The Erhai Lake, known as Yeyuze or Kunming Lake in ancient times, is named after its ear-like shape. It is a fresh water lake in the Yunnan Plateau at an elevation of 1972 meters. It starts at Dengchuan in the north and ends at Xiaguan in the south with a length of 42 km and width of 8 km. It is 116 km in circumference and covers an area of 250 square km. The average depth is about 11 meters and the total storage capacity is 2.5 billion cubic meters. The Erhai Lake is the second largest lake in Yunnan Province, abundant in water resources.

The Erhai Lake is a fault lake formed after a foundering of the earth's crust. The water of the Erhai Lake is limpid. On the lake, there are three islets, four sand banks and eight famous sights. "Erhai Moon" is one of the best sights where one can enjoy the moon mirrored on the lake on a clear night. The Erhai Lake is also rich in aquatic animals.

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