Complete Guide to the Secret Realm of Chaka Salt Lake｜Pitfall Avoidance + Emerald Barrier Photo Tips

🚗【Transportation Guide】

1. External Transportation:

◦ ✈️ Direct flight to Golmud Airport, 1-hour taxi ride to the salt lake (about 50 RMB).

◦ 🚂 Take the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Golmud Station, carpool for 25 RMB/person round trip to the scenic area.

2. Internal Transportation:

◦ 🚗 Preferred car rental: From Golmud, 300-500 RMB/day, drivers can take you to unlock secret salt fields (such as the Emerald Lake area).

◦ 🚎 Must-buy scenic area shuttle: 100 RMB/person round trip, stops at new check-in spots like "Muyang Bathing Beach" and the popular "Bird's Nest."

🏨【Accommodation Recommendations and Warnings】
✅ Recommended Choices:

• Hotels in Golmud City:

◦ Kaibang Ruisi Hotel (oxygen rooms + free airport pickup, off-season 400+/night)

◦ Urba Bernar Hotel (walking distance to food street, 200-400 RMB/night)

• Salt Lake Specialty Accommodation:

◦ Qinghai Salt Lake Hotel (the only accommodation inside the scenic area, lake view from the window, off-season 500+/night)

⚠️ Pitfall Warnings:

• No other accommodations around the salt lake! Be sure to book in advance to avoid sleeping outdoors during peak season.

• Beware of drivers recommending "private salt lakes": actually abandoned salt pits with sharp salt crystals that can damage shoes.

🍴【Food Map】

1. Must-try lake fresh:

◦ 🐟 Salt Lake Rainbow Trout: The sashimi at Chaka Salt Lake Fish Restaurant is fresh and sweet without fishy smell, paired with cold mixed sand scallion to cut the grease.

◦ 🍲 Kangguo Lamb: The lamb chops at "Mr. Kangguo" are fragrant and crispy, potatoes soak up the meat juice, about 60 RMB per person to eat until full.

2. Local specialties:

◦ 🥟 Ga Mian Pian: Handmade sour soup noodles, recommended "Ma Zhong Restaurant" with wild scallion soup base.

◦ 🍶 Highland Barley Sweet Fermented Drink: Chilled fermented beverage, slightly intoxicating like fermented rice milk tea, 3 RMB/bowl at night market stalls.

🎡【Fun Tips】

1. Classic Activities:

◦ 🚂 Salt Lake Mini Train: 50 RMB/person deep into the lake area, tracks extend to the heart of Emerald Lake, perfect for shooting "Lonely Train" masterpieces.

◦ 🪁 Salt Sculpture Experience: DIY colorful mineral salt paintings next to the Salt Lake Museum, 30 RMB each to take home a geological memory.

2. Niche Experiences:

◦ 🌌 Nighttime Stargazing: Container rooms in the scenic area 680 RMB/room, star pointer rental available, summer Milky Way stretches across the salt lake.

◦ 🚁 Drone Aerial Photography: Allowed after registration at the entrance, note weak signal in strong wind, recommended to shoot the salt flower archipelago.

📸【Top Photo Spots】

1. Wanzhang Salt Bridge:

◦ 🌅 Sunset Moment: After 19:30, the lake surface is gilded, stand in the center of the salt bridge wearing an apricot-colored long dress, backlit hair glows.

◦ 🌌 Starry Sky Long Exposure: Fix tripod for 2 hours to capture the Milky Way crossing the salt bridge (star pointer rental required for positioning).

2. Salt Flower Plaza:

◦ 💎 Microscopic World: Crouch low and use phone macro to shoot salt crystals refracting rainbow light, like a carpet sprinkled with crushed diamonds.

◦ 🌊 Mirror of the Sky: Early morning with no wind on the lake surface, wear a white dress standing in the shallow water, invert phone to shoot reflection (bring transparent shoe covers).

3. Emerald Lake Area:

◦ 🟢 Green Ripples: Take off shoes and step into the water (shallow area!), shoot with phone upside down to blend people into emerald ripples, brighten shadows in post-edit for a dreamier effect.

◦ 🚜 Industrial Style Masterpiece: Shoot cool silhouettes beside abandoned salt harvesting vehicles, salt mountains and green lake create a strong visual impact.

💡【Practical Tips】

1. Outfit Suggestions:

◦ Daytime: Red/yellow long dress + woven hat (avoid blue and green! They blend into the lake surface).

◦ Night: Thin down jacket + scarf, temperature difference over 15℃.

2. Equipment List:

◦ Photography: Polarizing filter (eliminate lake surface reflection), tripod (essential for reflection shots).

◦ Protection: SPF50+ sunscreen (strong UV), lip balm (humidity <40%).

3. Environmental Reminder:

◦ Salt crystals are as sharp as knives! Do not step on unsecured salt crust, violators fined up to 2000 RMB.

◦ Take all trash with you to protect the ecology of the "King of Asian Salt Lakes."

🎁【Bonus Perks】

• Encounter salt workers near the Salt Lake Museum and experience making "Starry Sky Salt" (50 RMB/person, bottled to take home).

• New 136-meter observation Ferris wheel added to the scenic area (expected operation in 2025), offering 360° panoramic views of the salt lake.

🌄【Itinerary Reference】
One-day Highlights Tour:
Golmud City → Salt Lake Museum (1 hour) → Wanzhang Salt Bridge (1.5 hours) → Salt Flower Plaza (1 hour) → Emerald Lake Area (2 hours) → Return to city for dinner (Kangguo lamb + sweet fermented barley drink)

This summer, let the emerald waters of Chaka wash away the noise, and capture the magical collision of the "Mirror of the Sky" and salt flower archipelago with your lens! 📸✨