Chaka Salt Lake

　　Guide     Chaka Salt Lake is located in Golmud City, Qinghai Province. It is the largest salt lake in China and one of the most famous inland salt lakes in the world. It lies 750 kilometers from Xining, with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway running through it.  　 　    Introduction      The lake stretches over 160 kilometers from east to west and 20 to 40 kilometers from north to south. Its salt layer is about 2 to 20 meters thick, covering an area of 5,800 square kilometers at an altitude of 2,670 meters. The lake holds over 50 billion tons of sodium chloride, enough to feed the entire world’s population for 1,000 years. It also produces the world-renowned carnallite, which is crystal clear and incredibly beautiful. The lake is rich in associated minerals such as magnesium, lithium, boron, and iodine, and has abundant potassium and salt resources.

　　    The surrounding area of the salt lake is flat and boundless desert, yet the scenery is unique. On sunny and calm days, the vast lake surface resembles a giant treasure mirror, radiating silver light with steam rising and shimmering waves, truly like an ocean of endless blue. The salt crystals in the lake are crystal clear and come in countless forms—some resemble coral, pagodas, or flowers, while others look like constellations, ivory, or gemstones. They are captivating and draw endless admiration, earning the nickname “blue flowers.” Being surrounded by these floral-like crystals sparks boundless imagination, making you feel as if you are wandering through a fairyland.

　　    The lake also produces what is hailed as the “king of salt lake” – pearl salt, each grain as pure white as snow and as translucent as jade. Glass salt, also known as crystal salt, mostly appears in cube shapes and is as transparent as glass. Freshly harvested glass salt comes in colors such as yellow, orange, blue, pink, and milky white.

　　    Chaka Salt Lake is situated in the Gobi Desert, characterized by a hot and dry climate. Due to long-term exposure to wind and sun, along with precipitation far below evaporation levels, the highly concentrated brine in the lake gradually crystallizes into salt particles. Especially on the lake surface, a salt crust forms that can be 1–2 meters, or even 3–4 meters thick, and is exceptionally hard. This salt crust has a very high load-bearing capacity—cars and trains can drive on it, airplanes can take off and land on it, and even houses and factories can be built on it. Currently, China’s largest potassium fertilizer plant, the Qinghai Potash Fertilizer Plant, is located on the lake, with an annual production capacity of 1 million tons.

　　 Golmud, Qinghai