Take the high-speed train directly to Xining, Qinghai, and then transfer to the bus. It was bumpy all the way and arrived at Chaka Salt Lake called "Mirror of the Sky" at two o'clock in the afternoon.
Chaka Salt Lake, located in Wulan County, Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Qinghai Province, is one of the four major salt lakes in Qaidam Basin. "Chaka" is Tibetan, which means "Yanchi". During the journey on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a part of seawater gathered in low-lying areas, forming many salt lakes, among which Chaka Salt Lake is one.
At this time, the sky is gloomy, although a little disappointed, but it is lucky without the cooperation of raindrops.
Because I was afraid that unexpected rain would affect the tour, I bought a sightseeing ticket and went directly into the scenic spot to save time. Sitting on the convertible sightseeing bus, the plateau flew by, feeling a little cold.
Soon, the outline of the salt lake has flashed in the distance. At first glance, the gray sky and the white lake seem to be connected on the horizon, and the dense figures seem to slide on the frozen lake, breaking the loneliness of water and sky. Near the lake, I found that the microwave in the lake was weak. Men, women and children rolled up their trouser legs, played or took pictures in the water, and the screams of joy came and went.
As soon as the car stopped, I couldn't wait to run to the wooden plank road in the center of the lake, looking for a suitable place, ready to take off my shoes and get into the water.
Just about to go barefoot into the water, nearby tourists kindly reminded: rent a pair of foot covers. The lake is cold and sweaty, and there are salt particles at the bottom. I can't stand walking barefoot. My husband is diligent, so he rented foot covers for running. Although I was fully prepared, at the moment I stepped into the lake, I still felt biting cold and slight discomfort: the soles of my feet felt not soft sediment, but angular salt particles. At first, I felt a tingling pain in my feet and I couldn't stand steadily. This was a special gift from Salt Lake. After standing for a while, my husband and I held hands and explored the center of the lake with one foot deep and one foot shallow. While playing, we said that this was a salt water foot bath. Unconsciously, I can walk freely in the lake, my husband's childlike innocence is still alive, and all kinds of funny things make people laugh. I am busy posing and want to leave the most beautiful memorial in the "mirror of the sky".
Enough playing in the water, put on your shoes when you go ashore. It's not too late to see the time. I plan to walk back along the path and enjoy the scenery along the way. Put on your shoes and step on the road paved with salt particles. There is no tingling and coldness in the water, and there is a soft feeling, like walking on the beach. The lake is as wide and calm as the sea without high tide, and it accepts people to stay and play in it.
After a while, I came to the salt sculpture of Genghis Khan, a generation of Tianjiao. This work uses 4800 tons of salt, which is the largest salt sculpture art work at present, and it is amazing!
There are also large and small salt sculptures, which cannot be seen one by one because of time. Looking forward to revisiting the salt lake on a sunny day to make up for this shortcoming.