Xingyun Lake (Xīng yún Hú 星云湖) also known as Jiangchuan Sea (Jiāng chuān Hǎi zi 江川海子), is a plateau lake in Yunnan Province, southwest of China. It is laceted in Jiangchuan County (jiāng chuān xiàn 江川县). The Xingyun Lake and the Fuxian Lake (fǔ xiān hú 抚仙湖) are separated by a mountain and linked by Haimen River (hǎi mén hé 海门河). The glistening light of the waves is charming and attractive. During the cloudless night, the bright moonlight shines upon the lake, looking like numerous stars glinting and falling into the lake. It also looks as brilliant as the cloud. So the lake get its name Xingyun Lake (literally Star-Cloud Lake).

The altitude of the surface of Xingyun Lake is 1 meter higher than that of Fuxian lake. The lake is 10.5 kilometers from south to north. The average width is 3.8 kilometers from east to west and the narrowest place is 2.3 kilometers. The coastline of the lake is 36.3 kilometers long and the total area is 34.71 square kilometers. The average depth of the lake is 7 meters and the deepest point is 10 meters. The transparent depth of the lake is about 1.5 meters. The water in the lake is in dark green and very clear.

Fish Resources

As a nutritious lake, Xingyun Lake is a nature place to develop aquiculture. It also set up a professional department to reproduce and breed fish very early in Yunnan Province. The lake abounds with national famous Jiangchuan bullhead fish (jiāng chuān dà tóu yú 江川大头鱼) and whitebait. The bullhead fish is famous for its big head, fat flesh and delicious taste. The whitebait also has a top taste, which are sold far to Japan.

Fishing Festival

In every December 25, the Fishing Festival (kāi yú jié 开渔节) will be celebrated in Xingyun Lake. Fishing Festival is a holiday for fisher folk, a celebration of the lake, and a feast of the fishing culture. Every year this festival season, there are fish streets in Jiangchuan city and several popular fishing villages around the lake. In fish streets, people sell fish everywhere, and everyone can feast delicious, fresh fish.

Hot Springs

There are a lot of springs along the lake. The Zhaojiawan Luozhipu Hot Spring (zhào jiā wān luó zhī pù wēn quán 赵家湾螺蜘铺温泉) is in the east. Hot water effuses all year round and it is a natural bath room for the tourists. The Haixi village hot springs (hǎi xī cūn wēn quán 海西村温泉) are in the west of the lake, which are also called Early Street. There is a double-well hot spring (shuāng jǐng wēn quán 双井温泉) here, where 5 spring mouths are in row in a short distance of 0.5 kilometer. To the astonishment, the temperature of the water in the north mouth is higher than that of the south counterpart. The disparity between the north most mouth and the south most mouth is 8℃- 9℃. It is a perfect place for bathing and recuperation beside Xingyun Lake.

Food

Jiangchuan Stewed Dish

Jiangchuan stewed dish (jiāng chuān dùn cài 江川炖菜) integrated the fresh, tender, fragrant and spicy characters of stewed dish and local traditional flavor. Stewed sour and hot chicken, stewed fish and stewed pig's feet are cooked with Jiangchuan local chicken, fresh fish, or pig's feet. The soup is cooked by pig's bones, mix with natural pickle vegetables, pickle pepper, and other natural seasonings, as well as Chinese medicines handed down from the ancestors. No herbs or spices are added. The taste of the dish is sour but not tasteless, hot but without dryness heat, fresh but without taste of raw meat. The soup is rich in fragrance and tastes refreshing.

Flavored Stewed Salt Fish

Flavored stewed salt fish (yán shuǐ yú 盐水鱼) is a traditional special delicacy in fishing villages beside Xingyun Lake. It is cooked by fresh crucian, chub, or Kanglang Fish, mixed with salt water, prickly ash, star-anise, paprika, and other seasonings. The taste is pure, fragrant, and delicious. The fish is savory and crisp, which is a delicacy of highest grade.

Tips:
(1) The climate here is mild and it is suitable for travel all year.
(2) To get Xingyun Lake, you can take the bus from Kunming to Jiangchuan, or bus from Yuxi to Jiangchuan.
(3) Hotels available in Jiangchuan or Yuxi.
(4) Nearby: Fuxian Lake, Ailao Mountain, Maotian Mountain.