Caohai

　　The 15,000-acre Caohai is an emerald set in the eastern part of Lugu Lake. With 37 species of aquatic plants, 42 kinds of rare birds, as well as 11 species of fish, shrimp, shellfish, snails, and frogs, it forms a rare biological wonderland. Reeds in the wetland stand like walls, waterways crisscross, and Mosuo girls in red blouses and white skirts paddle wooden boats called “pig trough boats,” appearing and disappearing among them. The melodious folk song “Ah Ha Ba La” echoes through the reeds and water grasses. This sense of freedom, this carefree joy, intoxicates the heart and enchants the soul.