Death Ride to Lugu Lake

Panoramic view of Lugu Lake by Nancy Wu

Guest post by Michelle Fung.

If you’re craving for an adrenaline rush, take a drive up the mountains in China’s Yunnan Province. There are no barriers along these roads. It’s just you, your car and the treacherous fall that awaits you if you dare steer a degree off course.

You’ll endure the twist and turn for hours along the windy roads. Every few feet will feel as if your car is about to dive off the cliff. This ride is not for the weak of hearts but it is incredibly exciting – albeit in an I-can’t-believe-I-survived-that-turn and oh-my-God-I’m-going-to-die kind of way.

What else would a bunch of bored 20-year-old college students do? To alleviate the fear of our bus potentially flying off the cliff, we sang Disney songs most of the way. Then it started to rain. The wheels squealed against the road and yes, like the cliche goes, our lives flashed before our eyes. But when we opened them, we realized we had finally made it to the mountain top in one piece. Thank goodness the view was worth risking our lives for.

2,685 meters above sea level lies Lugu Lake. It is nestled between the mountains that border Yunnan and Sichuan Province. The first glimpse of this lake will take your breath away. You’ll have to remind yourself to exhale and pinch yourself a few times just to make sure you’re not dreaming.

The surrounding area is hazy – as if you were standing in the clouds. In the daylight, the lake’s blue water ripples softly. It’s so clear, you can see yourself in it. The view will make you think that there just might be someone up there working his magic after all.