ERH LAKE

Wade-Giles romanization Erh Hai, Pinyin Er Hai, lake in western Yunnan province, China. It lies in a deep basin at the eastern foot of the snow-covered Tien-ts'ang range between the upper waters of the Yangtze River, there called the Chin-sha River, and the Mekong River. Erh Lake is the last remnant of a larger lake, which formed the extensive alluvial plain surrounding it, particularly on the west side. It is drained from the southern end by the Yang-pi River, which flows into the Mekong. The lake is about 30 miles (50 km) long from north to south but only 6 to 10 miles (10 to 16 km) wide from east to west. The lake is about 6,365 feet (1,940 m) above sea level. Erh Lake contains a number of islands. The south of the basin has comparatively easy communications to eastern Yunnan and to Szechwan province and is on the main route southwestward to Myanmar (Burma). The surrounding area was first brought under Chinese control during the Yan dynasty in the late 13th century, before which the Erh Lake basin had been the centre of the independent states of Nanchao and, later, Ta-li.