[2025 Yanyuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Luyuan Cliff (Updated Jun)

Here is a carefully curated **2025 Lugu Lake In-Depth Travel Guide**, blending natural wonders, Mosuo culture, new activities, and practical tips to help you unlock the ultimate charm of the "Oriental Daughter Kingdom"—— --- ### 🌄 **1. Key Preparations Before Travel** 1. **Best Travel Time** - **Golden Seasons (March-May & September-November)**: From March to May, the water willow flowers bloom, making the lake surface look like a starry sky; from September to November, autumn colors dye Caohai, with red leaves reflecting on the lake. - **Festival Highlights**: The 25th day of the 7th lunar month is the **Gemu Goddess Mountain Pilgrimage Festival** (Mosuo blessing ceremony), and the 24th day of the 6th lunar month is the **Naxi Torch Festival** (Dazu Village intangible cultural heritage experience). 2. **Essential Gear** - **Protection**: SPF50+ sunscreen, sunglasses, windproof face scarf (strong UV on the plateau); - **Clothing**: windbreaker + light down jacket (day-night temperature difference up to 15°C), non-slip hiking shoes; - **Others**: power bank (some guesthouses have unstable power supply), cash (small stalls only accept cash). 3. **Tickets and Discounts** - **Tickets**: In 2025, Zhejiang residents are free with ID, students and seniors over 60 get half price; - **Vouchers**: 2025 cultural and tourism consumption vouchers offer maximum discounts when claimed in advance on the official website. --- ### 🌟 **2. Must-Visit Attractions & 2025 Updates** **Cultural and Natural Highlights** 1. **Gemu Goddess Mountain** - **Highlights**: Take the cable car to explore the Goddess Cave stalactites; in 2025, the new **"Sky Mirror" viewing platform** offers a panoramic heart-shaped view of Lugu Lake. - **Experience**: Hike the "Goddess Sacred Path" (3 hours), encounter wild ibex, participate in the pilgrimage festival blessing. 2. **Walking Marriage Bridge & Caohai** - **Cultural Core**: Stroll along the 300-meter wooden boardwalk, listen to Mosuo elders tell the "men don’t marry, women don’t wed" walking marriage stories; in 2025, the boardwalk is reinforced and lighting upgraded for a more magical night tour. - **Caohai Ecology**: Ride a pig trough boat to harvest aquatic plants (6 AM "Caohai Pastoral Song" activity), watch black-necked cranes; a new **ecological boardwalk** allows close-up birdwatching. 3. **Lige Peninsula** - **Popular Landmark**: Surrounded by the lake on three sides, explore the water willow flower sea by pig trough boat; in 2025, the **"Starry Sky Viewing Platform"** opens, with glass rooms for overnight stargazing. 4. **Dazu Village Intangible Heritage Upgrade** - **2025 New Experience**: Dongba papermaking and painting workshops, stay in Naxi guesthouses and join the Torch Festival bonfire party. **Hidden Gems** - **Goddess Bay Sunset**: Enjoy "golden light spilling over the lake" at the cliffside café, visit Mosuo families and try butter tea. - **Luyuan Cliff Blessing**: Touch the underground water outlet, release animals for blessings, and visit the new geological science museum. ### 🗺️ **3. Suggested Itinerary** **3-Day Classic Tour (for first-timers)** - **Day 1: Cultural Introduction** Lijiang/Xichang → Lugu Lake → **Mosuo Museum** (holographic projection of grandmother’s house council) → **Walking Marriage Bridge** sunset photography → stay at Daloushui Village (lake view inn). - **Day 2: Lake Highlights** Private car around the lake → **Lige Peninsula** pig trough boat → **Lover’s Beach** wish plaque hanging → **Goddess Bay** sunset → **Bonfire Party** (Lige Village native performance). - **Day 3: Sacred Mountain Tribute** Gemu Goddess Mountain cable car → explore Goddess Cave → return trip. **5-Day In-Depth Tour (immersed in nature and culture)** - **Add Day 4: Dazu Village Intangible Heritage Day** Dongba papermaking experience → charity interaction at Dazu Primary School → Naxi hearth dinner. - **Add Day 5: Caohai Secret Realm** Early morning Caohai pastoral song → hike Naren Lake → enjoy roasted fire duck in Langfang Village. ### 🍜 **4. Taste of Lugu Lake: Must-Try Foods** - **Mosuo Flavors**: - **Pork fat meat**: rich but not greasy, freshly sliced at grandma’s home feast; - **Water willow flower soup**: tender petals + lake fish stew, a must-order at Lam barbecue. - **Best Value Recommendations**: - **Good People Snacks** (Goddess Bay): matsutake mushroom stewed chicken + mushroom sauce lake fish to fill you up; - **Lige Zhaxi’s**: hearth-roasted suckling pig + Sulima wine, listen to Mosuo folk songs. - **Popular Experience**: - **Lake View Café**: water willow flower cake, "Lugu Lake Blue" specialty coffee, swing chair photo ops. --- ### 🏡 **5. Accommodation Guide: Choose by Need** - **Best Value**: Daloushui Village **lake view inn**, 5-minute walk to the lake, breakfast included. - **Cultural Immersion**: Lige Peninsula **Mosuo Mother’s House Guesthouse** (stay in log cabins, enjoy family hearth meals). - **Luxury Seclusion**: Langfang Village **Cloud Manlu Full Lake View Hotel** (smart viewing rooms), private dock to admire water willow flowers. ### 🚗 **6. Transportation and Pitfall Avoidance** 1. **How to Get There** - **By Air**: Lugu Lake Airport → shuttle bus to Daloushui Village - **By Land**: carpool from Lijiang/Xichang. 2. **Around the Lake** - **Sightseeing buses** stop on demand (Walking Marriage Bridge → Caohai → Mosuo Museum). 3. **Pitfall Warnings** - Be cautious of low-price tours (which shorten boat time); - Identify fake lake view rooms in Lige: genuine lake view rooms are concentrated at the peninsula tip and require booking 3 months in advance. ### ⚠️ **7. Environmental Protection and Respect Tips** - **Ecological Rules**: Do not pick saxaul grass, carry out all trash; do not disturb migratory birds on the Caohai boardwalk. - **Cultural Respect**: - Ask permission before photographing Mosuo people, do not step on the threshold of grandmother’s house; - Circumambulate the mountain **clockwise**, do not touch mani stone piles. > **The romance of Lugu Lake is the morning when pig trough boats glide through the water willow flower sea, the ancient marriage customs told by Mosuo grandmas by the Walking Marriage Bridge, and the bonfire smiles glowing under the starry sky of Goddess Bay.** With this guide, in 2025’s newly opened "Sky Mirror" and intangible heritage workshops, meet the Daughter Kingdom of half lake, half legend—— > *“The lake is the upside-down sky, the wind is the god*

Lugu Lake is like a sparkling pearl, nestled quietly in the embrace of the mountains. The Houlong Mountain, wedged into the lake, cradles it as it sleeps, while the towering Goddess Gemu Mountain watches over it peacefully. Playful wild ducks frolic in the water, creating ripples that dance across the surface. Such a beautiful scene, how could I not indulge? So, I embarked on this cycling journey around Lugu Lake. 📍Cycling Route Starting from Daluoshui, the route passes through Yunnan Lover's Beach➡️Lige Peninsula➡️Nise➡️Xiaoluoshui. After Xiaoluoshui, you enter Sichuan Province, and the road becomes flatter. Pass by Luyuan Cliff➡️Dazu➡️Sichuan Lover's Beach, then leave the lakeside and ride on the straight road to Lugu Lake Town for lunch. Afterwards, continue on, passing through the Walking Marriage Bridge➡️Grass Sea, back into Yunnan Province, passing through Puluo➡️Langfang➡️Triangle Village, and finally returning to the starting point, Daluoshui. 📌Must-See Spots 1⃣️Grass Sea: A unique landscape in the Sichuan part of Lugu Lake. You can take a ride on a Mosuo dugout canoe—a pig trough boat—through the water plants and get up close to the birds that inhabit the area. 2⃣️Walking Marriage Bridge: Legend has it that local men had to cross this bridge for their walking marriages. Visitors can ride horses across the bridge. There is a viewing platform at the end of the bridge, where you can overlook the Grass Sea. 3⃣️Goddess Bay: The best place to watch the sunset over Lugu Lake. The route to Goddess Bay is an ancient Mosuo mountain pilgrimage trail. 4⃣️Luyuan Cliff: Said to be the source of Lugu Lake. The mountain is covered with prayer flags, creating a sacred atmosphere. 5⃣️Lige Viewing Platform: The best free viewing spot, a great place to watch the sunrise. The best time to visit is 11:00 am or 3:00 pm. 6⃣️Lover's Beach: There is a Lover's Beach in both Sichuan and Yunnan. Choose either one, as the scenery is very similar. 7⃣️Mosuo People's Museum and Mosuo Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum: The former is located in the Daluoshui Village scenic area, showcasing the contemporary Mosuo lifestyle in depth. The latter is in Hot Spring Village, also known as Walabi Village, where you can see records of local textiles, preserved pork production, and various customs and religions. 8⃣️Daluoshui Village: There is a small road behind the village that leads up the mountain. Navigate to Rizun Temple, where the viewing platform offers a panoramic view of Lugu Lake. Return to the Lugu Lake Scenic Area viewing platform; this is the road towards Yunnan. 🌟Helpful Tips: 1⃣️Wear sunscreen! The UV rays are very strong! I missed some spots on my arms and got sunburned! 2⃣️Slow down on downhill slopes! Some turns are very sharp, and high speeds can be dangerous! 3⃣️Stay hydrated. There are many convenience stores along the way, but some are very expensive! 4⃣️There is a section of cobblestone road in Lugu Lake Town that is very bumpy! So bumpy that my vision blurred. 5⃣️Road construction is underway in some areas, which may cause traffic jams for cars, but it doesn't affect bicycles much. The road conditions are mostly good, but there are many uphill climbs, so pace yourself. If you can't ride, just push your bike~ 6⃣️The weather at Lugu Lake is changeable, and it may rain at any time, so it's best to be prepared for rain~

(1) Luyuan Cliff has a small viewing platform that is easy to miss when driving by. I think it's a great spot. Climb a small hill and you'll be greeted by a different view. Colorful prayer flags flutter in the wind, and the distant mountains and rivers look like a treasured ink painting, with a mysterious beauty. The water quality of Lugu Lake is maintained at the national surface water class I standard. In addition to rainwater and mountain springs, the lake is mainly fed by underground water. (2) Daluoshui Village is located by the lake. The lake is clear and blue, and the mountains are steep. The mountains and rivers are connected to the village, and the lake and mountains form the backdrop of Daluoshui Village. There are willows and wooden boats by the lake. The pig trough boats sway on the lake. In the morning and evening, the glow of the sun shines on the lake and the village. The inn is by the lake, with a sunroom by the lake. Open the curtains and you'll see the stars and the moonlight. Watch the sunset, enjoy the lake view, chat with the Mosuo people about the story of "Asha and Azhu," listen to the melodious sound of the hulusi in the bar, and find a table by the window to savor the taste of Lugu Lake sunshine and delicious fish soup.