"Attention: You are entering the provincial protective regions of nature where collections of plant specimens are absolutely forbidden. Any violation will cause you great trouble and you will be penalized accordingly."

Warning on ticket given to all visitors to Lu Gu Hu.

"Introduction for Lu Gu Lake:

Lu Gu Lake is listed as well known scenic sport in state lever, tour sport and natural protection sport in province level with distinctive Mo Suo expressioins and beautiful mountain and water scene. This lake covers 50 square kilometers with an elevation of 2690 meters, most depth of 93 meters, average depth of 45 meters. The water of lake is clear and sweet, transparent like mirror, with most visible degree of 12 meters. The lake enjoy good reputation of "a expanse of clean water in west south of china:, "tour resource with high quality, in world level". The people living by the lake sitll now reserve completely "A Xia" form of marriage, which female is master on one's own house with the maternal family that femal member perform the duty of handling down next generation, and male don't take to wife, femal don't take to husband, both sides of marriage live respectively in their own home all the life, (it is called "zou hun"). It is praised "the last flat clean land of human maternal culture" by domestic and foreign expert.

The pictures in the photo gallery show our nine plus hour journey from the habitable areas of Yunnan to Lu Gu Hu. It was quite the trip. It's really hard to explain. One minute you're completely enthralled with the incredible scenery; the next, concerned that your driver, who has absolutely no understanding of friction, vectors, forces, momentum, speed, tires, transmissions, and, the consequences the impact of a small, shitty, Chinese built automobile has upon its occupants after it plunges five hundred feet into a ravine filled with raging water, hasn't the slightest god damn idea as to what he's doing. That's after it hits a few boulders and large, shitty Chinese built trucks. After the third time the bald tires slide precariously close to the edge of the unfinished road, as you look down the mountainside a few hundred feet, searching frantically for a soft spot a quarter mile away to land in, you start to realize that those threats of pain, death and dismemberment went completely unnoticed by your completely ignorant driver, who, typically responds to each "Please slow down" with "Do you drive a car in America?" No, like I haven't the slightest idea how to drive a car. My response typically is "What the f-ck is a car? We don't have those in America." Which, always brings the typical all-knowing response, and that typical 'you dumb stupid American' smile. The road to Lu Gu Hu is just a sight to be seen. And a trip to experience.

One can see all aspects of typical Chinese road building traveling to Lu Gu Hu. The initial destruction of hillsides. The manipulation and destruction of large boulders. The creation of small side walls. The smoothing and leveling of the roadway bed. The cutting and fitting of stones into small interlocking pieces. The covering of said stones with finer gravel. And, eventually, the overlay of tar.

Yes, the overlay of tar. The only thing that's done by heavy machinery. Everything else is done by hand. Chinese hands. Hands that live on the side of the road, hands that eat food and water that's brought by transport. Hands that live in small canvas covered creations. Hands that live there during the entire one to three year construction period. Working every day, from sun up to sun down.

It's an incredible experience. One that might be understood by pictures. But can only be appreciated by being there. And if you really think your life has any sort of value, you won't go.

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