On March 4, 2025, Secretary of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee Wang Ning extended a heartfelt invitation to nationwide travelers through his reply to People’s Daily Online netizens, spotlighting Haiyan Village as the epitome of “sojourning to Yunnan.” “They come for the landscapes but stay for the life and culture,” he said. Nestled on the shores of Dianchi Lake, This thousand-year-old fishing village has become a living ode to “poetry and distant horizons” – open a window to see seagulls gracefully fluttering over Dianchi Lake, Step into the unhurried charm of bustling market lanes. Travelers linger not just for ethereal sunsets but for the soulful promise of “finding home at the moment.”

Poetic Dwelling by Dianchi Lake

Occupying an excellent viewing position on the eastern shore of the Dianchi Lake, this 600-year-old ancient fishing village perfectly interprets the “aesthetics of sojourning”. The 137-kilometer-long ecological corridor around the lake passes through the village, and the reeds in the Laoyuhe Wetland sway with the wind, outlining an ecological scroll like an ink-wash painting. In winter, tens of thousands of black-headed gulls arrive as promised and dance with the sunset chasers in the afterglow. The remaining mooring stones at the ancient wharf tell the legendary fishing tales of “thousands of sails competing” during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2024, more than 3 million people visited and experienced the phrase “Open the window and face the sea, sleep with the sound of the waves,” illustrating the “beautiful economy” of lucid waters and lush mountains. 

A Theater Where Time Collides

Bluestone paths link 72 traditional Qing dynasty “Yikeyin” courtyard homes, whose mottled clay walls and carved door lintels preserve the codes of the time. In the intangible cultural heritage workshops, clay replicas of ancient fishing tools blend with modern art. In the restored old houses, the Sunset Coffee reshapes rural aesthetics with millions of views. When immersive performances ignite the ancient dock with flickering "fishing fires," and the "Seagull Music Festival" entwines melody with traditional dragon dance, Travelers experience the wonderful resonance between the past and the present.

The Sojourn Revolution: Symbiosis of Traditions and Trends

Sharing Cultural Tourism’s “Golden Matrix” redefines the rural landscape. At the art bazaar, the sound of silverware being hammered echoes with the unfolding of indigo-dyed cloth. At the Sharing Coffee Restaurant, the innovative Yunnan cuisine conquers the taste buds of guests from all over the world. More than 20 "village cafes" clustered together have transformed dilapidated farmhouses into internet-famous sites. The growth of the village collective income by 2.56 million yuan testifies to the path of revitalization towards getting rich right at one's doorstep. In 2025, new IPs such as the “Sunset Market” and “Ancient Fishermen’s Coffee Festival" will spotlight heritage flavors—Braised Fish in Preserved Sauce(Laojiang Fish), pea paste—adding a touch of warm and lively atmosphere to the sojourning experience.

Kunming’s Answer to High-end Retreats

As dusk stains Dianchi Lake’s waters gold, Sharing Homestay—a masterpiece by Tsinghua architects—casts a warm glow. This high-end sojourning benchmark along Dianchi Lake restores traditional dwellings by the principle of “minimum intervention”. Smart home devices are subtly hidden within the log-structured space, and the boundless rooftop terrace serves as a ceremonial field for chasing after the setting sun. It jointly builds a matrix with three characteristic hostels, turning “Open the window and face the sea, sleep with the sound of waves” from imagination into tangible poetic reality, charting a new course for Kunming’s high-end retreats.

Here, sojourning is no longer a simple stay, but a profound experience of conversing with history, embracing nature, and resonating with beauty.

Haiyan Village dips its brush into Dianchi Lake’s inkstone, crafting a dreamy picture scroll of rural sojourning in contemporary China with strokes of sunset gold. When the last ray of afterglow sinks into the surface of the lake, the fishing lights at the ancient wharf are lit up one after another, this millennium-old village—personally “endorsed” by the provincial secretary—awaits your arrival to discover the "optimal experience" for a Yunnan sojourn.

Click here to view the Chinese report

(Editors: Simon, Reena)