On the eastern shore of Dianchi Lake, inside Shanyinzhu B&B—the first guesthouse in Haiyan Village—owner Wang Yan warmly greets guests preparing to check out. In the distance, the silhouettes of the Western Hills, known as "Sleeping Beauty", stand out clearly, while sunlight filters through the weeping willows by the Lake, casting dappled light on the stone path. Once surrounded by vegetable fields, this former fishing village has now transformed into an "internet-famous" weekend gateway for Kunming residents. Wang Yan, along with her cafe and guesthouse, has both witnessed and contributed to this remarkable change.

Love at First Sight: From Tourist to Coffee Shop Owner

Wang Yan, a native of Wenshan, Yunnan, and her husband had worked in Shanghai for years before starting their business in Haiyan Village. "In 2022, my husband brought me to visit Haiyan Village. We were instantly captivated by its waterfront setting and beautiful sunsets. We decided on the spot to rent a courtyard here." Her husband, also from Yunnan, is a seasoned designer with a passion for rural culture. In recent years, he has actively contributed to multiple rural revitalization projects across Yunnan.

The couple began searching for a property and eventually came across a run-down old house by the lake. "Luori Shiguang Coffee was renovated from a dilapidated pigsty. My husband, with his designer’s sharp eye, visualized the transformation the moment he saw it," Wang Yan recalls. At first, opening the coffee shop was just for fun—a cozy spot where friends could hang out. At the time, there were hardly any cafes in Haiyan Village, and Wang Yan was the first to take the leap.

Thanks to its exceptional design and stunning lake view, Luori Shiguang Coffee quickly became a viral hotspot in Haiyan Village, drawing in tourists and social media influencers for photoshoots. "Weekends were packed—we were making over 10,000 RMB a day just from coffee sales. With so many visitors, there was a demand for food, so we soon rented another nearby house to open our second location, now called Shanyin Cafe, offering both coffee and light meals."

Balancing Daily Life and Poetic Living

At noon, a family of five from Shenzhen checks out, and Wang Yan warmly bids them farewell, welcoming them to return to Yunnan.

Shanyinzhu B&B is Wang Yan’s third business in Haiyan Village and the village’s first lakeside guesthouse, opened before the 2025 Spring Festival. With 13 guest rooms, it features a simple yet elegant architectural style. "The goal of opening the guesthouse was to let tourists stay and deeply experience Kunming’s slow-paced life."

Pushing open the guesthouse gate, a carefully crafted swing comes into view, flanked by lush greenery and blooming flowers. Sitting on it feels like stepping into a living painting with Dianchi Lake as the backdrop. Inside the guest rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping, uninterrupted lake views. The guesthouse’s crowning feature is the "Sunset Screening Hall" on the rooftop, where every evening, the sky puts on a romantic display. Spacious shared areas invite guests to unwind and find comfort in every corner of the property.

To Wang Yan, running a guesthouse may seem romantic on the surface, but it actually requires solid management skills and hands-on experience. About seven or eight years ago, she opened her first guesthouse in a small village in Yongping, Yunnan, which single-handedly boosted the entire village’s popularity. "These days, many young people dream of opening a cafe or guesthouse. My advice is to gain some real experience first—don’t rush in. Passion alone isn’t enough."

Today, Haiyan Village has outgrown the quiet solitude of its past as an ancient fishing village. As one strolls along the winding promenade on the eastern shore of Dianchi Lake, the rich aroma of Yunnan Arabica Coffee wafts from cafes, Elegant Western restaurants, and artsy bookstores dot the landscape, while the savory scent of Braised Fish in Preserved Sauce(Laojiang Fish) from farmhouses fills the air. Evening breezes carry the laughter of tourists across the shimmering water, glowing in the last light of day. Nurtured by Dianchi Lake for generations, this village is now breathing new life through the integration of culture and tourism.

In the warm glow of the setting sun, Wang Yan—both a witness to and driving force behind Haiyan Village’s transformation—watches yet another group of guests come and go. She knows that each lit lamp in the guesthouses, each wisp of steam rising from a cup of coffee, adds another thread of possibility to Dianchi, the "Pearl of the Plateau." These small, glowing signs of life are stitching together a future where tradition and modernity, nature and commerce, thrive in harmony along the lakeshore.

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(Editors: Simon, Ines)