Stepping into Dachaidan Emerald Lake, I felt like I had fallen into God's palette

As soon as the car turned into the scenic area, my eyes were captured by a patch of "broken jade"—Dachaidan Emerald Lake is not really a lake; it’s as if the heavens crushed all the greens and blues of the world and scattered them across the Qaidam Basin. Every step felt like treading on the edge of a dream.

Walking along the boardwalk on the salt flats, the salt grains underfoot crunched against my shoe soles, but when I looked up, the colors before me dazzled my senses: some bays were a transparent mint green, like freshly melted jade, with salt crystals on the lakebed clearly visible; others showed a gradient Tiffany blue, and when the wind blew, the lake surface shimmered with tiny waves, like a handful of stars scattered across it; occasionally, I came across milky white salt pools that connected with the distant snow-capped mountains, blurring the line between sky and earth.

The best part was when I crouched down to take photos—the salt flats became a natural reflector, and the lake surface mirrored the blue sky, white clouds, and even my own shadow so clearly that no special angle was needed. Every shot felt like capturing a "mirror of the sky." When tired, I sat on a salt mound to rest; the wind carried the crispness of salt, the distant Gobi Desert was silent, and only this lake sparkled under the sunlight, making me hold my breath, afraid to disturb such pure beauty.

The only thing to watch out for is that the salt flats are very slippery, so be sure to wear non-slip shoes; the midday sun is intense, so remember to wear sunglasses and a hat, or the lake’s reflection will make it hard to keep your eyes open. Also, don’t just focus on taking photos—pause occasionally to look at the distant snow mountains and listen to the wind passing through the salt flats to truly understand what it means to say "life is worth it."

When leaving, my shoe soles were covered with a layer of white salt grains, like carrying a handful of the lake as a souvenir. Looking back, Emerald Lake lay quietly in the Gobi Desert like a forgotten gem—turns out the romance of the Northwest isn’t just the fiery poplars or the grandeur of the Danxia landforms, but also a lake like this, which with gentle colors, turns the desolation of the Gobi into poetry.

Post by Gabriel Harris Jude-86 | Oct 22, 2025