Fuxian Lake

Fuxian Hu is a fault lake reaching about 155 metres deep, the second deepest freshwater lake in China, and it holds a very large volume of unusually clear water, clean enough that swimming and diving are the main reason people come from Kunming in summer. Divers investigating the lake floor from 2001 reported stone structures that some interpreted as a submerged settlement, a claim that remains contested and unresolved. The shore has beaches, resorts and villages, and a cycle route runs around the lake. Nearby Chengjiang holds the fossil beds of the Chengjiang biota, a UNESCO site with exceptional Cambrian preservation.

What you actually see

• The deep clear water - one of China's deepest and clearest lakes.
• The shore beaches - swimming and diving spots around the lake.
• The lake cycle route - a road circuit of the shoreline.
• The Chengjiang fossils - the Cambrian beds and museum nearby.

When to go

March to June and September to November for mild weather; swimming is best in summer, which is also when the shore is busiest with Kunming visitors. Water stays cold at depth year-round.

Honest expectations

Shore development is heavy in places with private resort beaches charging entry. The underwater ruins claim is disputed and there is nothing for visitors to see of it. Roads around the lake are busy at weekends.

Nearby

Kunming lies northwest; the Stone Forest is northeast.