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Salt lakes play an important role in the development of Chinese civilization. They have a long history and their products are one of the earliest types of salt consumed by humans.
Visit the salt lake and admire the pure white world of the "Sky Mirror." Through the clear water, admire the unique salt flowers. Enjoy sunrises and sunsets where the sky and water merge into one. Finally, don a vibrant dress, drape a veil, and walk barefoot across the lake, leaving behind captivating and precious memories.
China has more than 1,000 densely distributed salt lakes of various sizes, making it one of the countries with the most salt lakes in the world. According to their landforms, geological conditions and material composition characteristics, they are divided into four salt lake areas: the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Salt Lake Area, the Northwest Salt Lake Area, the Northeast Salt Lake Area and the Eastern Scattered Salt Lake Area.
This time, we have selected some of the most classic and worth-visiting secret spots in China from more than a thousand salt lakes and introduced them to you one by one.
Want to know about salt lakes? First, you need to know how salt lakes are formed.
These lakes have gone through many changes over the years, drying up and filling up many times. A series of changes such as crustal movement and even natural disasters have caused the lakes to grow, age, become sick and die.
Initially, running water flows in and out of the lake freely, carrying away the minerals in the lake. Later, geological changes in the river channel make it impossible for the lake water to flow out, or because the evaporation of lakes in arid and semi-arid areas is too large, a large amount of water is lost, eventually leaving behind a large amount of minerals and salts.
The salt crystals in the lake give the lake surface different patterns, without the difference in salt concentration, making the lake water appear colorful under the refraction of light.
Manas Salt Lake belongs to Tacheng Prefecture and Bukesaile County in Xinjiang. It is located in the northwest of Junggar Basin and has a unique salt lake ecological environment that is rare in China.
Manas Salt Lake has an ethereal and sacred feeling of "water and sky are one color, blue sea and silver sand". It is a rare jade pearl in the desert. The lake area is 5 times larger than that of Chaka Salt Lake.
The salt flowers, salt mountains, salt flats, salt sculptures, salt roads, and salt fields are all beautiful. In addition, sunrise and sunset, blue sky and white clouds, moon shadows and interstellar space, wetland clear water, and Gobi sunshine are also important scenic resources of Manas Salt Lake.
Tips:
Transportation
Located in the north of Karamay City, drive north along National Highway 217, and then head east about 10 kilometers after passing Baikouquan to reach it.
The Barkol Salt Lake, formerly known as Pulehai, is located 18 kilometers northwest of Barkol County, Xinjiang. It is a plateau lake at an altitude of 1,585 meters. It is surrounded by rolling mountains and lush water plants. The lake is rippling with blue waves, creating a unique spectacle of "a misty mirage covering the mountains."
<Balikun's Beautiful Legend of Love>
A Han Chinese girl and a Kazakh youth named Pu Leihai fought together against a mountain demon that was destroying a lake. The girl was crushed beneath the sharp mountain and petrified, while the Kazakh youth grabbed the demon and sank to the bottom of the lake. They sacrificed their lives to ensure a peaceful and happy life for future generations. To commemorate them, people named the several clear springs at the foot of the sharp mountain "Hangu Springs" and the lake "Pu Leihai."
Tips:
Best season to visit
With an average annual temperature of just 1°C, the Barkol Grassland is a popular summer resort in Xinjiang. From June to September, tourists flock to the town to enjoy the captivating scenery of the lake and mountains, and to watch nomadic herders roaming the lakeside, their yurts teeming with herds of cattle and sheep, accompanied by melodious pastoral songs.
Transportation
Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County is located in the eastern part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, adjacent to Hami City. There are direct buses to Haiziyan Township from Barkol County Bus Station, and taxis from the county seat go directly to Barkol Lake Scenic Area. Self-driving tourists can go along the S303 Provincial Road.
Dabancheng Salt Lake is located 45 kilometers southeast of Urumqi city, close to G312 National Highway.
The Tashkurgan Salt Lake in winter looks like a watercolor painting of aqua blue and white. The lake is about 4 kilometers in diameter and is covered with white salt crystals. There are also huge salt mountains next to it. The visual effect is extremely shocking at first glance, as if the whole person is submerged in silence.
This is a unique natural landscape in Xinjiang that is breathtaking. The mineral-rich salt lake, when exposed to sunlight, evaporates the water and the minerals in the lake are precipitated, eventually forming a snow-like scene.
Tips:
Transportation
Xinjiang Salt Lake is located about 70 kilometers south of Urumqi City. You can charter a car to get there, or take a bus to Dabancheng at the Huanghe Road Suburban Bus Station and get off at the Salt Lake.
The Chaka Salt Lake, located on the south side of Ulan Chaka Town, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, is called China's "Sky Mirror" by travelers. It is one of the salt lakes formed by the accumulation of seawater in low-lying areas due to the movement of plates.
On the way to Chaka Salt Lake, the straight and deserted road stretches across the vast and sparsely populated land.
She is the clouds in the sky, she is the poetry and distance on the plateau, she is like a dream, exciting and fascinating.
Chaka Salt Lake is a place that makes people dream. It is a white lake with water reflecting the sky and sky connecting to water. Cotton-like clouds are floating in both the sky and the water. There is no obvious boundary between the sky and the lake. For a moment, you can't even tell which is the real world and which is the illusion in the lake.
Tips:
Best season to visit
There is little rain in the Northwest in spring, so a thin layer of snow forms on the surface of the Chaka Salt Lake, just covering the instep. The mirror reflection effect is the best at this time. In addition, spring is the off-season for tourism in the Northwest, so there are few tourists. You don’t need to go deep into the salt lake to capture the vast and boundless sky that is only yours.
The temperature in Chaka is suitable from June to October in summer. Girls who love beauty can put on skirts, put on veils, walk barefoot on the lake, and leave charming and precious images.
Of course, because it is located at a high altitude and the ultraviolet rays are strong, sun protection must be done well.
Transportation
Bus: Xining Long-distance Bus Station has a shuttle bus to Wulan County, passing through Chaka Town. There are 5 buses a day and the ticket price is about 80 yuan.
Charter a car: From Xining Bus Station, the round trip is about 400 yuan; from Heimahe, the round trip is about 200 yuan.
Others: Follow the salt truck from Heima River to the lake area, about 50 yuan
The "Sky One" scenic area is located east of Chaka Salt Lake. The wooden plank road leading directly to the center of the lake is called the Gesanghua Plank Road. The two scenic areas are only 20 kilometers apart, making them two sister scenic areas of Chaka Salt Lake.
The two scenic spots have similar settings and audio-visual experiences, but each has its own unique features. However, since the scenic spots are in their early stages of opening, there are relatively few tourists even during the peak travel period.
When talking about salt lakes, we always have to mention Emerald Lake, whose original name is "Dachaidan Lake". It is located in Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in a basin on the northeastern edge of the Qaidam Basin.
In 2016, we accidentally saw its photos on the Internet and went to check it out. When we released the drone and saw the pictures transmitted to the mobile phone, we were surprised to find that this uninhabited Qaidam Basin could actually have such a wonderful sight.
Tips:
Best season to visit
Emerald Lake displays different colors throughout the year. From December to January, it partially freezes over, creating a more crystalline effect. Summer, from May to August, is even more translucent, making both periods ideal for a visit. The sunrise and sunset periods, in the morning and evening, further enhance the emerald hues, reflecting the changing sunlight.
Transportation
There is no direct public transportation, so it is more appropriate to charter a car or drive yourself. It is located next to Daxiadan Town in the northwest of Delingha City. You can reach it by driving west along G315 National Highway to Daxiadan Town.
The Northwest is home to numerous salt lakes, including Chaka Salt Lake, Dachaidan Lake, and Qarhan Salt Lake, each one boasting stunning beauty.
Now, Mangya Emerald Lake has been added to the list of Northwest salt lake beauties.
Mangya Emerald Lake, located to the east of Gasi Lake, is backed by the majestic Kunlun Mountains to the south and the Altun Mountains to the north. It is rich and beautiful.
The brine, meticulously nurtured over more than a decade by potash fertilizer workers, is now pure and translucent, like a piece of unpolished jade embedded in the Gobi Desert. With the Yadan Devil City on one side and the Kunlun Snow Mountain on the other, the scenery is breathtakingly spectacular. Compared to other scenic spots, this area is much less crowded, allowing you to truly relax and enjoy the rare tranquility.
Tips:
Transportation
Located in Huatugou Town, Mangya, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, near the border between Qinghai and Xinjiang, there's no public transportation available. Charter a car or drive directly to Mangya Emerald Lake. There's currently no entrance fee, and free parking is available.
Qarhan Salt Lake - the largest salt lake in Asia and the second largest salt lake in the world, located deep in Qinghai.
The Qarhan Salt Lake is five to six times larger than the more well-known Chaka Salt Lake, and its salt reserves are enough to sustain the world's population for thousands of years. Located in the heart of the Qaidam Basin, known as the "Cornucopia," it overlooks the sky illuminated by the Kunlun Mountains, the ancestor of all mountains.
There are layers of salt crystals, salt flowers in various shapes, and the world-famous 32-kilometer "Ten Thousand Meter Salt Bridge". It is built purely of salt crystals. The road leading to Kunlun Mountain divides the lake into different blocks, and appears blue or green under the changing light.
Legend of Qarhan Salt Lake
Legend has it that long ago, the land around Chaerhan was overflowing with gold, silver, and jewels. The demons and monsters that inhabited the area fought endlessly for the treasures, bringing great suffering to the local people. Upon learning of this, the Queen Mother of the West, who resided deep within Mount Kunlun, was enraged and determined to put an end to the situation. She ordered the Water God to send down the heavenly waters to submerge the gold, silver, and jewels underwater, leaving them beyond the reach of all but the descendants of the human race. Thus, the salt lake appeared.
But in fact, the Qarhan Salt Lake was formed by the ancient ocean undergoing crustal changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, being separated by mountains and gradually shrinking and drying up.
Tips:
Transportation
1. Train: Golmud Railway Station is located in the south of the city. As an important transit station along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, it connects Xining, Lhasa, Beijing, Shanghai and other places.
2. Long-distance bus: Golmud Long-distance Bus Station (No. 23, Jiangyuan South Road): Located on the north side of the railway station, buses mainly go to Xining, Dunhuang, and Delingha; Taishan Road Bus Station: Buses mainly go to Lanxian, Delingha, Daxiadan, and Xiangride.
Dongtaijinaier Lake is located in the northwest of Daxiadan District, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, not far from National Highway 315 (it can be seen from the road), and is 220 kilometers away from Daxiadan Town.
Dongtaijinaier Lake is a super-large lithium deposit mainly composed of brine, and is also known as an angel's eye hidden deep in the Qaidam no-man's land.
The lake's high copper content gives it a vibrant green hue, while the shores are covered in white crystals. Surrounding the lake are vast expanses of Yardang landforms, including the famous "Water Yardang," which, combined with the vibrant green water, resemble a majestic fleet from afar.
Tips:
Transportation
The Dongtaijinaier Lake area is located deep in the heart of the Qaidam Basin, about 280 kilometers from Golmud City and about 320 kilometers from Delingha City. It is recommended to drive there: starting from Golmud City, drive about 140 kilometers along the G3011 Expressway, turn onto G315 at the Xiaochaidan Interchange, and then drive about 140 kilometers to arrive.
Or you can start from Delingha City, drive along S20 Dexiao Expressway for about 180 kilometers, enter G315 at Xiaochaidan Interchange, and then drive about 140 kilometers to arrive.
Zhabuye Chaka, also known as Zhabuye Co, is located in Renduo Township, Longger District, Zhongba County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the three largest lithium salt lakes in the world.
Decades ago, it was an obscure salt lake, with only herders and prayer flags for company. In 1982, people discovered that Zabuye Chaka was a treasure trove of lithium. It was originally thought that roughly half of the world's lithium reserves lay in Bolivia's salt lakes. Now, thanks to this salt lake, China may be re-ranking in lithium reserves.
This "pink lake" in Tibet changes color depending on the weather, showing pink and deep red. But most of the time, it appears light blue and dark blue. The scene where the male protagonist pushes his bicycle in "77 Days" was filmed here.
If you drive around Nanhu Lake, you will see interconnected "squares" and other shapes.
Getting close to Zabuye, the snow-like mineral deposits are so beautiful.
Tips:
Transportation
Zhabuye is located in the most remote corner of Zhongba County, more than 1,000 kilometers away from Lhasa. Due to its remoteness, there is no bus service to it, so people usually charter a car and drive along County Road 711 to get there.
One of the world's three largest sodium sulfate inland salt lakes, it is known as the "Dead Sea of China." It is located on Jiefang South Road, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province.
China's Dead Sea, as the name suggests, only needs an inflatable pillow to float on the water. There are many things to do here:
Why not throw yourself in a pile of salt and enjoy a mineral salt therapy? Play a super healthy game of burying yourself in salt! Take a black mud bath, indulge in a Running Man vibe, and smear yourself with handfuls of millennia-old salt lake mud...
Tips:
Transportation
Located on Jiefang South Road, Yanhu District, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, you can take bus No. 21 or No. 88 to reach the Rainbow Gate of Yanhu Health City
Dingbian County is located at the junction of Shaanxi Province and Ningxia Province. Dingbian Salt Lake belongs to Dingbian County and is the only salt lake production area in Shaanxi Province.
As one of the oldest salt lakes in my country, salt mining began here during the Qin and Han Dynasties, and it has a history of more than 2,000 years.
The vibrant colors, rich layers, and winding paths spread across the lake, like a vibrant palette of colors set on the loess land. In spring and summer, numerous water birds flock here to roost, their soaring flight adding to the beauty of the otherwise tranquil salt lake.
Tips:
Transportation
It is located in Yanchangbao Township, Dingbian County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. Tourists can take a minibus to Yanchangbao in Dingbian County, and then transfer to a minibus or walk to the destination.
In my mind, lakes are always blue, sometimes crystal clear, but never quite shattering the dominant blue hue. These unique salt lakes in China, however, display a variety of unique colors depending on the light: mirror-like white, azure seas and silver sands, or vibrant pinks. The towering snow-capped mountains in the distance and the nearby lakeside trails intertwine around the lakes, creating breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.
Compared with the salt lakes abroad that are far away, these niche secrets in China are within reach. They are quietly located on the land of China, attracting countless tourists with their unique and magnificent style.
