Qinghai Emerald Lake

Da Qaidam Emerald Lake is located in Da Qaidam Town, Da Qaidam Administrative District, Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is a unique salt lake landscape of Da Qaidam, classified as a magnesium sulfate subtype salt lake, covering an area of 15 square kilometers, and is one of the most representative scenic spots in the area. 

Emerald Lake is located within Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, approximately ten kilometers northwest of Da Qaidam Town. It was originally a mining area for the Da Qaidam Chemical Factory’s salt lake mining team. The lake earned the name "Emerald Lake" due to its crystal-clear, azure waters that shimmer like emeralds in the sunlight.

Da Qaidam, known in Mongolian as Ikh Chaidam, meaning "Great Salt Lake," is the "northern gateway" to the Qaidam Basin. It is located in the northwestern part of Qinghai Province, on the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin, and is a county-level administrative region directly under the jurisdiction of Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

The salt lake is composed of brine (water) and minerals (crystallized substances) left over from resource mining. Due to the presence of metal elements such as potassium, magnesium, and lithium, along with halides, the salt bed alternates between light blue-green, emerald green, and deep blue, creating a vibrant, jade-like expanse that shimmers alongside salt crystals on the lake surface — hence the name Emerald Lake.