Nianhu Lake in Huize County, Qujing

Nianhu Lake is located at the junction of Daqiao Township in Huize County, Qujing City, and Zhaotong. It is a nature reserve for black-necked cranes. Originally named “Yuejin Reservoir,” it is also known as “Nianhu.”

In early 2008, a thought-provoking invitation for a donkey walking tour appeared on the “Donkey Friends Space” website: “In a Yunnan plateau lake at an altitude of 2,500 meters, someone accidentally discovered a place that intoxicated the soul. This is a home made of water, and the author of the post didn’t say where it was, just missing a person, calling it ‘Nianhu.’

Nianhu is located in the Heijinghe National Nature Reserve, Daqiao Township, Huize County, Yunnan Province. It is situated in the central part of the Wumeng Mountain area in northeastern Yunnan, with geographical coordinates ranging from 103°15′ to 103°22′ east longitude and 26°38′ to 26°45′ north latitude, at an altitude of 2490-2900 meters above sea level. The average annual temperature is 9.8°C, with an average winter temperature of 6.3°C.

Ecological Environment Since 1994, Daqiao and Changhaizi in Huize County have been approved by the provincial government as provincial-level black-necked crane nature reserves, and people’s awareness of the natural environment has continued to improve, further improving the natural ecology. In recent years, the number of black-necked cranes has increased year by year. According to data provided by bird experts, there are currently only over 4,000 black-necked cranes in the world, with more than half and a large number of geese and mallards wintering here. From November to March, black-necked cranes gather in flocks in the reserve, singing freely, dancing, flying, gliding, or strolling leisurely, living harmoniously with humans, and becoming the best place for people to appreciate and cherish birds.

Birdwatching at Nianhu Lake Nianhu Lake is still a niche destination, located in Daqiao Township, Huize County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province. From November to March each year, it is where black-necked cranes come to winter from Tibet. Compared with nearby places where black-necked cranes can be seen, such as Zhaotong in Yunnan or Caohai in Weining, Guizhou, Nianhu Lake has more beautiful scenery. The only downside is that it is a bit far from the birds, because the birds are almost all on Bird Island. In Zhaotong, you can easily photograph birds with a 200mm lens. There are also many introductions and beautiful pictures of Nianhu Lake on the Internet. Here, mainly about shooting, accommodation, and a few tips on transportation, I hope it will be helpful to those who are planning to go.

Nianhu Lake in Huize County, Qujing Photography Tips:

1. Dam: You can shoot in the morning and evening because both east and west are water surfaces. However, be careful. If there is heavy morning fog, it is not suitable to go to the dam for shooting before 9 o’clock in the morning. On the first day we went, we arrived at the dam at 6:30 in the morning, and the dense fog persisted until 9:30 before dissipating, during which time nothing could be seen. If you find heavy morning fog in the morning, you should go up to the mountain to shoot the sea of clouds, that is, points 2 or 5. The dam is the closest place to Bird Island, but unless you have a 600-800mm lens, you can only take birds as scenery. The two ends of the dam are blocked, and cars cannot pass. You can only walk from the north side of the lake to the south side. If you drive, you can only go around the lake. There are signs on the main road saying “Yangmeishan Observation Point”, which are easy to find.
2. Yangmeishan: It is far from the lake surface, so it is not recommended to shoot here unless there is a sea of clouds in the morning. There are no signs on the main road, so it is not easy to find.
3. Observation points 1 and 2: You can only shoot morning scenery. It is not suitable to come here for shooting in dense fog. Compared with the dam, there are more foreground trees here, which are more messy and farther from Bird Island. The road is not easy to walk, and if you drive a sedan, you may barely reach it. There are signs on the main road saying “Observation points 1 and 2”, which are easy to find.
4. Lijiawan Observation Point: You can shoot morning scenery. In the evening, mainly shoot birds because this place is close to the fields. Birds fly back to roost in the evening, which is closer. There are signs on the main road saying “Lijiawan Observation Point”, but it is quite far after leaving the main road, and there are several forks. Pay attention to the signs and it is easy to miss.
5. Lijiawan Elementary School Back Mountain: You can shoot in the morning (whether there is a sea of clouds or not) and in the evening. It is a great place. Walk south through the dam from Point 7, Guanhe Mountain Village, to Lijiawan Elementary School, about 3 km, plus climbing to the top of the mountain, it is basically about 40 minutes. You can also drive around the lake from the north, which is basically the same time. Compared with the high point of Yangmeishan on the opposite side, it is closer to the lake surface and you can shoot the continuous rows of willow trees and flying birds on the water surface very clearly. In short, if you only have two nights, it is recommended to shoot at the dam and Lijiawan Elementary School.

Nianhu Lake in Huize County, Qujing Accommodation:

1. Nianhu Yangmeishan Village (Dam) Guanhe Mountain Villa: Jiang Wei 13577425343, Fan Jin 13577466005 (the nearest farmhouse to the dam, 20/bed, shared bathroom, simple conditions. The boss is a feeder. If you are in a good mood, he can row you to Bird Island to feed, which is a great benefit for students with 200mm lenses. Unfortunately, we didn’t wait for the feeding day.) Nianhu Mountain Villa: 15924825958, 15287238614 (next to Guanhe Mountain Villa, both are run by brothers, better conditions than Guanhe Mountain Villa, price not asked) Huize Daqiao Hongyuan Countryside Hotel: 13648835714, 13708033362 (closer to the dam, expensive, standard room 280, someone takes you to the shooting point)
2. Nianhu Lijiawan (basic price is 100/person including food and accommodation, better living conditions and quieter than Guanhe Mountain Villa) Listening to Crane Farmhouse: Hong Caizhang 15987494350, hwgy.d3@qq.com Hezhiyuan Hotel: Li Wei 15924905482, 15287932082
3. Yanghua 13988943275, WeChat yh13988943275 (located on the east side of the dam, quite far from the dam, price not asked)

In addition, hotels are also under construction near Lijiawan Elementary School, and maybe you will be able to stay next time. Local people like to paint the walls yellow when building hotels, which does not match the surrounding environment. It is recommended to stay at Guanhe Mountain Villa/Nianhu Mountain Villa near the dam, or at a farmhouse in Lijiawan.

Transportation: This was a self-driving tour, so I’m not very familiar with public transportation. If you depart from Kunming, it is probably necessary to first go to Huize County from Kunming and then transfer to Daqiao Township. However, we also saw several buses from Kunming passing through Daqiao Township, including Kunming-Xiaohe, Kunming-Mashu, and Kunming-Baoguinao. You can check online which bus station in Kunming departs.

It takes about 3 hours on the expressway from Kunming to Daqiao Township. After leaving Huize County, the 50km road takes 1.5-2 hours to drive, and the road is very difficult, often with big pits and many trucks.