Erhai Lake is the second largest lake in Yunnan Province. Its main village; Caicun; is a maze of unpaved alleys and mud houses. On the eastern shore of the lake is the picturesque Bai village of Wase; and just offshore is Little Putuo Island (Xiao Putuo Dao); named for the mythical mountain home of Guanyin; the Chinese Goddess of Compassion. There is a statue of the goddess; who is said to guard the lake's waters; in a temple on the island.

Dali is the ancient capital of both the Bai kingdom Nanzhao; which flourished in the area during the 8th and 9th centuries; and the Kingdom of Dali; which reigned from 937-1253. Situated in a once significantly Muslim part of South China; Dali was also the center of the Panthay Rebellion against the reigning imperial Qing Dynasty from 1856-1863. The old city was built during Ming Dynasty emperor Hongwu's reign (1368-1398). Pictures From Asia Pictures From Asia