Chaka Salt Lake
Chaka Salt Lake is a salt lake in Ulan County, Qinghai Province, China. It sits about 3,100 meters above sea level and covers roughly 105 square kilometers, with a length of about 15.8 km and a width of about 9.2 km. The nearby town is Chaka.
The Tibetan name means "salt lake." The lake lies at the eastern end of the Qaidam Basin, about 298 kilometers west of Xining, the provincial capital.
A branch railway from Chaka connects to the Qinghai–Tibet railway. It was first built to transport salt, but today tourist trains run from Xining, lasting a little over four hours.
Chaka Salt Lake is a major tourist destination and an important salt mine in Qinghai. In 2018, it drew more than 3 million visitors. The water is crystal blue and the lake bed reflects like a mirror, giving it the nickname "Mirror of the Sky."
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:08 (CET).