About XuedaHu/ Xueda Lake

Picture this: you're up in the mountains about 3km from the Tibetan border in a tiny unassuming village. In front of you is a small lake. You look up and there you have the perfect reflection.

That's Xueda Lake.

Viewpoints of Meili are a dime a dozen in Yunnan, but the lake here makes this unique, acting like a mirror to reflect the mountain’s surface for a unique shot.

The fact that it is in a tiny village about 3km from Tibet is an extra bonus - with it feeling like stepping out of the busy world and into something far more simple.

I’d recommend arriving early and even leaving your camera to head back to the car or to the hotel for a couple of hours if you want to shoot a long Timelapse - it can get really cold up there and there’s no need to stand around in the pitch black watching your camera.

How to get to Xuedahu

So I'm not sure why but it seems none of the local roads around here are appearing on Google maps.. so if you want to get here, I'd suggest adding "Xueda Lake" on Apple Maps, or using these co-ordinates (28.69460° N, 98.74780° E).

Essentialy, follow the G214 towards Foshanxiang. Eventually you'll reach a small town with a gas station on the left and a very sharp turn-off to the right onto a single-track concrete road. Follow this road up up up and you'll reach a small town.

My suggestion would be to chat with the local guesthouse and get them to send you a pin on WeChat that will guarantee the best app directions.. The limitations of the map on this app is a bit sketchy out here.

The road up to the village is narrow and can get dangerous in winter due to the risk of ice so please drive carefully.