Yungang Grottoes
UNESCO World Heritage site with 51,000 ancient Buddhist rock carvings.
View DetailsAbout This Spot
Puzhehei translates from local Yi dialect to 'a lake swarming with fish and shrimp', a quiet hidden karst spot tucked in southeast Yunnan
Whole scenic zone covers over 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi), connects more than 60 lakes dotted with over 300 jagged karst peaks, eighty-plus caves and endless lotus ponds stretching far into distance
Lotus blooms are the absolute highlight, over 10,000 mu (roughly 667 hectares) ponds fully bloom June to August, pink and white flower blankets cover entire lake surfaces
You can glide through flower seas on tiny hand-rowed wooden boats, the whole scenery feels totally dreamlike
Sharp limestone peaks shoot straight out of glassy calm lake water, karst landscape similar to Guilin yet way quieter with way fewer mass tourist crowds, countless overseas travel bloggers rave about escaping Yangshuo's packed sites here
Lots of activities fill your schedule: slow boat rides winding through lakes and hidden cave tunnels, uphill hikes for full wetland panoramic shots, dips in crystal clear natural pools, plus deep dive into daily customs of Yi, Zhuang and Miao lakeside villages
This spot blew up after appearing on hit Chinese variety show 'Where Are We Going, Dad?', surprisingly it still keeps a laid-back low-commercial vibe
One foreign vlogger said it's a refreshing break from overcrowded Yangshuo, yet warns national Golden Week holidays flood the whole zone with crowds and ruin peaceful atmosphere entirely
Highlights
- - Karst lake landscape with 300+ peaks
- - 10,000 mu lotus ponds (June-August)
- - Boat rides through lakes and caves
- - 80+ hidden caves to explore
- - Zhuang & Yi ethnic villages
- - Swimming in clear natural waters
Gallery
Travel Tips
Rent a wooden boat for the best lotus viewing experience. Wear water shoes—you will get wet on boat rides. Hire a local guide to find the best spots. Try local Zhuang rice noodles and fresh lake fish. Allow 1-2 days for a relaxed visit.
Cultural Notes
Puzhehei locates in Qiubei County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, southeast Yunnan, close to Guangxi provincial border
Its Yi name means 'lake full of fish and shrimp', around 43,000 Yi, Zhuang, Miao and Han residents scatter across sixteen villages surrounding fifty-four interconnected karst lakes
4A national wetland park holds 20,000 mu pink lotus waters blooming June to August, covering 13 square km winding waterways
Travelers often nickname it 'Little Guilin', key travel hack: outside national holidays, visitor numbers stay less than one percent of Yangshuo's crowds
Two Yi subgroups live nearby: Black Yi in Heitun Village, White Yi in Baipao Village
Every April brings Sanyuesan (Lunar March 3 Festival), full of torch rituals, embroidered costume contests and giant bamboo pole dances that draw up to 3,000 participants at once
Zhuang community holds their Water Splashing Festival (Flower Glutinous Rice Festival) mid-April, seven days ahead of Xishuangbanna's Dai water festival
Local custom rule: splashing someone on main bridge means you take a liking to them
Pack waterproof phone pouch and spare clothes if you visit during festival period, multiple overseas tourists got fully soaked within minutes and damaged camera gear without proper protection
Only small bamboo wooden rowboats allowed for lotus pond cruising, motorized vessels fully banned
Hard rule you cannot ignore: never pluck lotus flowers or tear seed pods off stalks
Patrol boats hand out ￥50 (
$7) on-the-spot fine per picked bloom
Yi folk beliefs add extra weight to this rule: villagers claim picking lotus blooms curses your fishing luck for seven full years
Lots of tourists ignore the rule thinking no staff watch, yet patrol boats circle ponds nonstop during bloom season
Xianrendong Village holds Immortal Lake and a cliff cave temple linked to ancient Yi creation myths, cave walls carry 1,500-year-old rock paintings of Yi shamans
On the fifteenth day of every lunar month, local shaman leads two-hour lantern boat ritual
Foreign visitors can watch yet must sit quietly at back, zero photo taking allowed while ceremonial chants play, staff enforce this rule harshly
Several tourists got publicly scolded for sneaking photos mid-ceremony
Qinglong Lake hosts traditional Zhuang cormorant fishing demonstrations three times daily, ￥30 ($4) for forty-five-minute show
Fishermen put thin reed collars around birds' necks to stop them swallowing large caught fish
Big warning from local fishermen: avoid close-up shots of cormorants' faces, villagers firmly believe camera lenses steal birds' fishing spirits, they shout aggressively at rule breakers
Over eighty caves open to tourists, Guanyin Dong is the most famous one
Never wander into unmarked caves without trained local guide, summer rainy seasons swell underground rivers rapidly
Local Yi children drowned exploring unmarked caves alone in past years, most generic travel guides skip mentioning this major safety risk
Many backpackers complain guided cave tours rush through each cavern, barely five minutes reserved for observing unique rock formations
Local Food & Drink
All local meals blend Yunnan and Zhuang flavors, light herb-forward taste built mainly around fresh lotus pond produce you can't find in inland cities
Iconic Hehuayan (Lotus Feast) lets you taste seven edible parts of lotus plant, signature local set meal every food blogger recommends
Dishes include icy sour-spicy lotus root salad, lotus root pork bone soup, lotus-leaf steamed pork ribs, sweet lotus seed porridge, pickled lotus pod appetiser and crispy tempura-fried lotus petal dessert
Price ￥80 (
$11) per person, minimum four guests required, booking needed twenty-four hours ahead
Multiple solo foreign travelers said they struggled to join a table without travel buddies, a real hassle for independent visitors
Street stalls and village markets sell Zhuang triangle bamboo-leaf rice dumplings stuffed with pork, salted egg yolk and mung bean paste, ￥12 ($2) each, way more filling than standard zongzi sold elsewhere
Local crossing-the-bridge noodles carry unique Puzhehei twist, tossed with fresh lake shrimp and tender lotus root slices, full eight-ingredient set ￥28 (
$4)
Three-year cured Xuanwei smoked ham appears in nearly every local dish, stir-fried ham with green peppers costs ￥38 ($5) per plate, a regular restaurant staple
Fifteen-plus wild mountain greens grow all over wetland: water celery, malantou, daylily blooms, tianqicai (notoginseng leaf), locals say this leaf eases mild altitude headaches
Funny side note: Puzhehei only sits at 1,450m (4,757 ft), altitude sickness rarely hits hard here
Night market snack picks
Whole grilled local carp seasoned with chili and cumin: ￥60 (
$8)
Crispy deep-fried lake shrimp: ￥25 ($3.5)
Lotus-leaf steamed lake crabs (only available July): ￥15 (
$2) each
Quick grab-and-go street snacks
Roasted whole potatoes tossed in seven chili seasonings: ￥8 ($1.1) per serving
Wild mulberry and blueberry cold juice: ￥15 (
$2) per cup, perfect for beating humid summer heat
Drink choices
Notoginseng flower tea, calming staple across Wenshan Prefecture, great for easing travel fatigue
New town cafes serve local Yunnan arabica coffee grown on Pu'er plantations, ￥28 ($3.9) per latte
Zhuang and Yi families brew homemade rice wine with twelve percent ABV, one-litre jug sells for ￥25 (
$3.5)
Daily food budget roughly ￥70–140 ($10–$19) per person
Vegetarian travelers fit perfectly here, lotus feast is sixty percent plant-based and endless wild green vegetable dishes fill every menu
One small complaint from veggie tourists: many dishes still cook with animal oil, you need to explicitly ask staff for oil-free fully plant-based versions
