Sits in Chaidamu Basin, west of Qinghai province, Chaerhan Salt Lake is the largest one in China and one of the most famous inland salt lakes in the world. Being 750 kilometers (466 miles) away from Xining, the salt lake is about 160 kilometers (99 miles) long and 20 to 40 kilometers (12.4 to 24.8 miles) wide with the salt bed of 2 to 20 meters (2.2 to 22 yards). It covers the area of 5,800 square kilometers (2,239 square miles) with the altitude of 2,670 meters (8,760 feet). The sodium chloride conserved in the lake is in excess of 50 billion tons, which affords to be consumed for 1,000 years by humans throughout the world. Furthermore, the crystal and bright carnallite, the mineral resources like iodine, potassium, lithium are in profusion here.
The lowest site of the salt lake is 2,200 meters (7,218 feet). It is converged by four lakes, the Dabuxun, South Huobuxun, North Huobuxun and Senie. About 10 inland lakes flow into it. As it rains rarely, and most water is lost by the evaporation, there comes into being the deep salt bed reaching 60 meters for the deepest. It is mainly composed of sodium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride.
Chaerhan is a Mongolian term meaning salt swamp. Lying in the Gobi desert, it is scorching and dry. As it is exposed to the sun for long, water evaporation is far more than the rainfall. The long weathering is conducive to the formation of the highly concentrated brine, which gradually crystallizes and shape grained salt. On the surface forms deep salt cover that is remarkably hard. It is incredible that there is a 32-kilometer (19.9 miles) long railroad running over the salt lake.
There is a legend about he Chaerhan Salt Lake. Long long ago Chaerhan was covered with all kinds of treasures: gold, silver and jewelry. The monsters lived here then fight for the treasures. The Queen Mother of the West was very angry with this so she ordered to flood all the treasures. Thus, Chaerhan became a lake full of "treasure".
Entrance Fee:
CNY 100 for adults;
CNY 50 for kids between 1.2 - 1.4 m;
Free for kids under 1.2 m
Opening Hours: 09:00 - 17:00
Best Time to Visit: Apr. to Oct.
Transportation: Visitors can take airplanes or trains to Golmud first, and take the buses or mini buses at Golmud Long-distance Bus Station to Chaerhan Wuyi Market.
Other Famous Haixi Attraction: Tuotuo River
