Haigeng Dam and Dianchi Lake Gulls

Haigeng Dam is a causeway on the northern edge of Dianchi Lake in the Dianchi National Tourist Resort, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan, China. It is best known as the main place in the city to see red-billed gulls, which overwinter on the lake in large numbers. The birds usually arrive from mid-to-late October and leave around the end of March; about 39,000 gulls wintered in Kunming in 2022. At the dam, visitors stand along the railing and the lake edge as flocks wheel overhead, land on the water and take food from outstretched hands. Feeding and watching the flocks is free, and bags of gull food are sold by vendors nearby. The setting is open and exposed, with a wide view across Dianchi Lake toward the hills on the far shore, and the atmosphere is lively, with families, photographers and local visitors sharing the shoreline. The best photographs usually come from low angles at the water's edge, with the birds in flight against the sky or the hills beyond, and the light is best in the morning and late afternoon. A visit takes about one to two hours, longer for photographers who want to wait for the right shots. Outside the winter season, the dam is quiet and the main draw is the lake view, so most visitors come between late October and March. Crowds are heaviest on winter weekends and holidays, when the dam fills with people feeding the birds; weekday mornings are much quieter. The area is a short walk from the Yunnan Nationalities Village, so the two combine easily into a half-day trip, and Didi cars run to Haigeng Dam directly. Entry is free. Visitors are asked to avoid chasing or grabbing the birds, and bring layers, since the wind off the lake can be cold in winter.