Wenhai 文海

During the Ming Dynasty (around 1350 – 1650), Wenhai was a trade corridor on the Silk Road between Yunnan and Tibet. Tea and horse caravans passed through this valley.

The village and lake of Wenhai are located a few kilometers from the city of Lijiang, not far from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. They are located in a magnificent valley at an altitude of over 3,000 m, part of the Lashi Lake Nature Reserve. Indeed, this plain has a large number of animal and plant species. It is notably a habitat for migratory birds such as black storks.

Lake Wenhai is a seasonal lake. With the arrival of spring, the lake dries up and gradually disappears to make way for a large swamp. During the rainy season, in July and August, the lake gradually fills up and prepares to welcome migratory birds.

The valley is inhabited by Naxis and Yis. The Naxis live around the lake, they have a still traditional and rural way of life where music, dances and architecture are still intact. The Yis live more isolated in the heights with also a very traditional way of life.

On the way to Wenhai, you will be staying in an ecolodge run as a cooperative by 56 Naxis families. This ecolodge aims to protect the environment and biodiversity of the valley by using solar and hydraulic energy in particular. You will also contribute to supporting the locals, who share the revenues, 10% of which are used to develop the ecolodge and protect nature.

Access from Lijiang by vehicle is only possible by taking a bumpy track. It is also accessible by five hours of walking or horse riding from Yuhu through magnificent landscapes. Several paths are possible to go back down from the valley. The first arrives near the Tiger Gorges, at Longpan, which allows you to continue the circuit towards the North and to do the trek in the Gorges in particular. The second, goes back down to the foot of Lake Lashi, around which you can take a nice walk in the Naxis villages and return by car to Lijiang.