Yilong Lake, located in the eastern suburb of Shiping County, is one of the famous lakes in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

Yilong Lake, formerly known as Yulong Lake, got its name because of the Yulong Mountain to the south of the lake. In 1629, the so-called dragon went up to the heaven in the daylight resulted in the change of its name as Yilong Lake. 

The formation time of Yilong Lake is not known. According to the relevant information, this lake has been formed in Qin and Han dynasties. There were many vauclusian springs in the north shore of the lake, which was the source of the lake. The elevation of Yilong Lake was 1414 meters, started from the east to the west, which was about 15 kilometers. The width between the north to the south was about 3 kilometers with an area of about 32 square kilometers, and the total storage capacity was 220 million cubic meters with an average depth of 4 meters.

The north and the south shore of the lake have many fascinating peaks and clear water; the eats and the west coast is a flat and fertile land, which is an abundant place of the magnificent scenery and rich resources in southern Yunnan. There are three islands of Da Rui Cheng, Xiao Rui Cheng, and Ma Ban Long, the south coast of which has large and small bays with an alleged seventy- two bays. While the larger bays contain Da Bay, Gao Jia Bay, Yang Jia Bay, Dou Di Bay and other five bays. The nine bays and relatively distant three islands constitute a unique landscape. Among the island and green hills along the lake, there is Lai He Pavilion, Huan Wen Tower, Luo Se Temple, Hui Lan Cabinet, Udakacandra Temple, Guang Yin Temple and other scenic spots, which were all built during the Qing and Ming dynasties. In the bracket and carved beams hanged the old wind chimes, when the wind blew through the lake, the ring was fair-sounding. When listening to distant legend of local people from the Ming and Qing dynasties, people have a feeling of wild stock or floating clouds, thus it was said: the scenery in Shiping was all stemmed from here. 

In the middle summer, the cauliflower and lotus bloom and reeds prosper. Boating on the lake early in the morning, the lake surface was covered with the clouds and mist, and the Ichthyornis went up and down. Ancient people made a poem as: “prevail over shadow of green hills, boat in the clear air, dream in the chest; hundreds of wonderful sceneries appear on the water.” At dusk, the sunset illuminates the green hills, and then the lake becomes thoroughly golden with the calm lake. Taking a boat on the lake and watching the sunsets as well as moonrises in the east are of unlimited poetic flavor. The rarest chance is to boat in the lake, moor and cook fish, chat and taste along with the fishermen with moonlight bathing, which is of great fun and interest. 

The fishermen beside the lake are mostly the Yi nationality. They are good at singing and dancing. When in holidays, their high-pitched buzz of seaweed tune, antiphonal singing across the hill and carnival at all night have boiled and excited the water and hills near the lake.