both. The fish is pretty, but too big, and the water is not bad, so the fish is good. The smallest one weighs more than 3 pounds, and our family of three can’t finish it. The fish soup was very fresh, and it was really not on the same level as the fish bought at the vegetable market.

Mainly include grass carp, sweet-scented osmanthus fish, etc. We ordered the smallest mandarin fish.

The portion of copper pot rice is also quite sufficient. We wanted a small pot for 20 yuan. The taste is also very good.

Generally, fish costs 70-80 yuan per pound. Our meal cost 170 yuan, mainly because the fish was too big.

Of course it is close to Kunming, and there are also local Yunnan delicacies here. But the copper pot fish is definitely worth eating. If you don’t eat fish here, you’ll be at a loss.

Fuxian Lake

It is very hard to take pictures of these two beauties like this.

It was very windy that day. Understandably, the lake is like the sea. With such a large area, the wind will be stronger near the lake.

Although the weather was warm, the water was still very cold. The peak season of Fuxian Lake should be summer, because you can swim in the water.

Fuxian Lake

The weather is very good, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the clouds are white. Too bad the water here isn't blue enough. Maybe the water on the shore is yellow, but the water in the middle of the lake is still very blue.

After dinner in Wanghai Park, we took a stroll and walked through the entire park. The area is not large, and there are some children's playgrounds and the like. Children also enjoy riding this horse more. The price is 20 yuan and it only takes a few minutes by car. Expensive or not is a matter of opinion. I didn’t want my kids to ride it, but I think traveling is just for fun, don’t worry too much about the small money.

Fuxian Lake

Check into Luchong Scenic Area

Then drive from Wanghai Park to Luchong, also relying on mobile phone navigation. Here, you have to pay attention, when you are preparing to go to Ludong, there will be many people on the roadside holding cards with "free ticket" written on them. I really didn't know what it meant at first. Initially, Luchong Scenic Area was developed from a fishing village. In order to make money, the village surrounded the most beautiful beach and charged 15 yuan for admission. But if you book accommodation in the village, the entrance fee is free. The placards on the roadside are from local villagers, which is equivalent to booking a hotel for you.

We didn’t remember it until we arrived at the entrance of the scenic spot. It seems that we still need to find a villager to order in order to save some money. So I went back.

At the entrance of Luchong Scenic Area, there is a large platform that can be used as a viewing platform and temporary parking lot. This is a great place to take photos.

Fuxian Lake

The beach below is the most interesting place in Luchong. Although the beach above is moved manually, it does not affect the children's play mood. There are also many cruises that allow you to tour the lake. The lakeside is full of snacks and gourmet restaurants, and there are various hotels in the distance.

The hilltop on the left is the "Beacon Mountain" we will challenge tomorrow. On the mountain, you can overlook Fuxian Lake. The scenery must be beautiful, but we’ll talk about it tomorrow.

My wife searched for a while and found an agent. She said the house was really tense during the Chinese New Year. Luckily we only needed one room so we were able to get one with a view of the lake. It only costs 120 yuan a night, but there is one condition: you must have a meal in the restaurant. I also know that wool comes from sheep. Anyway, if you want to eat, just agree to it.

Later I asked, what is it like in winter?

If it is summer, if you want to waive the entrance fee, you usually have to "contract", such as 100 yuan per person per day, accommodation, and three meals a day, which makes those farmhouses think it is profitable, but they can only earn too little from accommodation. This is also other people's business methods, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

After agreeing on the price, drive into the scenic spot, and the scenic spot will write down your license plate number. If you're like us, you might want to check out other attractions for now. When you go out, you should tell the security guard that you will come back to stay at night and ask them to write down the bus number, so that you don't have to pay for a ticket.

We are staying at this hotel in the photo. Name: Can’t tell.

It is the first building at the entrance of the scenic spot, but it is easy to find. We were on the second floor and had almost no view of the lake. There is a large parking lot in the scenic area, and the parking fee is 10 yuan per night.

Fuxian Lake

Put down your luggage and simply wash your face. Just take pictures here in Luchong, and then drive to the Wetland Park on the east side of the lake to take pictures of the sunset. Because the road runs on the west bank of the lake, you can only see the sunrise but not the sunset.

At the lakeside, such a scene is within reach. Beautiful? Blue sky and white clouds, blue lake water, China's largest freshwater lake, does it taste like China's Lake Baikal?

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Want to take some photos This viewing platform above the scene or the entrance to the scenic spot is the easiest to shoot a big movie.

After leaving the scenic area, we drove along Huanhu Road to Cherry Blossom Valley, which is said to be a new attraction. We quickly went to see if there were any cherry blossoms.

Be careful all the way and speed up.

Fuxian Lake

Wrong into the Cherry Blossom Valley

It takes more than 30 minutes to drive to the so-called "Sakura Valley", which is very close to Yuechun Hotel, but smaller than Yuechun Hotel is a little further away.

When I got off the bus, I asked the security guard at the parking lot where the cherry blossoms were. The security guard smiled and said nothing, pointing to the mountain not far away. I saw, well, there were a lot of cherry blossom trees, but they weren't due because the trees were just planted.

The security guard said that this place is called Sakura Valley and was built by a real estate company. A hotel will be built here, cherry blossoms will be planted, and a brand new scenic spot will be created. So, let me tell you how to promote it so early. Don’t call it Sakura Valley when it’s not open.

Fuxian Lake

However, if you come here, you can have fun. You can come down and take a look at the lake view here.

It seems that many people have been deceived, and everyone feels at ease. It turned out that there were seagulls feeding them, and there were several pairs.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Yue Chun Hotel

Since there is nothing to see in Sakura Valley, let’s change places. Although we did not book a room at the Yuechun Hotel, we still decided to rush into the five-star hotel with our enthusiasm to find out military information for our travel friends.

This Yuechun Hotel is so beautiful. Although it looks like there are only three high-rise buildings on the outside, it actually covers a large area and has good greening. The hotel's various facilities are complete, but the parking lot feels a bit small. Since the hotel was full today, the parking space was a bit tight.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

After visiting the hotel, continue to visit the other side. This is the hotel's spa.

This is a big deal at the expense of building an artificial lake inside the hotel.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

The view from the corner of the hotel.

If you can book a room, it's best to spend your vacation here. Of course, there's bound to be some blood. Generally, a room costs 700 yuan, but in the off-season it may cost more than 400 yuan.

After the survey, I plan to visit the Wetland Park.

Fuxian Lake

The Wetland Park is right opposite the hotel and was built by Yuechun Hotel itself. Usually, it's free. Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, so I have to recharge 50 yuan separately. The price was too bad, so I had to cancel decisively.

Where can’t you take photos of the sunrise? Walking along the road around the lake, you can take photos by the lake.

Fuxian Lake

I originally wanted to go to Sakura Valley to take pictures, but Sakura Valley closed at 6 pm. This was originally a good place to take pictures of the sunset, but at this time the sun had begun to set and it was too late to find another place. I quickly found a place on the roadside where I could see the lake and started shooting. Although I made a mistake in the first half, I still caught the sunset in the end.

Fuxian Lake

In fact, you can take pictures of the sunset at the lakeside of Yuechun Hotel.

After watching the sunrise, I headed back to have dinner.

Luchong Night

When I returned to the entrance of Luchong Scenic Area, I happened to encounter fireworks and accidentally caught them. Very beautiful.

A la carte at 8 o'clock, a meat dish costs 40 yuan. The price is acceptable. But it's a little more expensive here than outside, not much more. After dinner, go for a walk by the lake. What is different from other attractions at night is that it is too noisy. The beach is full of karaoke bars, and the other side is a children's playground and food stalls. It’s like going to some late night market. Those who like quiet may be a little disappointed. However, today is the Chinese New Year, so we can have more people. You can also let the children play and set off some fireworks.

Even late at night, you can still take pictures of the stars. Although it is not as good as in the wild, Yunnan is a plateau and is really suitable for shooting stars.

Although the hotel conditions are average, the WIFI and hot water are very good. Have a good rest and get up early tomorrow morning to climb Beacon Mountain and take photos of the sunrise.

Fuxian Lake

The road rushes to the sunrise

I originally wanted to get up at 6:30 to go hiking, but I was too comfortable to sleep and couldn't get up on time. My plan to hike up the mountain to take pictures of the sunrise in the morning fell through, so I had to take pictures by the lake. The scenery is not bad either.

Fuxian Lake

It is already half past seven, but the sun has not come out yet. A thin layer of morning glow is reflected at the junction of the lake and the sky, which is very attractive!

Tourists also started to get up to take photos of the sunrise.

Fuxian Lake

Use a tripod to fix the camera, and then shoot with a slow shutter speed to produce the effect of atomized water flow. If you can't slow down the shutter, you can adjust the iso as small as possible, such as iso100, and then adjust the aperture to 16-20. In this way, a normal shutter can take a few seconds to create a satin-like effect on the lake.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

When shooting large areas of lakes and seas, it will be a little monotonous to only shoot the lake or sea surface. You can increase the amount appropriately. Foreground, such as finding some trees, boats, etc. It will look better together.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

After sunrise, get your children up and go shopping together and find breakfast , and then climb the mountain. Beacon Hill still has to be climbed. Today is only the third day, let’s move forward!

The beach was very quiet in the morning, but it was already very popular.

Fuxian Lake

There are some people practicing singing, and some as tall as this one, playing violin on the beach. It was obvious that he was intoxicated and having a good time. Maybe he is a professional!

Fuxian Lake

This is Beacon Mountain that we will challenge later. Lake cruises are also open for business. Let’s find breakfast first.

Dengbijia Mountain

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Follow the main road of the scenic spot to the foot of Bijia Mountain. There are two ways up the mountain. One can go directly up the mountain, and the other can walk along the lake to the other side of the mountain and then go up the mountain. In fact, the two roads are connected and you can go up and down the mountain without looking back. It’s good. I can see more scenery and I’m not so tired.

The way to the mountain is easy. Looking at Fuxian Lake from a height is a different scene! The boat by the lake, the hazy mountains in the distance, and the blue lake water really feel like a fairyland.

We went up the mountain very early, there were not many people, and the weather was not too hot. Very relaxing! Look at my wife taking pictures.

Do you have the potential to become a master?

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

After going down the mountain, the lake view here is also worth a try. Is this good?

When I read the information, it was said that the water quality of Fuxian Lake is the best in the country, much better than that of Baihai Lake and Lugu Lake. I still can't believe it. When you actually go to the lake, it really is! Look how clear the water is, completely transparent.

Of course, good water must also be protected. Fuxian Lake is also a first-level protected scenic spot in China. You can't litter here. Only good protection can maintain the beauty of this wonderland!

Fuxian Lake

I don’t know if you have noticed that the waves in Fuxian Lake are quite big, similar to those on the beach. This is different from Lugu Lake. Maybe it’s because of the water!

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

If you want to feed the seagulls, you don’t have to go anywhere else. You can sit on the boat and feed the seagulls. They would fly around the ship. There are two types of cruise ships in Luchong, Fuxian Lake. The big one can seat eight people. The price is 200 yuan. The small one can seat four people and costs 120 yuan. But you have to step on it yourself. It’s difficult when the waves are rough.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

I slowly walked back to the snack street, Yunnan's specialty snacks. I recommend ordering the bean flour. It tastes good.

Fuxian Lake

The most famous specialty of Chengjiang County is lotus root starch. It’s good to buy some when you come here, or eat it yourself. A large pack costs 19 yuan, which is cheaper than our supermarket. Lotus root starch only needs to be added with hot water and does not even need to be stirred. I like the taste very much. When I bought it, the salesperson said that I could try whatever I wanted and eat as much as I wanted. Don't miss out on the New Year's events. I regret that I should have come here for breakfast!

Fuxian Lake

Zumagushan

Check-out time is 2 o'clock, so hurry back to the hotel to pack your luggage. After checking out, continue.

The next stop is to visit the Gushan Scenic Area in the south of Fuxian Lake. Many people say that this scenic spot is good, saying that the beach is better, and there is a small island in the lake that can be visited by boat.

We are going to Yuxi anyway, so we are on our way, so let’s go and have a look.

It’s also good to use mobile phone navigation, you can get there in half an hour.

When I was preparing to go to Gushan, I discovered an attraction under development. I don't know its name, but the construction is complete. It looks quite high-end. It's an apartment, and the beach is paved by the lake.

Fuxian Lake

Look, that’s it. It looks very high. It is estimated that it will be available this year. When you come to Fuxian Lake, you will have another choice. I hope it's not very expensive.

Fuxian Lake

Half an hour later, we finally arrived at a place with many cars and many people, and the congestion was abnormal. Is this Gushan Scenic Area? The name Gushan sounds very remote and lonely. In my initial impression, it should be the kind of place that I would avoid.

Let’s find a parking lot first. Fortunately, you can see this Sunshine Coast hotel in a while. There is a large parking lot inside. This hotel looks great. When I played in Luchong, the locals told me that it was more fun on the Sunshine Coast in Gushan. I thought it was a scenic spot, but it turned out to be a hotel.

The 10 yuan parking fee cannot be saved. Traffic police are everywhere on the road. Anyone who stops will be fined.

Because the sun was too hot today, the mother and daughter were a little tired from hiking. There were so many people, so they rested in the car. I went to the scene alone to see if there was anything worth photographing.

Opposite the Sunshine Coast is a small park, which is free. The beach is big and there are many people playing there. The island on the lake is the famous Gushan Island, not far from the shore.

Fuxian Lake

Walking along the beach, I found that there are also deep diving projects here. Are there any hidden avatars?

Later I saw the advertisement and consulted with diving seniors, who said that diving here is relatively famous in China because there is an ancient city at the bottom of the lake, which may be an abandoned ruin in the past. It feels a bit like underwater archeology. Many people come here to take a look.

Diving price: Experience diving within 280 yuan. Chartered diving at other attractions is 380 yuan. The price is average. You can try it when the weather is hot. There are not many places with such good diving in inland lakes, so you really should try it.

Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Lake

After walking for a while, it didn’t make much sense. This is no different from Wanghai Park where we first went. Overall, it's more of a city park than a recreational spot, as it's very popular.

Fuxian Lake

The same goes for roadside barbecue stalls and local food stalls. Basically, they are the same food as in the photo, such as shrimps and small fish, but they are all fresh. However, Yunnan people have really strong tastes and are rich in oil and water. We people in Guangdong and Guangxi are not used to it.

After seeing this lonely mountain, go directly to Yuxi. Yuxi is actually in Jiangchuan County. It is only an hour away from Yuxi and the transportation is very convenient, which is one of the reasons why there are so many people here.