Tibet Tour from Xining - Chaka Salt Lake

Chaka Salt Lake is located in western Chaka Basin in Qinghai Province. With an altitude of 3059 meters, Chaka Salt Lake covers a total area of 154 square kilometers with a length of 15.8 kilometers and a width of 9.2 kilometers.

Tibet Tour from Xining – Brief Introduction of Chaka Salt Lake

Chaka Salt Lake is situated at Chaka Town, Wulan County, Heisey Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. Located at the junction of the State Highway G109 and State Highway G315, Chaka Town was an important station of the ancient Tea-horse Road. Chaka Town is about 298 kilometers away from Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province and also the start point of the world famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In ancient times, both tourists making a Tibet tour and Xinjiang tour would take a halt at Chaka Town.

With an annual average temperature of 4 Celsius, Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area enjoys a dry and cold climate. The average temperature in January is -12.2 Celsius and the average temperature in July is around 19.6 Celsius. The annual average precipitation is about 210.4 millimeters while the annual evaporation capacity is 2000 millimeters. The annual average relative humidity is 45-50 percent. With a dry continental climate, the northwest wind happens frequently in Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area.

Chaka Salt Lake is a famous natural crystallization lake in Qaidam Basin. It is researched that there are about 0.44 billion tons of high-quality salt reserved in Chaka Salt Lake. Chaka Salt Lake is the smallest one among the four salt lakes in Qaidam Basin but its development history could be dated back to 3000 years ago. Tourists paying a visit to Chaka Salt Lake will not only have the chance to appreciate the breathtaking salt lake scenery but also have the chance to witness the mechanized salt mining.

Tibet Tour from Xining – Sightseeing at Chaka Salt Lake

Chaka Salt Lake attracted a large number of tourists both at home and abroad since it was opened for sightseeing in 1980s. With the improvement of the salt mining and salt manufacturing processes, Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area has developed into a 3A new-style scenic spot which integrates the ecological tourism and industrial tourism.

Be different from the other salt lakes, Chaka Salt Lake is a brine lake with both solid salt and liquid salt. Most of the salt lakes are located in the gobi desert, but Chaka Salt Lake is inlaid among the snow-capped mountains and grassland. The snow-capped mountains, blue sky and clear salt lake compose a picturesque natural landscape. The green grassland decorated with white sheep adds more charm to the salt lake.

Tourists making a Tibet tour from Xining and pay a visit to Chaka Salt Lake could take the mini-train for sightseeing in the endless charming salt lake. The breathtaking sunrise and sunset glow at the salt lake always leave visitors deep impression. Tourists come here in different seasons could enjoy differenct landscapes. Spring is the best season to enjoy the salt mining landscape at Chaka Salt Lake. Summer and autumn are the best seasons for enjoying the endless salt lake view. Winter is the best season to enjoy the fascinating snow landscape here.