Atlas
Qaidam
A high-altitude inland treasure basin — desolate on the surface, yet beneath lies an extraordinary wealth of salt lakes and mineral resources.
Prefecture: Haixi
Province: QinghaiWhite salt deposits trace curved shores through Qaidam's turquoise brine, with an arid basin plain and snow-dusted mountain rim stretching beyond the lake.
Vista4
- Chaka Salt Lake Sky Mirror
A crystalline salt lake reflecting clear skies like a flawless mirror, with 3,000 years of salt mining heritage.
- Dachaidan Emerald Lake
A constellation of mineral-rich salt ponds gleaming with brilliant emerald and turquoise hues in the desert.
- Wusute Water Yadan Geopark
The world's only water-submerged Yadan geological formation, with sculpted mounds rising out of azure lakes.
- Keluke & Tuosu Twin Lakes
A pair of adjacent freshwater and saltwater lakes, serving as a vital wetland oasis in the arid basin.
Bridge1
- Qarhan Salt Lake Ten-Thousand-Zhang Bridge
China's largest inland salt lake (5856 sq km), crossed by a highway and railway built directly on hard salt crust.
Undated1
- Qaidam Basin Salt Lake FormationPrehistoric (Quaternary, from c. 2.6 million years ago)
Closed-basin evolution and Quaternary infill produced Qaidam salt lakes containing potash, magnesium, lithium, and other evaporite resources.
Northern and Southern1
- Tuyuhun and the Qinghai Silk RoadEastern Jin to early Tang (313–663 CE)
The Tuyuhun polity formed in the 4th century and developed the Qinghai Silk Road corridor linking China with the western regions.