Ethan
Just got back from Lugu Lake yesterday, and I have to say this: don’t come unless you’re ready to fall in love and want to stay here forever!Planning a off-the-beaten-path Yunnan trip for May Holiday:
- Apr 30 – May 2: Haba Snow Mountain hiking (see my previous post for details)
- May 3: Stay in Lijiang
- May 4 – May 6: Lugu Lake (entrance ticket: ¥68/person, purchased on popular platforms)
On May 4, I hired a private car to Lugu Lake. A friend who visited before recommended a local Mosuo driver for ¥500 per day. An extra ¥100 if you need a drop-off at Lijiang Airport. I booked the car for 3 days.
A full lake loop tour costs an additional ¥200 and takes 5–6 hours. You can also take a boat to the middle of the lake for sunrise—but water flowers don’t bloom in May, and there are very few seagulls, so I just watched the sunrise near my hotel, and it was still stunning.
Goddess Mountain
Round-trip cable car: ¥70/person
There are two main spots:
- One viewing platform at the top with a full panoramic view of Lugu Lake
- A cave you reach by climbing a long flight of stairs from the platform
Many free-range monkeys live in the mountains — please do not interact with them.
Pig Trough Boat
According to the Mosuo people, Lugu Lake was once a low-lying basin, not a lake. There was a spring cave in the mountains with clear water flowing year-round. A giant fish blocked the cave mouth. Greedy villagers dragged the fish away, and water flooded the entire basin. An old woman feeding pigs escaped by jumping into her pig trough — hence the name “Pig Trough Boat”.
The name is simple, but the views are absolutely breathtaking.
Lige Peninsula
No matter where you look, it feels quiet, lonely, and beautiful.
Lover’s Beach
Great for walking and photos. When you’re tired, grab a coffee from one of the pop-up coffee carts by the lake. You can also ride a white horse for ¥20 per ride. I didn’t ride it, but walked with it along the lake for ¥10 per trip.
Highly recommend watching the sunset here in the evening.
Every photo looks like a wallpaper — peaceful, romantic, and mysterious. It’s so healing.
All photos were taken with a camera in both horizontal and vertical sizes, so please enjoy them as they are!