View source for Erhai Lake

{{Short description|Lake in Yunnan province, southwest China}}
{{Infobox body of water
 | name = Er Lake / Erhai
 | image = Erhai lake, Yunnan, China.jpg
 | caption = 
 | image_bathymetry = 
 | caption_bathymetry = 
 | location = [[Dali City]], [[Dali Prefecture]], [[Yunnan]]
 | coords = {{coord|25|45|48|N|100|11|15|E|region:CN_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}} 
 | type = 
 | inflow = 
 | outflow = 
 | catchment = 
|pushpin_map=Yunnan
 | basin_countries = China
 | length = {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}}
 | width = {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=on}}
 | area = {{convert|250|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
 | depth = {{convert|11|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | max-depth = 
 | volume = {{convert|2.5|km3|cumi|abbr=on}}
 | residence_time = 
 | shore = 
 | elevation = {{convert|1972|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | islands = 
 | cities = 
}}

'''Erhai''' or '''Er Lake''' ({{zh|p=Ěrhǎi|s=洱海}}), is an [[Alpine climate|alpine]] fault lake in [[Dali City]], [[Dali Prefecture]], [[Yunnan]] province, [[China]].  Erhai was also known as '''Yeyuze''' ({{zh|叶榆泽|labels=no}}) or '''Kunming Lake''' ({{zh|昆明池|labels=no}}) in ancient times.

==Etymology==
The character "洱" (er) does not have the same meaning as ear (耳). During the [[Han dynasty|Han]] to [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] dynasty, there was an ancient ethnic named ''[[Kunming Yi]]'' or Kunming Barbarian ({{zh|昆明夷|labels=no}}) lived in the neighbouring region of Erhai lake. Therefore, the lake was also called "Kunming Lake". The ''Kunming Yi'' has another name ''Kun-mi'' ({{zh|昆弥|labels=no}}). In the following time, Chinese literature recorded the name "昆弥" as "昆弭" (Kun-mi) that "弭" is a [[Chinese characters#Rebus|rebus]] of "弥". And the name of the lake was also changed to the character "渳" (mi) which has a water-meaning [[Radical (Chinese characters)|radical]] ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|氵}}}}) attached to it. [[Fang Guoyu]] believe the name "洱" (er) was simplified from "渳", after that the name "Erhai" continues to this day.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fang |first=Guoyu |chapter=初唐时期洱海区域的居民 |trans-chapter=Residents around the Erhai Lake in the Early Tang Dynasty |title=方国瑜文集 |trans-title=Guoyu Collection |volume=2 |location=[[Kunming]] |publisher=Yunnan Education Publishing House |date=2001 |isbn=7-5415-1941-3 |pages=43–61 }}</ref>{{rp|45}}

According to Bai scholar's research, the "Yeyu" in the Chinese name "Yeyuze" (''ze'' [泽] means lake) is evolved from [[Bai language]] which means "lower water", the pronunciation written in [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] as {{IPA|/jɛ<sup>33</sup>ji<sup>33</sup>/}}. In the Bai language [[Dali City|Dali]] dialect, the "lower" ({{IPA|/jɛ<sup>33</sup>/}}) is also pronounced {{IPA|/ɛɹ<sup>33</sup>/}}. Xu Lin believe the Chinese name "洱" is evolved from {{IPA|/ɛɹ<sup>33</sup>/}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author=徐琳 |title=点苍山洱海考释 |trans-title=Study of "Dian Cangshan" and "Erhai" |language=zh |journal=民族语文 |trans-journal=Minority Languages of China |date=1986 |issue=6 |pages=30–33+24 }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Lago-erhai-cormoranes-c02.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Cormorant fishing|cormorant fisherwoman]] returning to shore on Erhai Lake]]<!-- note soaked plumage -->
Erhai is situated at {{convert|1972|m}} above sea level. In size, the North-South length of the lake is {{convert|40|km}} and the East-West width is roughly {{convert|7|-|8|km}}. Its area is {{convert|250|km2}}, making it the second largest highland lake in China, after [[Dianchi Lake]]{{citation needed |reason=What about Sayram Lake ?|date=June 2023}}. Its [[circumference]] reaches {{convert|116|km}}, its average depth is of {{convert|11|m}} and the total storage capacity of {{convert|2.5|e9m3|acre.ft}}.

The lake serves as a backdrop to all of [[Dali City]] and sandwiches [[Dali Town]] in the west against the [[Cang Mountain]]. The lake's head is at [[Shangguan, Dali|Shangguan Town]], its northern extremity, and its southernmost point is at [[Xiaguan, Dali City|Xiaguan]] Town.  The lake receives water from the [[Miju River|Miju]] and [[Mici River|Mici]] Rivers in the north, the [[Bolou]] River in the east, and smaller streams from the Cang Mountains in the west. [[Yangbi River]], to the south, is the lake's outlet and eventually flows into the Lancang River ([[Mekong River]]).

==Attractions==
The lakeshore can be explored by hiking. Highlights include '''Erhai Park''' and the '''Butterfly Springs''' on the Western bank. Islands on the lake &ndash; including '''Guanyin Ge''', '''Jinsuo Island''' ({{zh|s=金梭岛|l=Golden Shuttle Island|labels=no}}), '''Nanzhao Folklore Island''' ({{zh|s=南诏风情岛|labels=no}}) and '''Xiaoputuo Island''' ({{zh|s=小普陀|labels=no}}) &ndash; are also available for visits.

The lake is an important food source for the local people ([[Bai people|Bai]]s), who are famous for their fishing method: their trained [[cormorant]]s catch fish and return them to fishmongers. The birds are prevented from swallowing their fish by rings fixed around their neck.

==Biodiversity==
There is, or was, a rich [[biodiversity]] in Erhai. It is one of three major [[Yunnan]] lakes with a high number of [[Endemism|endemics]], the two other being [[Fuxian Lake|Fuxian]] and [[Dian Lake|Dian]] (Dianchi).<ref name=Wang2013>{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1= S. |last2=Wang |first2=J. |last3=Li |first3=M. |last4=Du |first4=F. |last5=Yang |first5=Y. |last6=Lassoie |first6=J. P. |last7=Hassan |first7=M. Z. |name-list-style=amp |year=2013 |title=Six decades of changes in vascular hydrophyte and fish species in three plateau lakes in Yunnan, China |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |volume=22 |issue= 13–14 |pages=3197–3221 |doi=10.1007/s10531-013-0579-0}}</ref> Of the 23 fish species and [[subspecies]] known from Erhai, 8 are endemic: ''[[Cyprinus barbatus]], [[Cyprinus daliensis|C. daliensis]]'', ''[[Cyprinus longipectoralis|C. longipectoralis]]'', ''[[Cyprinus megalophthalmus|C. megalophthalmus]]'', ''[[Paracobitis erhaiensis]]'', ''[[Poropuntius daliensis]]'' ([[syn.]] ''Barbodes daliensis''), ''[[Poropuntius exiguus|P. exiguus]]'' (syn. ''B. exigua'') and ''[[Zacco taliensis]]'' (syn. ''Schizothorax taliensis'').<ref name=Wang2013/> Among these, only ''C. barbatus'' and ''C. longipectoralis'' have been recorded since the year 2000; the remaining have not been recorded in decades and are likely [[extinct]].<ref name=Wang2013/> A few of the non-endemic natives have also been [[Local extinction|extirpated]] from the lake. In contrast, the lake is now home to more than 10 [[Introduced species|introduced]] fish species.<ref name=Wang2013/>

A few native [[hydrophyte]]s have also disappeared from the lake.<ref name=Wang2013/>

The lake used to be a royal deer ranch for the [[Kingdom of Nanzhao|Nanzhao]] Kingdom.
{{Wide image|Erhai north Panorama.jpg|1150px|align-cap=center|Panorama of Erhai Lake}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Around Erhai Lake by electric scooter}}
*[https://www.google.com/maps/@25.7633333,100.1853113,69431m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en Google Earth view]

== References ==
{{Commons category|Erhai Lake}}
{{Reflist}}
* [http://en.chinaculture.org/library/2003-09/24/content_34359.htm Erhai Lake on en.chinaculture.org]

{{Lakes of China}}
{{Lakes in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau}}
{{Yunnan topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lakes of Yunnan]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Yunnan]]
[[Category:Geography of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture]]