Erhai Lake's improved ecology drives tourism boom in Dali, SW China's Yunnan

Blooming Ottelia acuminata, a sign of high water quality, in Erhai Lake in Dali city, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Yang Jipei)

Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province has spent years aligning the protection of Erhai Lake with green development, steadily improving the lake's water quality and ecological health.​

In August, the Dali prefectural Party committee and government, together with the provincial ecology and environment department, released the Erhai Index, signaling a more scientific and systematic approach to the lake's protection.

In recent years, ongoing efforts at Erhai have focused on aquatic vegetation restoration, fish population regulation and algal bloom prevention, according to Liu Yongding, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The recovery of species such as snow trout and Ottelia acuminata — an aquatic plant that signals high water quality — indicates improved ecological conditions in the lake.

Yang Xuesong, deputy director of the Erhai Management Bureau of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, explained that the Erhai Index establishes eight evaluation indicators across four dimensions for a comprehensive assessment of the lake's ecological protection.

The index reveals the effectiveness of protection efforts, serving as a comprehensive health check for the lake and better guiding ecological protection work across all aspects, Yang said.

The Erhai Index represents a complete evaluation of the lake ecosystem, which includes meteorological conditions, water bodies, sediments, aquatic organisms and human activity within the watershed, said Wang Xinze, a researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Environmental Science and Engineering.

The return of Ottelia acuminata to Erhai Lake, for example, signifies more than the revival of a single species; it reflects positive trends across the entire lake ecosystem, Wang added.

The Erhai Index evaluation is systematic and creates a channel for public participation in lake protection, Wang noted.

Tourists take photos of migratory birds flying over Erhai Lake in Dali city, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Ma Wen)

In addition, Dali prefecture has built the Digital Erhai platform, a three-dimensional remote sensing monitoring network, Yang said. The platform monitors water quality and quantity changes in real time across the lake and inflowing rivers, using big data analysis to forecast water quality and algal conditions up to seven days ahead. It also aggregates data from 26 related departments, enabling interdepartmental coordination.

The Digital Erhai platform is vital for sustained lake protection, Yang noted. It enables continuous long-term monitoring, with remote sensing imagery providing comprehensive surveillance of the lake's 252-square-kilometer surface and tracking changes in construction and agricultural land use throughout the watershed.

Since the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Yunnan Province has invested approximately 47.2 billion yuan ($6.64 billion) in advancing the ecological protection of Erhai Lake.

Legal frameworks have also been strengthened. On Dec. 1, 2023, the fifth revision of the regulations for the protection and management of Erhai Lake took effect, legally dividing the Erhai watershed into an ecological protection core zone, an ecological protection buffer zone and a green development zone.

All 27 major rivers flowing into Erhai Lake now meet excellent water quality standards, with the lake maintaining this level for several consecutive years.

At 6 a.m. in Xiamo village, Taihe subdistrict, Dali city, Erhai Lake is bathed in morning sunshine while flocks of black-headed gulls fly over the water.

Along the shore, a coffee shop welcomes visitors eager to photograph the sunrise with swooping gulls.

"Customers aren't just buying a cup of coffee — they're paying for the stunning lakeside scenery and those magical moments when they capture the perfect shot," said Ma Hong, the shop's owner.

Ma grew up by Erhai Lake. As protection efforts have shown results, more tourists are visiting Xiamo village, and residents have increasingly turned to tourism-related businesses, he said.

In Dali city, industries related to Erhai Lake are flourishing. "Tourist demand for 'ecology plus tourism' experiences continues growing, fundamentally driven by the immersive appeal of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake," said Yang Meixiu, deputy director of the prefecture's culture and tourism bureau.

In the first three quarters of this year, Dali prefecture received 98.21 million visits by domestic and international tourists, generating 120.8 billion yuan in tourism revenue, a 19 percent year-on-year increase.