Cleaner water at Erhai Lake in southwest China is drawing more visitors and reshaping daily life after years of restoration and watershed management.
Morning light reaches the western shore of Erhai Lake in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Cyclists pass along paved paths. Runners move at a steady pace. Residents walk beside the water.
At 7 a.m., Duan Runsheng leaves his home in Gusheng Village for a daily walk. He is 60 and has kept this routine for three years. He remembers when the lake looked and smelled very different.
“Algae gathered along the shore. The water had an odour. Some restaurants stood close to the lake and discharged wastewater,” he said. “People did not want to stay near the water.”
Erhai Lake is China’s second-largest highland freshwater lake and part of the Lancang-Mekong river system. Over the past decades, population growth and urban expansion have increased pressure on the lake. Large algae blooms appeared in 1996, 2003 and 2013. Pollution from sewage, agriculture and shoreline development affected water quality.
Restoration Expands Beyond the Lake
In 2015, local authorities began a new round of restoration work, expanding the focus from the lake itself to the wider watershed.
They set ecological protection boundaries and moved residents and businesses away from sensitive shoreline areas. A basin-wide system was built to collect and treat wastewater. Wetlands were restored, and buffer zones were created along the lake.
Work also targeted agricultural runoff, a key source of pollution. In Gusheng Village, a research team set up a “Science and Technology Backyard,” a field-based program that connects researchers with local farmers. The project encourages farmers to use less fertiliser and adopt greener practices across the watershed.
A lakeside ecological corridor forms another part of the effort. It links wetlands, ponds and monitoring sites. The project covers more than 40,000 mu (about 2,667 hectares) of wetlands and connects 307 ponds. It also returned sections of shoreline to the lake and involved the relocation of more than 1,800 households.
“We used to rely on the lake,” Duan said. “Now we stay farther away and look after it.”
Visible Changes Along the Lakeshore
Water quality has improved in recent years. The 27 main inflow rivers meet high standards, and the lake remains in good condition. Wetlands have expanded in recent years, and the lake’s ecological system has begun to recover.
The changes have also altered daily life along the shore. The ecological corridor now attracts walkers, cyclists and runners. By early 2026, it had received millions of visits.
“For me, running here feels easier,” said Wang Xiaojuan, a visitor from Shanghai. “It is more about the surroundings than speed.”
Small businesses have grown in nearby villages. Cafés, guesthouses and shops operate along parts of the lakeshore. Du Jie, a resident, opened a café and promotes it online.
“I always thought this place was beautiful,” he said. “Now more people come to see it.”
In the evening, Duan returns to the lakeside. In summer, he said, aquatic plants will spread across the water.
He sees the change in simple terms: the lake looks clearer, and more people spend time by the shore.
Written by Ronnie Yu, additional reporting by Chinanews, People’s Daily.
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