Chaka Salt Lake 茶卡盐湖

About Chaka Salt Lake

Its reflective appearance depends on water, wind and light, so the famous mirror photographs show particular conditions rather than a guaranteed view. Salt sculptures and the small tourist railway give the visit a second theme: the history and presentation of salt working. Choose the walking and train options that match the current operating route.

The lake's water is rich in sodium salts, and a thick salt layer lies close to the surface; the water itself has become nearly dried up. A branch railway connects the lake to the Qinghai-Tibet railway, and a narrow-gauge line originally built to transport salt is now used for transport within the scenic area.

Chaka Salt Lake, also known simply as Chaka (a Tibetan name meaning 'salt lake') or as Dabsun Nuur in Mongolian (also meaning 'salt lake'), lies in Chaka town, Ulan County (乌兰县), within Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The lake surface sits at an elevation of 3059 metres.

The salt-producing area is managed separately from the visitor area and operates under closed management, with public access restricted to keep the production zone clean and free of visitors, ensuring that the salt produced there meets the ISO9001 international quality standard for salt products.

What to look for

• Pale salt surfaces and shallow brine create changing reflections.
• Salt sculptures turn the local material into large works.
• The tourist railway reflects the site’s salt-transport background.

Location & getting there

Getting to Chaka Salt Lake

The Chaka Salt Lake scenic area is at 9 Yanhu Road in Chaka town, Ulan County. Confirm the exact scenic area named on your ticket, since different salt-lake visitor products use similar names.