Qarhan Salt Lake（察爾汗鹽湖）

Located in southern Qaidam Basin in the northeastern part of Qinghai Province, Qarhan Salt Lake is the largest natural salt lake in China, as well as one of the most well-known inland salt lakes in the world, covering about 5,800 square kilometers (580,000 hectares).

As a natural resource for a number of important minerals, the lake is famous for its deposits of more than 50 billion tons of sodium chloride, or table salt, which canenough to supply 6 billion people for 1,000 years. The briny water of the lake crystallizes into salt under the searing heat, forming a hardened salt bed around the lake.

The most amazing feature of the lake is the 32-kilometer-long salt bridge built across the lake. The bridge, 15-18 meters thick, is made with salt. “Floating” on the lake, the bridge is straight and smooth on the surface, which divides the lake into two parts. Driving on the bridge is an interesting experience.

Admission:100 yuan (US$15.69)/person