The day-long boat trip on the lake started by visiting this small island temple on the eastern shore of the lake.

A detail of the temple’s roof.  While not as elaborate as the magnificent roof edges of Beijing’s historic structures, the temples and buildings in this area are rich with Bai architecture and mural paintings, as shown here.

Carvings such as this one grace the temple doors.  Though not original, the renovated carvings show the extent to which the government has gone to restore the old temples, for the sake of tourism.  The government has even mandated that Bai structures either be renovated or, if torn down, reconstructed using Bai architecture.

A calligrapher works near the temple entrance.

A boat hauls huge rocks in front of a new temple along the southeast coast of the lake.

This temple complex, made up of multiple temples and gazebos as one proceeds uphill, is actually a new series of structures.  Shown here is the first building upon entering the complex.

This is the view back down the hill from about two-thirds of the way up.  Needless to say, it was a stunningly beautiful day, as are many summer days in Yunnan.

The main temple, placed at the back (and the top) of the temple grounds.

The third stop of the boat trip was a small Bai town that boasted a nearby cavern.  The wall mural on this structure in the town is typical of Bai architecture.

An old alleyway in town, along the walk to the cavern.

Caverns and caves are extremely popular places for Chinese tourists, and this one was no exception.  The tour guide pointed out many bizarre rock structures formed through the ages such as the one pictured here.

Fishing boats launch from shore near the town.

The boat I was on came upon a fisherman doing his business in the old-fashioned way.  The cormorants on his boats jump into the water and catch the fish; tight rings around their necks prevent them from swallowing.  The fisherman then takes the fish from the cormorant’s mouth...

...and then tosses the bird overboard so it can catch more.

After they have completed their work, the fisherman rows off to another area of the lake, while the cormorants spread their wings to dry in the sun.  While this is nothing unusual in China, it was quite a performance for this American.