Erhai or Er Lake, 洱海 in Chinese, literally means Ear(-shaped) Lake. It is an alpine fault lake in Dali, Yunnan province, China. It is very nice to take a boat on the Erhai lake while travelling to Dali. Erhai is situated at 1,972 meters (6,470 ft) above sea level. In size, the North-South length of the lake is 40 kilometers (25 mi) and the East-West width is roughly 7–8 kilometers (4.3–5.0 mi). Covering an area of 250 square kilometers (97 sq mi), it is the second largest highland lake of China, after Dianchi Lake.
The lake serves as a backdrop to all of Dali City and in the west against the Cang Mountain. The lake's head is at Shangguan Town, its northern extremity, and its southernmost point is at Xiaguan Town. The lake receives water from the Miju and Mici Rivers in the north, the Bolou River in the east, and smallers streams from the Cang Mountains in the west. Yangbi River, to the south, is the lake's outlet and eventually flows into the Lancang River (Mekong River).
The lakeshore can be explored by hiking. Highlights include Erhai Park and the Butterfly Springs on the Western bank. Islands on the lake – including Guanyin Ge, Jinsuo Island (金梭岛; "Golden Shuttle Island"), Nanzhao Folklore Island (南诏风情岛) and Xiaoputuo Island – are also available for visits.
