Caka Salt Lake

Background

Caka Salt Lake lies at the eastern end of the Qaidam Basin near Chaka Town in Ulan County. Its surface covers about 105 square kilometers at an elevation of about 3,059 m; it is a natural crystalline salt lake and one of the earliest developed in the Qaidam Basin. According to the scenic area's exhibition, salt has been extracted here for more than 3,000 years: the local Qiang people already used salt in the Western Han dynasty, and the Treatise on Geography of the Book of Han records a “salt pond”; in 1763 (the 28th year of Qianlong) the Qing authorities began large-scale extraction and set salt regulations; in 1907 the Huangyuan Salt Bureau was established to bring the salt trade under orderly management; and in modern times production shifted from manual to mechanized. It is still both an edible-salt production base and an industrial tourism site. The scenic area includes the Salt Workers' Hall (built in 1977), the Salt Culture Museum, a group of salt sculptures and the remains of the salt-carrying narrow-gauge railway, combining salt-industry heritage with natural scenery. “Mirror of the Sky” is a modern tourism name.

Local customs

• You can photograph the shallow-water reflections and the meeting of lake and sky around the “Mirror of the Sky” plaza
• ride the scenic area's small train out into the lake (subject to on-site operations)
• see the salt sculptures, the Salt Culture Museum and the Salt Workers' Hall exhibition
• and on clear nights, watch the stars from the edge of the lake area (depending on the weather and the scenic area's evening opening).

Travel tips

• The lake surface reflects strongly, so bring sunglasses, a sun hat, sunscreen and moisturizer. The salt crust is rough: wear shoe covers in the lake as required and do not go barefoot, or you may cut your feet
• travelers report hidden pits and salt holes in the lake, so heed the scenic area's warnings about danger zones and do not stray from the walkways and open areas. The elevation is about 3,000 m, so take it slowly and drink plenty of water. The mirror effect is poor on windy or overcast days
• clear, calm mornings and evenings have softer light, but whether the mirror appears depends on the day's weather. From Xining, driving, hiring a car, or taking a tourist bus or train to Chaka Town are all common, with a shuttle between the town and the scenic area
• Qinghai Lake and Caka Salt Lake are often combined in a trip of about two days. Routes, schedules and fares follow official announcements, as do the scenic area's exact location and entrance.
• May to October is the usual season to visit
• in the rainy season the lake is wider and mirror conditions are relatively better
• winter is cold and dry, and some facilities and activities may change, so check scenic-area notices before you go.