Clean Erhai lake gives rise to Dali’s prosperity

As the morning sunlight stretches across Erhai Lake in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of West Yunnan, the calls of migratory birds and the splashing of water bring the surroundings to life. Tourists gather along the shore, capturing the beauty of the moment. This is how a new day begins in Gusheng Village.
In January 2015, President Xi Jinping visited Dali to inspect its ecological protection efforts. He emphasized the importance of protecting Erhai. Since then, significant progress has been made in protecting and restoring the lake. The 129-kilometer ecological corridor surrounding Erhai is now fully operational. It is complemented by lakeside buffer zones and ecological wetlands, which have also become popular tourist destinations.

An interconnected pond system immediately catches the eye at the entrance of Gusheng Village. This system is part of Dali Prefecture’s lake pollution interception project. Wastewater from across the basin is fully collected and directed through pipelines to treatment plants. This ensures that “not a single drop of sewage flows into Erhai.” Currently, the Erhai basin has 20 sewage treatment plants and 5,743 kilometers of sewage collection pipelines. This infrastructure has contributed to a 99.35% wastewater treatment rate in rural areas.

Beyond household wastewater, sustainable solutions have also been applied to organic waste, such as livestock manure, kitchen waste, and agricultural straw. In 18 townships across the Erhai basin, 25 organic waste collection stations have been established. These stations have processed more than 3.5 million tons of organic waste, significantly reducing pollution entering the lake.

Neatly divided demonstration fields await sowing at the entrance of Gusheng Village. Since 2018, more than 400,000 acres of farmland in the Erhai Basin have been restricted from cultivating high-water, high-fertilizer crops in an effort to curb agricultural non-point source pollution. The use of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers and high-residue pesticides has also been banned.

Leaving Gusheng Village, we head to Eryuan County, the birthplace of Erhai Lake. Eryuan contributes more than half of the lake’s surface runoff. Over the past decade, more than 2,000 hectares of artificial wetlands have been created within Eryuan to ensure clean water flows into the lake. Due to the ecological restoration of major inflowing rivers, the water entering Erhai Lake has become progressively clearer. The Ottelia acuminata (commonly known as the “water quality indicator” plant), which had once vanished, has now returned, blooming in clusters across Erhai.

A decade of dedication has brought about a decade of transformation. Erhai’s water quality remains excellent. In addition, its protection has become a shared commitment within the local community.

Reporting by Yang Xiaofei (Dali Updates); Photos by Yang Jipei; Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi; English polishing by Franklin (CICG)