[2025 Huize Attraction] Travel Guide for Nian Lake (Updated Mar)

A super detailed travel guide to Huize County: enjoy the scenery, explore history, and savor local delicacies, embarking on a fulfilling and unforgettable journey. Huize County, a treasure trove that blends natural beauty, historical culture, and gourmet experiences, is ready to offer you a well-planned, fulfilling, and unforgettable trip. I. Must-See Attractions (1) Dahai Grass Mountain Highlights: Known as the "Eastern New Zealand," this vast expanse of 50,000 acres of alpine meadows offers breathtaking views in every season. In summer, the mountains are covered in lush green grass, vibrant and full of life; in winter, a blanket of snow transforms the landscape into a fairy-tale world. Guniu Village, perched at an altitude of 4,017 meters, is the highest peak of the Wumeng Mountains. From the summit, you can take in the magnificent meadows and the rolling sea of clouds. How to Visit: Hike through the meadows, immerse yourself in nature, capture the beauty with your camera, or enjoy horseback riding. We recommend spending 3–4 hours here. Visit in winter for snow scenery or in summer to escape the heat. Tickets and Opening Hours: Tickets are 35 yuan. Open from 08:00–18:00. (2) Nian Lake (Daqiao Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve) Unique Charm: From November to March each year, over 1,200 black-necked cranes migrate here to spend the winter. The calm lake reflects the surrounding mountains, creating a picturesque scene with the elegant cranes. Black-necked cranes symbolize faithful love, adding a touch of romance to the atmosphere. Visiting Tips: This is a paradise for birdwatchers and a great place for photography. The soft light of early morning and dusk offers the best photo opportunities. (3) Jiangxi Guild Hall (Wanshou Palace) Architectural Features: A typical Qing Dynasty building, the Jiangxi Guild Hall is renowned for its magnificent gate tower, opera stage, and exquisite wood carvings. It artfully blends Taoist and Buddhist cultures, epitomizing Huize's reputation as the "City of Guild Halls." Visiting Suggestions: Stroll through the hall for 1–2 hours, delving into Huize's copper merchant history and experiencing the charm of bygone eras. (4) Yulu Great Rift Valley Geological Wonder: The 10 km-long Yulu Great Rift Valley is a geological wonder, featuring a deep canyon with jagged rocks of various shapes on both sides. The scenic area also offers a glass walkway and zip line, providing thrilling experiences for adventure lovers.

Transportation From Kunming, take the Yinkun Expressway and Provincial Highway 206 to Nianhu Lake. The journey is about 320 km and takes about 3 hours. You can also go to Huize County first, and then take a bus from Huize Bus Station to Yangmeishan, Daqiao Township. Morning - Watch the sunrise and morning scenery: Head to the lakeside of Nianhu Lake in the early morning. From 5:30 to 9:30, you can enjoy the morning mist and sunrise, and you may also see black-necked cranes in the morning light. When taking photos, be careful not to make loud noises to avoid disturbing them. - Stroll along the lake: Take a walk along the lake, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and feel the peaceful atmosphere. The water of Nianhu Lake is clear, the lake is wide, and there are hills and grasslands around, making it a pleasant sight. Noon You can have lunch at a farmhouse or homestay near Nianhu Lake and taste local specialties such as Huize goat meat, tear dumplings, and Huize fried potatoes. Afternoon - Watch black-necked cranes: 15:30-18:30 is a good time to watch black-necked cranes. They are more active at this time, foraging and playing by the lake. You can take photos without disturbing them. - Enjoy the sunset: In the evening, the sunset at Nianhu Lake is colorful and reflects on the lake, creating a beautiful picture. You can quietly enjoy or take photos to record this beautiful scenery. Accommodation You can choose to stay in a homestay or hotel near Nianhu Lake, or you can consider staying in Huize County. Notes The mornings and evenings in winter at Nianhu Lake are cold and windy, so you need to bring warm clothes, such as a windbreaker, down jacket, gloves, hat, etc. The conditions of the surrounding homestays are average, so it is recommended to bring your own toiletries, daily necessities, snacks, etc. Protect the environment and do not litter.

Nianhu Lake is a "poetry and distance" given by tourists. It is located at the junction of Daqiao Township and Zhaotong, Huize County, Qujing City. It was originally named "Yuejin Reservoir". The core area of ​​Nianhu Lake is the Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve. There are currently 179 species of birds. The main protected objects are black-necked cranes, black cranes, Chinese mergansers, etc. Every year, more than 30,000 birds come to the reserve to overwinter. feather. Nianhu Lake is about 2,500 meters above sea level and has a water area of ​​13.3 square kilometers. It was included in the list of "Wetlands of International Importance" under the Ramsar Convention on World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2022. Hundreds of black-necked cranes migrate to Nianhu Nature Reserve from November to March every year. Other migratory birds such as bar-headed geese and red shelducks also arrive one after another. The birds gather together, thousands of feathers gather together, ski and fly, and walk for food. , these happy elves used a "magic touch" to slowly unfold a dynamic picture of "ecological agility, coexistence of humans and cranes". The black-necked crane is a unique species in my country. It mainly lives in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. It is the only crane in the world that grows and breeds on the plateau. It is the "weather vane" of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland and a first-level key protected wild animal in my country. The beauty of Nian Lake is magnificent due to the plateau. Looking far into the distance, it is like the water in the sky nourishing cranes and sacred birds. The plump water plants nourish life. The shadows of the metasequoia lake reflect each other. Nian Lake is the stage for cranes and the home of birds. The black-necked crane "songs" Singing "Neck to the Sky", calling friends, standing on one leg, elegant, flying and playing, or walking quickly on the waves. In the early morning, the golden red sunshine covers the lake surface, and at sunset, the sunset glows with the clouds. Black-necked cranes and other migratory birds, no matter in the early morning or at sunset, perform in their most beautiful postures amid the beautiful scenery of high mountains, dense forests, clear water waves, and smoky clouds. Enjoy the beauty of nature. The transportation to Nianhu Lake is not very convenient. There are shuttle buses from Kunming to Huize about 270 kilometers away. There are also shuttle buses from Huize Bus Station to Yangmei Mountain (Nianhu Lake) in Daqiao Township about 50 kilometers away. We set off from Kunming in the early morning and arrived at Nianhu Lake in the afternoon. Tour time Three days in total for the round trip. If you forget to return due to intoxication, time is infinite.

Nian Lake is a major attraction in Huize County and a signature attraction in Qujing City. It is a place to admire the elegant black-necked cranes, sunrise over the sea of clouds, mountain villages, and the lake and mountain scenery. The black-necked cranes only migrate from the north in winter. We arrived here at noon, so of course we couldn't watch the sunrise over the sea of clouds, but the lake and mountain scenery, blue sky and white clouds, and sparkling clear water were very beautiful. The high blue sky was dotted with white clouds, ripples spread across the pool of broken blue, the distant layers of mountains presented a dark green, the willows on the shore were lush, and unknown water birds were playing in the nearshore aquatic plants. Even though it was not the best season or time to come to Nian Lake, it left a deep impression on me.

Nian Lake in Huize, Yunnan, is a small tourist attraction in Yunnan with beautiful scenery. Every winter, a large number of black-necked cranes and various migratory birds spend the winter here. Flocks of birds play on the lake. In the morning, the mist filling the lake and the slowly rising sun create a beautiful ink landscape painting! Scenes not to be missed in Nianhu Lake: Bird watching at the dam Watch the sunrise and sunset at the dam At the dam, enjoy the hazy morning mist on the lake in the early morning and the rime after snow in the entire lake area. The continuous drought in the first half of this year caused the overall lake surface to shrink a lot, but a new wetland landscape was formed, which is another kind of beauty. There are no tickets for Nianhu Lake, and the overall environment is relatively original. There are not many accommodations in the scenic area, and the conditions are also limited. The Nianhuchun B&B we stayed in this time is considered to be a B&B with relatively good conditions in the scenic area. The owner even took me to take photos of the national second-level protected animal - Golden Pheasant (a super beautiful bird) for free. This is the biggest surprise of this trip.

Some people say that the lake on the mountain is a tear lying on the surface of the earth. The tears on the pillow are the lakes hanging in your heart. Every September 9th, the Himalayan cold wind passes through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a group of black The neck crane flew back to Yunnan with thoughts, and it was thousands of miles away. It was not afraid of hunger and cold. It flew over thousands of mountains and waters. It came to the Haizi of Huize County, Yunnan Province, and spent a long winter in this sea. It is expected to fly back to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the spring of next year. They met in the migratory flight, knew and played in this picturesque lake, and agreed to fly back to the lake in the coming year, but he soon left because of the fatigue and injury of the journey. Losing her partner, she passed the lonely winter with her infinite thoughts. When the spring came, the cranes flew back to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but she chose to stay here because of her choices. However, in the end, the lonely crane left behind, the lovesickness fell, and people moved. In the black neck crane's loyalty to love, this lake of thoughts is called "Nianhu". Groups of black-necked cranes, bar-headed geese, and kenaf ducks play crisp morning songs, lined up in formations and go out for food. These spiritual elves are free to soar in the sky, the gentleness of the bow, The rhythm of countless shutters, the shyness of the moment, the most beautiful axis of the sky.

I came from afar, just for the appointment on your side. In front of the magnificent nature, we are so small and make the most sincere wish. The misty clouds are like a magical magician, which can be seen by the naked eye. One mountain, one water, one grass and one wood illusion is in front of our eyes, it is dizzying, and imagination. faded the lush summer season, the autumn grassland color is more full, far-sighted, golden under the sky, pick up the camera, will freeze the picture in the lens, become the scenery that never fades in the heart. In this space, forget everything in the world. The so-called jealousy, trouble, and humanity... stop at this moment, stop, give the soul a rest time, do nothing, just breathe the green of nature. The fragrance of the flowers, bathed in the lakes and mountains, intoxicated. quiet, peaceful, wonderful, blue, sacred, here is everything you imagine, and everything else you imagine.

If the red land and the mountains show a rough mountain feeling, and the lake is a soft picture, it is a calm harbor, and everything in nature is in this cycle, and it is in this way. In the environment, the secular confusing brains are far away from me... The distance is the quiet mountain, the clear and bright lake in front of the eyes, the red land on the feet, and the sound of the birds in the ears. Just like being intoxicated in a paradise, there is no extra voice, no extra tourists, only some photographers press the shutter here. Standing on the shore of the lake, listening to the crisp sound of the birds, breathing the fresh air, watching the ever-changing clouds in the sky, the fish that are playing in the lake, and the smoke rising in the distance, Everything is so fascinating.

Every year in November, when the Himalayan cold wind passes through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the paired black-necked cranes have experienced hardships, flying over the mountains and thousands of mountains to the winter in Yunnan. You said this autumn, I will take you over the mountains to see a sunrise and sunset at the lake that I think is the most beautiful. The scenery here is filled with the taste of missing, so I have the "cut lake" And the warmth of the name... Best shooting month: November of each year - March of the following year Best shooting time: early morning and dusk