Lijiang Day Tour to Zhiyun Temple & Lashi Lake

► Route: Lijiang → Zhiyun Temple → Lashi Lake → Lijiang

In the morning, walk 10 minutes west from the south gate of the Lijiang Old Town to Sanjiacun Market bus stop, take bus line 31, get off at Zhiyun Temple stop, and walk 5 minutes west to the Zhiyun Temple. It takes 80 minutes in total and costs CNY 4. If you want to save time, take a taxi to go there in 40 minutes at a cost of CNY 50 to 70.

► Opening Hours: 8:00 – 21:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 to 2 hours
► Ticket Price: Free

Located 18 km (11 mi) west of Lijiang Old Town and to the southwest of Lashi Lake, Zhiyun Temple, a secluded small temple, is recommended to visit in the morning. It is little known and with few tourists. In the past, every time the caravans passed here, they would pray at the temple to bring blessings to their families.

Built in 1727 during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), it is one of the top 5 Buddhist temples in Lijiang. Of the original 13 courtyards, only one big courtyard and 5 small ones remain, still with lofty towers and solemn praying halls. The natural scenery is great, with a clear lake in front of the temple and lush ancient trees all around. Climb up to the major hall at the highest point, where you can sit quietly for a while, disturbed only by the breeze and the chirping of birds.

Walk 5 minutes east to get back to the Zhiyun Temple bus stop, take bus line 31, and get off at Anzhong Village stop. Walk 10 minutes northwest, and you’ll reach the ticket office of Lashi Lake. It takes 1 hour on the way and costs CNY 4. A taxi takes only 20 minutes at a cost of CNY 25 to 30.

There are some restaurants in Lashi Lake. You can try the local chicken hot pot or spare ribs hot pot if you like.

► Opening Hours: 9:00 – 19:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 to 4 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 30; extra fees for boating and horse riding.

Lashi Lake is the largest plateau lake in Lijiang, with natural wetland and beautiful scenery. It is a great place to appreciate flowers in spring and have a lakeside tour to escape summer heat. You can watch the migratory birds in winter and ride a horse in all seasons.

Tourists who want to go boating or kayaking on the Lashi Lake should reconsider their plan. Boating on the lake used to be a popular pastime. However, in order to protect the environment, the local government had banned all tourism activities within the water area since 2018, and the original boating tour had been canceled. Now you can still walk around the lake and enjoy the beauty of the reflection of the snow mountain in the water surface.

This is one of Lashi Lake's biggest attractions and must experience, allowing tourists to know the culture of the ancient caravans and feel the local life. There are some Naxi villages around the lake having horses for riding, among which the No. 3 and No. 4 Horse Farms offer the best experiences at reasonable prices. A ride usually costs CNY 160 to 200 for about an hour. Here is a classical horse-riding route with wonderful scenery, comparatively long and suitable for young people.
Lashi Lake → Rural Scenery → Orchard → Naxi Tribe → Tea-Horse Ancient Road → Qingsong Ridge → Sightseeing Platform → Aming Sacred Spring → Lavender Manor → Wetland Park

If you like flowers, you can't miss Lashi Lake, which has the largest sea of flowers in Lijiang and even the whole Yunnan Province. The flower field covers 33 hectares (82 acres), having flowers all year round, with the peak in spring.

Every year, more than 100,000 migratory birds come to Lashi Lake for the winter. The best months to watch them is from December to February of the next year. During the day, birds forage everywhere, and in the evening, they rest in the grass by the lake. The morning and evening are the best times for watching them.

After visiting Lashi Lake, walk 10 minutes along the way you came to get back to the Anzhong Village bus stop, and take the bus line 31 or 32. Get off at Zhongyi Market stop which is near the south entrance of the Lijiang Old Town. It takes about 1 hour and costs CNY 4; or you can take a taxi to get back to Lijiang, which takes 30 minutes and costs CNY 30 to 40.